Filter your solvent tank?

[lobo2309]

Hi guys,

I hope all you on the east coast and in the south are making it through the storm. Mild here in CA.

My parts washer has become loaded with all the residues of things I have cleaned in the past two years. I want to recharge it, but don't want to put 20 gals of new solvent in it ($40+ per 5 gal can at Tractor Supply) and I wonder if any of you have run your dirty solvent through a fuel filter or an oil filter to get all the muck out? I have some truck and some tractor fuel filters with a cartridge inside. If I hooked up the outlet of the solvent pump to the filter, then returned it to the tank to recirculate, would I begin to see cleaner solvent with in a few hours? Would the puny solvent pump in the tank hold up for that long running continuously?

I wouldn't mind using several cartridges if it would work...$30-$50 instead of $180!

Well, thanks for your help, and keep those shop heaters in good shape!!

David

 

[shoot summ]

Here's my opinion.

Most if not all of the heavy solids in the fluid have settled out into the bottom of your tank. I would start by siphoning off the fluid at the top, then dispose of the fluid in the lower part of the tank, with the solids. Replenish what you disposed of with new fluid. Filtering might help, but IMO most of what is discoloring the fluid will not filter out. It's the big stuff at the bottom that matters.

Most washers have the pump intake spaced above the bottom of the tank for this reason.

 

[HTGTS350]

I'm emptying mine atm, there is about an inch of sludge at the bottom, if I could filter the kerosene and reuse it I would because kero is about $4 a gallon here and my waher is 100+ gallons.

 

[PCO6]

My parts washer draws solvent from a 5 gal. pail with a lid on it. I put about 3 inches of water in the pail and fill it to about 3 inches from the top with solvent (Varsol). The height of my submersible pump is set so that it draws from the solvent only.

The solvent is lighter than the water so it sits on top of the water. Debris that is washed off drains into the pail and because it is heavier than both the water and the solvent it drops to the bottom of the pail and stays there. This negates the need for a filter.

The solvents stays clean for a quite a long time. I only change it every 3 years or so.

 

[JCQuick]

I have a Zep parts washer that came out of a closed down dealership. It came with a filter bag and a valve that will run the fluid thru the filer bag to clean it. They work well mine needs the hose replaced but I got it for free

 

[188slo50]

There was a few on here posting pics of there parts washers with screw on oil filter and a universal mount used to do this. I got my stuff off ebay but have yet to actually install the stuff.

 

[sberry]

I don't bother with a filter, let it settle, pump off the clean, clean out gunk and add some make up.

 

[Keep]

I downloaded this years ago, never got around to actually doing it...

Its simply a remote oil filter adapted to your parts washer. Should only cost about $40 to make.

http://iwrc.org/linkservid/3BD8CD3D-5C84-4AB5-B8C7583E13F67CD0/showMeta/0/

 

[sberry]

That stuff will clog a small filter, some things in life are not worth doing, this is one of them.

 

[38Chevy454]

I agree, gravity should settle the solids out and just drain the tank and remove the solids by hand. That is what I do on my tank. Recharge with some fresh mineral spirits as needed. My parts washer is the cheap 20 gal type with the pump raised up slightly. The pump does have a sort-of filter on the intake side, but it is not for cleaning the fluid, just to help protect the pump.

 

[Steevo]

Here is a link to a PDF file, with step by step instructions for installing a filter on your parts washer:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070206034055/http://www.iwrc.org/downloads/pdf/partsWasher1x1.pdf


I plan to add one to mine.


Oops. Same as was linked above by Keep.

 

[srmofo]

Our zep washer has a filter that looks like yarn wrapped around a tube that filters continuously and then a bypass valve that pushes it through a bag that I think is filled with sand

 

[SchuLace]

Our tanks at work have a fuel filter hooked up to them so the solvent constantly gets filtered.

 

[rburke65]

Yes when I was still working, our wash tank at work, a Zep, also had an external filter. Trust me, this was primarily washing spot welding gun cylinders in the auto mfg. plant, and the were covered with weld dust and some real ****.