Oil Skimmer Blog

Choosing an oil skimmer best suited for your application will maximize oil removal while minimizing capital outlay and oil skimming operatinon costs. The fourth step is determining which belt, tube, or disk to select for your skimmer.

Choosing an oil skimmer best suited for your application will maximize oil removal while minimizing capital outlay and oil skimming operation costs. The second step in selecting an oil skimmer is to know what you need or expect your removal capacity to be. Capacity should be based on the maximum amount of oil to be removed within the shortest available time. For instance, total oil influx may be 200 gallons in a 24 hour period, which averages about 8.3 gallons per hour. But if most of it comes during a single eight hour plant shift, you will probably need a removal rate that is three times as high, especially if you are trying to prevent an unwanted discharge of contaminated water to a sewer system. As a rule-of-thumb, specify approximately twice the maximum capacity you anticipate needing for normal conditions.

Choosing an oil skimmer best suited for your application will maximize oil removal while minimizing capital outlay and oil skimming operation costs. The first step in choosing an oil skimmer is to define the operating conditions in which the skimmer will be operating. All oil skimmers have a moving medium, and possibly other parts, immersed in the liquid. The performance and life of the pick-up medium, wiper blades, pulleys, etc. are affected by different conditions. These conditions include temperatures in and out of the liquid, pH of the solution, and the presence of solvents or other reactive chemicals.

A customer in South Korea recently contacted Abanaki in search of a wastewater skimmer. The company is a steel mill that makes hot and cold rolled steel, as well as other types. The problem the facility was facing was that lubrication grease and oil from the production line was ending up in the wastewater pit. The water cannot be discharged until the grease and oil levels are reduced to environmentally safe levels. After further assessment of the company’s manufacturing process, Abanaki suggested it use a Grease Grabber ® Belt Oil Skimmer to solve the problem. This skimmer is capable of handling thick greases and oils due to its belt drive assembly that physically pulls the belt through the wiper blades. The heated discharge hopper thins down the grease to make for easier discharge of the recovered product. By adding the Grease Grabber as a wastewater skimmer to its process, the company was able to remove the floating greases and oils from the wastewater pit, the pollution levels were reduced and met environmental standards.

A US customer previously purchased a 2” solar powered PetroXtractor™ as part of its groundwater remediation system. The unit was being used in desert like conditions to pull oil from a well. Although the PetroXtractor was successfully remediating the oil from the well, the facility was having problems with the environment affecting the process. Sand was getting blown in and onto the belt and was mixing with the retained oil. After contacting Abanaki for a solution, it was decided that the company would benefit from utilizing a vapor tight model. Typically, Abanaki doesn’t offer the vapor tight model with the solar powered kit. However, since the problem at hand in this particular application wasn’t about keeping vapors in, but rather keeping debris out, the vapor tight was the ideal solution. The vapor tight unit features an enclosure around the belt that goes down into the well. This helps in keeping the sand and debris from reaching the belt, and mixing with the oil. With the new addition of the vapor tight option with its solar powered PetroXtractor kit, the company’s operation is now operating smoothly.

A metals manufacturer in TN was experiencing issues with one of its processes in which they use a Mighty Mini Belt Oil Skimmer. They were using the Mighty Mini with a stainless steel belt to skim sodium hydroxide from a tank that had a pH of 12 and a temperature of 170 degrees. These conditions were causing the stainless steel belt to become brittle and it started to crack during operation. The company reached out to Abanaki to find a solution to its problem. After being made aware of the operating conditions, it was determined that the facility needed to use a high temperature polymer belt for this specific operation. This belt material can withstand much higher temperatures and harsh chemical environments. After using the new belt material, the company’s operation has been running smoothly with no problems to report.

Choosing the right oil skimmer may improve the oil collection rate depending on the application. In a parts washer application, a belt skimmer is usually the best choice because of its small footprint and its ability to use various belt types to handle harsh conditions. Shallow wastewater sumps may have less than one foot of water, requiring a tube type oil skimmer that uses a tube that can float on the surface and collect the oil without bottoming out. Standard coolant sumps may be able to be cleaned up with an inexpensive disk skimmer while other sumps may have very little access. Some sumps can only be accessed with an oil skimmer that can bolt to the side of the tank and have a tube access the sump through a cutout in the side of the tank. If you're not sure which skimmer would best suit your plant's application, contact an Abanaki's sales rep today and they'll help determine which oil skimmer is right for your application! Or click the photo below to launch our Oil Skimmer Selection guide and click the X that fits your application to find out what skimmer is best for you.

Did you know that about 40% of the US population uses groundwater as drinking water? Unfortunately, there are still roughly 126,200 sites in the US that contain contaminated groundwater and require remediation. Groundwater remediation is the process of removing pollution from our water supplies and fresh drinking water sources. This process can be costly and range from $110-127 billion. However, with the use of Abanaki’s PetroXtractor oil skimmers and leachate pumps, that cost can drop drastically. Our products are designed to work in rugged and harsh environments. Additionally, they require little power or energy to operate, helping to reduce energy costs of the end user. Learn more about the facts of contaminated groundwater sites in the US and how Abanaki PetroXtractor belt oil skimmers and pumps can easily and efficiently remediate your contaminated ground water. Click the image of our new infographic below to learn more about Groundwater Remediation and our wide range of useful products!

There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when buying and using an oil skimmer. Undersizing your skimmer, using the wrong skimming material, or buying from the wrong vendor are all things that can lead to a bigger mess. Read through our '7 Deadly Sins of Oil Skimmer Selection' guide and learn about all of the dangers to avoid. If you still have questions, contact one of our sales reps and they will get you squared away with the perfect skimmer for your particular application!