Piston type accumulators will have a decrease in piston seal life. The weight of the piston will press at the 6 o'clock position increasing seal wear. By far the largest problem is contamination entering the accumulator and settling inside the bore. Bladder types have an increase risk of the bladder bag floating, which traps usable fluid inside. The bladder can be pinched by the poppet valve closing, which ruptures the bladder.
Horizontal position requires more care when draining the fluid from the accumulator.
Welding hangers to the cylinder is not recommended. The hydraulic fluid used must be kept free of foreign matter to prevent damaging the cylinder wall or the piston sealing rings. For maximum seal life, the fluid should be filtered to 10 microns or less. It is not advisable to change the hydraulic fluid from that for which the accumulator was originally purchased without checking its compatibility with the seal materials. The condition of the accumulator is primarily determined by periodic checking of the precharge pressure.