January 21, 2021

Problem: A facilities manager with a national maintenance company called looking for a corporate solution for their wash pads. They were expanding into several new markets and wanted to standardize their washing and water treatment systems.

Complications included the fact that most of their vehicles are sweeper trucks which generate a lot of solids. A typical wash yields 1/3 yard of solids. With each facility washing 10+ units per day, the amount of solids generated per month was substantial. Also, each facility has a slightly different layout. The good news was that most of them were connected to the municipal sewer.

Solution: Since their solids handling issues needed to be addressed in addition to their washing and water treatment issues, we offered our engineering services to help them design a custom solution that they could standardize as much as possible for their wash bays and solids settling basins.

Once we completed the design, we recommended a number of washing and treatment options based on their desired washing processes. Due to the fact that they had a variety of vehicles and equipment, they decided on both a demucking system and pressure washing system for washing. The demucking system was paired with a partial water reclaim system to recycle the water multiple times before the water was sent through our SPT-20 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System to process it for acceptable discharge to the sewer.

Finally, all of the equipment was installed in a TER-20 Transportable Equipment Room. This will save installation costs as well as allow the customer to move the equipment to a different location in the future. It also saves space inside of the customer’s building for other critical activities.

by Admin

October 16, 2019

Issue: An equipment rental company was expanding and they moved into a new facility
without a wash pad. There was plenty of indoor space but no outdoor space to put in a
new wash pad. The property owner did not want them to cut concrete or substantially
alter the property but our client still needed be able to wash their equipment onsite,
contain the water and discharge it properly to the sewer.

Solution: For a complete wash system, we recommended installing a SPT-10 Clarifier
Oil Water Separator System, an industrial-grade electric heated water pressure washer
with two portable hose reels, and a portable wash containment pad.
The portable wash pad allows them to wash as much as possible without any major
modifications to the property. They will also be able to move the entire system to a new
facility, if needed. The wash pad was equipped with pedestrian grating along both sides
so that the service personnel can work safely on a dry surface!

by Admin

October 1, 2019

Above Ground Clarifier Oil Water Separator Flow Process

The oil/water/sludge mixture enters the oil water separator
The heavier sludge and particulates fall out of the fluid and are captured in the sludge hopper
The oil and water mixture with lighter particulates travels up the inclined plates
The inclined plates start to separate the mixture. Some oil rises to the top of the separator and the remainder of the particulates slide back down to the sludge hopper.
The remaining oil and water mixture then moves through the coalescing media packs where the majority of the smaller oil particles attach to the media and combine together to form larger oil particles.
These larger oil particles become so buoyant that they release from the media and travel to the top of the separator.
As the oil volume in the separator reaches a certain level, the oil is drained to through piping to an oil storage tank.
The clean water continues over the weir to the clean water chamber where it goes through a final polishing pack and out to the sewer.

WashBaySolutions.com offers a full line of oil and water separators that conform to the guidelines of API 421 for the removal of all free and dispersed non-emulsified oil and solids that settle from the waste stream. Get a Quote Today!

Oil Water Separator – Frequently Asked Questions

Please see a list of question and answers below related to our oil water separator products.

by Admin

June 4, 2019

Problem: An engineer consulting with a railroad called with an application at a locomotive repair facility. Over time, lube oil and diesel fuel leaked from the locomotives into an inspection pit. Periodically, the oil along with sand and dirt collected in the pit was discharged into a retention pond. The oil was then skimmed from the surface of the pond and the water discharged to the sewer.

The roe skimmer wasn’t quite doing a good job so he asked us for suggestions on how to better treat the water before discharging to the sewer.

Solution: We recommended installing a SPT-20 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System with our standard air-driven pump and control system to treat the water. The clarifier section of the SPT-20 would remove all of the settleable solids while the coalescing media would remove all of the oil from the waste stream.

The SPT-20 did an excellent job of cleaning up the water during the week. The only issue reported was that their sump overflowed with water every weekend so their staff was met with too much water on the pad every Monday morning.

Our maintenance manager trouble-shot the entire system with their staff through Facetime, phone calls, and emails. A local electrician also tried to find the source of the problem since there were other issues at the facility. They tried multiple modifications but the problem persisted.

Finally, we engineered and assembled a hybrid control system just for their particular location and sent it out to them. The control system worked and the system is now fully operational and the client is very pleased.

by Admin

April 9, 2019

Problem: A car dealer moving into a new facility with a limited time lease. The property owner did not want them to cut concrete or substantially alter the property but the dealer needed to be able to wash dozens of cars per week onsite, contain the water and discharge it properly to the sewer.

Solution: For a complete wash system, we recommended installing a SPT-10 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System, a cold water pressure washer with a portable hose reel, and a portable wash containment pad. This allows them to wash as many cars as possible without any major modifications to the property. They will also be able to move the entire system to a new facility at the end of their lease. With their input, we helped them layout the system to maximize their space.

After installation of the pad, however, they noticed the concrete floor slope much slighter than originally thought and that the wash water was not moving off the pad well. This flat slope left his staff working in standing water and the SPT-10 not being able to process the wash water properly.

To improve this drainage issue, our staff developed a low cost under layer for the wash pad which created a slight slope for the water. We then installed this under layer and re-piped the in-take piping for the SPT-10 so the wash water flows freely. The general manager of the facility is very pleased with our systems and service.

by Admin

November 2, 2018

Problem: A metals dealer and recycling company had a small wash outside area with a 900 gallon in-ground concrete sump adjacent to it. The sump captured both the wash water and storm water coming off the pad. Contaminants included compressor oil, motor oil, transmission fluid and gasoline.

The company called and asked us for suggestions on how to treat the water before discharging to the sewer. The nearest building to the sump was several hundred feet away and they had very limited area inside it to install an oil water separator.

Solution: This was a perfect application for our transportable equipment rooms. To treat the water, we installed an oil water separator with an electric diaphragm pump in a 20′ long container, our TER-20. Since the client was located in a northern climate, we added insulation and a heating system to the TER-20 to guard against freezing issues.

We placed the TER-20 on a pad adjacent to the in-ground sump and it took less than a day to hook up all of the electrical and plumbing lines to make the system operational.

Using the TER-20 saved the client building costs and provided additional storage space. It also allows them the flexibility to move the entire oil water separator system to a different facility when needed.

by Admin

March 8, 2018

New CF-CP Media (Cross-Flow/Corrugated Plate) Oil Water Separator Media — Image of our New CF-CP Media (Cross-Flow/Corrugated Plate)
Oil Water Separator Media

In many washing applications, solids are a main component of the washing process. Heavy solids such as rocks and muck are often washed off and fall onto the wash pad where they can be easily removed. Other, finer settleable and suspended solids, however, often become entrained in the oily wash wastewater. Separating these settleable or suspended solids from the oily wash water is critical so that they do not clog the separator media and interfere with the oil water separation process.

To insure our oil water separators work well in a high solids environment without clogging, we have introduced a new coalescing media with a corrugated, cross-flow design.

This new media design is both unique and simple. As the water enters the separator, the flow is directed evenly across the surface of the media plates. The solids are captured and fall to the trough area of the corrugated plates below and the oils rise and stick to the trough area of the plates above. This design maintains laminar flow throughout the media so the oil and solids do not remix. Since the plates are smooth, the solids slide down the corrugated plates to the hopper area where they can be easily removed. Separated oil flows upwards along the plates to the top of the separator where it can be removed.

Available in stainless steel, PVC, HPVC and polypropylene
Plate spacing of ½”, ¾” or 1 ¼” depending on application
Supplied in blocks for easy installation and removal

By coupling high efficiency separation with easy maintenance, this new media will ensure your oil water separator
operates at peak performance for years to come.

Give us a call at 800-453- 8639 for more information!

CF-CP Media (Cross-Flow/Corrugated Plate) Oil Water Separator Media — Introduced a new coalescing media with a corrugated, cross-flow design.

by Admin

June 9, 2017

Port Authority Wash System Case Study

Problem: An international engineering design firm working with a Port Authority contacted us to help them design an equipment and truck wash. The Port had an old wash pad that was too small and old wash equipment that no longer worked very well. The Port needed a larger pad and updated washing and water treatment equipment to accommodate the washing of their existing fleet.

They had the option of either building the wash system with either a closed loop wash water treatment system or a sewer discharge treatment system since they had sewer access but it was quite a distance to the sewer connection.

Solution: Wash Bay Solutions helped the engineering firm develop the design for the wash pad, solids settling system, the wash system and two options for water treatment. For both options, we designed the wash and treatment systems to be installed in a portable transportable equipment room to make it simple and cost effective to install. Requests for Quotations were put out for both options and the electric hot water pressure washing system with the SPT-10 Clarifier oil water separator for sewer discharge turned out to be the most cost effective for this particular location with in the port.

We coordinated with the construction company while they were building the wash pad, settling system and sewer connection line. When they were ready, we shipped up the 20’ transportable equipment room (TER-20) and helped them install it in place and get it up and running within a couple days time!

by Admin

October 8, 2015

[box type=”alert”]SOLD – NO LONGER AVAILABLE
PLEASE CALL 800.453.8639 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON OUR PRODUCTS[/box]

RE-FURBISHED EQUIPMENT – For Sale or Lease

SPT-10 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System – The SPT-10 was designed for use in heavy industrial washing operations as a pre-treatment system to remove free oils, grease and high TSS from the waste stream. It is a two-part system designed to be simple to operate but very effective in its ability to remove oil and solids from the waste stream. The first clarifier section will trap and remove coarse amounts of oil from the waste stream and remove as much Total Suspended Solids (TSS) as possible. The plates will also capture larger bubbles of oil and liberate them from the waste stream before they get to the secondary oil water separator section. In that section, coalescing media will remove essentially all free and dispersed non-emulsified oils to an effluent concentration of less than 5 ppm. The entire system can be easily cleaned and maintained.

Standard Features:

1-10 GPM Capacity
Stainless Steel Construction

Advanced coalescing media designed to remove oil droplets greater than 20 microns
Projected plate inclined plates to direct the flow to the surface
Sludge hopper to capture and contain settleable solids.
Adjustable rotatable pipe oil skimmers
Air diaphragm transfer pump and pneumatic level sensor
Utilities Required: Air 14 CFM @ 40 psi
Approximate dimensions: 7’ L x 2’ 6” W x 4’ 10” H

Extra Feature Includes a Dual stainless steel floating skimmers

Extra Features Available:

pH Control System
Dual stainless steel floating skimmers
Ozone System to Control Odors, 120V

This equipment has been re-furbished following less than a year’s use at an industrial washing facility. It is priced to sell or available for lease. Call us at 800-453-8639 for pricing information.

by Admin

October 8, 2015

[box type=”alert”]SOLD – NO LONGER AVAILABLE
PLEASE CALL 800.453.8639 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON OUR PRODUCTS[/box]

RE-FURBISHED EQUIPMENT – For Sale or Lease

SPT-50 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System – The SPT-50 was designed for use in heavy industrial washing operations as a pre-treatment system to remove free oils, grease and high TSS from the waste stream. It is a two-part system designed to be simple to operate but very effective in its ability to remove oil and solids from the waste stream. The first clarifier section will trap and remove coarse amounts of oil from the waste stream and remove as much Total Suspended Solids (TSS) as possible. The plates will also capture larger bubbles of oil and liberate them from the waste stream before they get to the secondary oil water separator section. In that section, coalescing media will remove essentially all free and dispersed non-emulsified oils to an effluent concentration of less than 5 ppm. The entire system can be easily cleaned and maintained.

Standard Features:

1-50 GPM Capacity
Stainless Steel Construction
Advanced coalescing media designed to remove oil droplets greater than 20 microns
Projected plate inclined plates to direct the flow to the surface
Sludge hopper to capture and contain settleable solids.
Adjustable rotatable pipe oil skimmers
Air diaphragm transfer pump and pneumatic level sensor
Internal oil storage tank
Utilities Required: Air 30 CFM @ 40 psi
Approximate dimensions: 9’ 8” L x 4’ 10” W x 5’ 10” H

Extra Features Available:

Clarifier Oil Water Separator System For Sale or Lease

pH Control System
Dual stainless steel floating skimmers
3-way skimmer selector valve and piping manifold
Control panel, 4 float switches and wiring harness
Automated 2 and 3-way valve systems
Ozone System to Control Odors, 120V

At Wash Bay Solutions, our emphasis is on quality. These systems are exceptionally well-engineered and designed for heavy-duty commercial and industrial operations. Simple to operate and maintain, they will run for years in the harshest environments.

This equipment has been re-furbished following less than a year’s use at an industrial washing facility. It is priced to sell or available for lease. Call us at 800-453-8639 for pricing information.

oil water separator

Sweeper Truck Maintenance Facility – Case Study

Case Study – Complete Indoor Wash Bay with Portable Wash Pad

How does an oil water separator work?

Above Ground Clarifier Oil Water Separator Flow Process

Oil Water Separator – Frequently Asked Questions

Case Study – Locomotive Repair Facility

Case Study – Portable Wash Pad for Car Dealer

Case Study – Transportable Equipment Room Package

New CF-CP Media (Cross-Flow/Corrugated Plate) Oil Water Separator Media

Port Authority Water Treatment & Separator Washing System Design

SPT-10 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System

RE-FURBISHED EQUIPMENT – For Sale or Lease

Standard Features:

Extra Features Available:

SPT-50 Clarifier Oil Water Separator System

RE-FURBISHED EQUIPMENT – For Sale or Lease

Standard Features:

Extra Features Available:

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