part washer,

[brownbagg]

i got one of those big floor model parts washer you see at harbor freigh, princess etc. I got mine at advance auto. it take like ten gallon. I havent use it in ten years because i can afford paint thinner.

is there a cheaper water base that will work good not destroy the pump

 

[KSeriesChevy]

I use the zep industrial purple degreaser from lowes comes in a 5 gallon jug for 37 bucks. Works great with mine. The only thing about it is it will eat the paint off of the inside tank. So I had to drain and strain the fluid the first time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[bobcatdan]

Kerosene is at $3 a gallon around me right now. $30 and you will have a cleaner that will everything you could want out of a parts cleaner.

 

[CutterFarms]

Kerosene work in all parts washers? Seems pretty cheap way to go.

 

[Rory Bellows]

Tractor supply sells five gallon jug of parts cleaner for around $45.

 

[fatfillup]

Tractor supply sells five gallon jug of parts cleaner for around $45.

This is what I bought for my parts washer and am quite happy with it. No odor with the lid down. I would worry about the smell with kerosene.

 

[vpd66]

This is what I bought for my parts washer and am quite happy with it. No odor with the lid down. I would worry about the smell with kerosene.

I use bulk from the pump kerosene in mine. Around $3.00 a gallon. I put some fuel fragrance that racers use to add to fuel. Now it kind of smells like cherry hand cleaner.

 

[gte718p]

Kerosene work in all parts washers? Seems pretty cheap way to go.

I don't like having kerosene in my parts washers. To flammable and smells. Many insurances will not cover you either with it. Worth checking on. It is cheap and very effective, just make sure your fusible link and gaskets are good if you go that way.

I have $40 ENCO special water based organic in mine. Works well, doesn't smell, and will not burn the house down.

 

[fatfillup]

I use bulk from the pump kerosene in mine. Around $3.00 a gallon. I put some fuel fragrance that racers use to add to fuel. Now it kind of smells like cherry hand cleaner.

I like the smell of cherry hand cleaner

I know I don't like the feel of diesel on my hands, kero isn't as bad but I think the parts washer fluid is even better.

I have used ones that use a heated water base cleaner and that actually felt good on the hands.

 

[vpd66]

I like the smell of cherry hand cleaner

I know I don't like the feel of diesel on my hands, kero isn't as bad but I think the parts washer fluid is even better.

I have used ones that use a heated water base cleaner and that actually felt good on the hands.

I try not to use my parts washer bare handed. I have a pair of up to the elbow chemical resistant rubber gloves. Keeps my hands in good shape.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

I know you can buy Simple Green concentrate by the gallon, but haven't priced it lately. That's what I plan to use when I get around to building my idea for a parts washer (involving a kitchen sink, 5 gal bucket, aquarium pump, aquarium heater, and an oil filter.)

 

[gungatim]

I don't like having kerosene in my parts washers. To flammable and smells. Many insurances will not cover you either with it. Worth checking on. It is cheap and very effective, just make sure your fusible link and gaskets are good if you go that way.

I have $40 ENCO special water based organic in mine. Works well, doesn't smell, and will not burn the house down.

I agree with the smell but it isn't really flammable at room temperature. it won't ignite with a spark, since its flash point is around 160 deg f. and the auto ignition temp is near 500 deg. that's why its used in kerosene lanterns. mineral spirits have nearly the same temps.

 

[CSFJ]

Any one know how Simple Green would work in a heated parts cleaner? I found an old Graymills unit that I have been reassembling, and it is supposed to be capable of heating the fluid to a something like 105*. The tank holds 30 gallons, and the solvent they recommend is kinda of pricey. Would like to stay with something that's readily available at the local level, and not so expensive.

 

[bobcatdan]

My complaints with simple green is it will eat threw a metal parts washer, lost my first parts washer it. Also if in an unheated shop, it will freeze rock soild. I guess I never noticed any issues will the smell of kerosene, but then again my shop smells of diesel fumes, 2 stroke exhaust, burnt gear lube and a thousand other things the GF ******* about. As for fire, guess I'm just not worried about it.

 

[CSFJ]

I kind of figured that SG would freeze in an unheated environment. I'm guessing the same would hold true with the rest of the water based solvents?

 

[Handyfarmer]

I use diesel fuel,

 

[gte718p]

I agree with the smell but it isn't really flammable at room temperature. it won't ignite with a spark, since its flash point is around 160 deg f. and the auto ignition temp is near 500 deg. that's why its used in kerosene lanterns. mineral spirits have nearly the same temps.

That is true. It is not like having straight gas around.

I've always read kerosene flash point is between 110 and 150 depending on exactly how pure the distillate is. (wikipedia say 100-150). In any case I'm not allowed to carry it on my ship as fuel because the flash point is to low.

Either way if you are pumping it through a nozzle you are going to atomize some amount of it. At the low end of the spectrum, a defective pump or light produces plenty of heat to ignite it. It also has a fairly low heat of vaporization. If you have it on a rag or cardboard that catchs a spark, it will burn fairly easily. If something else in your garage catches fire it can take less the 5 minutes to reach the auto ignition temp.

Back in the day when I was a firefighter, I actually went to two fires at auto shops in my district in parts washers. It does happen. In both cases the fusible link broke and the lid shut like it was supposed to and it was a none issue by the time we arrived. Scared the **** out of some mechanics though.

It is not the most dangerous thing around, and many many people do it without burning down the house. As I said my home owners insurance only allows 5 gallons of fuel to be stored in the garage. While the risks are small, it is not worth it to me when there are really good, really safe options out there. And I really dislike the smell, and don't want to have to properly dispose of it later.

 

[fatfillup]

As I have gotten older, I have become a bit more **** about gas in my garage. It now resides in the shed, far from the house. I do have a bit of diesel in my garage but i don't worry about that.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

This got me to thinking about all the stuff in my garage that would be bad news in the event of a fire. Propane tanks, cylinders of oxygen, C25, Co2, HPA, and acetylene, dozens of aerosol cans, lacquer thinner, reducer, paint, and the list goes on. Scary stuff...

 

[bobcatdan]

My shop would be a mushroom cloud if it ever went up.

 

[stioc]

Jeebus guys! the question was what WATER BASED cleaner to use so it doesn't fubar the pump on all these newer cheaper parts washers. Let's stick to the question rather than going off on 5 different tangents

 

[garthg]

Kerosene is at $3 a gallon around me right now. $30 and you will have a cleaner that will everything you could want out of a parts cleaner.

How do you get rid of it when it's dirty?

 

[sberry]

This is a place to buy the right solvent for the thing, if the lid is closed it lasts a long time.