Parts washers - what fluid?

[whm_fab]

I stuck heating kerosene in mine initially, but the stink was awful. Changed it for diesel and don't really notice the smell.

(My pump doesn't like either and sticks if left. Have been able to coax it back into sufficient life so far.)

ive kero in mine as well, it works great but i absolutely hate the smell, and of course as your using it , it splashes onto your overalls etc, nearly puts me off using it. il be going for something else next time, is diesel that much better?

 

[Domdom]

The fluid I used is this stuff. (After I gave up with water based stuff) Water based is little more than soap and you always end up with a gloopy mess, especially if it's left for a bit.

35 Litre Low Odour Parts Washer Solvent
from https://www.pcws.co.uk/products-and-services/accessories-and-sundries/

Excellent stuff which can be filtered and re-used many times over. Usual warning though, it's not exactly environmentally friendly and the chap I spoke to was more concerned about how I would dispose of it when the time came.

 

[roofman]

Yes successfully. If its 40c or more it can light quite easily - its the vapours that catch and below 30c theres almost none.
Where as petrol has vapours from -44c - there are different grades for winter.
Diesel doesnt start to give off many vapours until 60-70c although the stink is always there. Kerosene starts from 40c.


Do not pour down a storm drain.
On a dry day where the sewage system *shouldnt* be overloaded and dumping into rivers, you can pour it down the loo as that should all get treated. Same as you can pour waste antifreeze down the loo.

dont think my shop has been over 25 degree even in the hottest spell since it was built in 2007, cavity brick with 150mm insulation in roof construction...looks like my eye brows are safe then

 

[JOEPRO]

I also don't like the idea of 5 gallon of flammable fuel unsealed in my car garage

To add another thought - in my water based tank I drop in a 230v water heater element in cold periods and can parts wash with warm / hot water for extra grease removal. But ive not had anything decent water based degreasers can't tackle.

 

[Misterg]

The fluid I used is this stuff. (After I gave up with water based stuff) Water based is little more than soap and you always end up with a gloopy mess, especially if it's left for a bit.

35 Litre Low Odour Parts Washer Solvent
from https://www.pcws.co.uk/products-and-services/accessories-and-sundries/

Excellent stuff which can be filtered and re-used many times over. Usual warning though, it's not exactly environmentally friendly and the chap I spoke to was more concerned about how I would dispose of it when the time came.

That's odourless kerosene.

 

[barracuda816]

I think it's hard to beat Kero or diesel. Keep it covered and it hardly smells except for when you are using it (but I like the smell or both )

I think the fact that they both burn is a positive (but they are not easy to ignite) as it helps when getting rid of it. No pouring it away or trying to find a recycling centre to take it, simply put it though a filter and back into the diesel heater.

The one downside it then you HAVE to buy a diesel heater.

 

[RWD3M]

Dump it in the oil container at the tip ... might need a few trips.

our local recyle centre (council tip) has a big tank for waste oils

I daren't go near our tip with it. They had a hissy fit when I last took a 5 gallon drum of (mostly) waste engine oil in. It was a little runny as it also had a percentage of waste white spirit/thinners etc, though probably no more than a 25%.

Aside from the fact that it isn't oil but essentially water/

 

[RWD3M]

Do not pour down a storm drain.
On a dry day where the sewage system *shouldnt* be overloaded and dumping into rivers, you can pour it down the loo as that should all get treated. Same as you can pour waste antifreeze down the loo.

Worry not, I was never actually considering pouring down a drain

Interesting about what can go down the loo though. Will read up on that

 

[RWD3M]

I also don't like the idea of 5 gallon of flammable fuel unsealed in my car garage

I have 3 cars with vented petrol tanks, MAPP gas bottles and will shortly have a bottle of acetylene in the workshop. A self closing (in the event of fire) parts washer with 10 gallons of kerosene is possibly the least of my worries

To add another thought - in my water based tank I drop in a 230v water heater element in cold periods and can parts wash with warm / hot water for extra grease removal. But ive not had anything decent water based degreasers can't tackle.

That's a nice idea Joe, I hadn't though of that. I can imagine it would need to be a pretty powerful heater but as Tesco says, every little helps

 

[Kram]

dont think my shop has been over 25 degree even in the hottest spell since it was built in 2007, cavity brick with 150mm insulation in roof construction...looks like my eye brows are safe then

The pump can add significant heating if its running for a while.

 

[Milkybars]

@Domdom the spec sheet shows this as 'odourless Kerosene", will have to see if I can acquire some locally

 

[jmp49]

I think it's hard to beat Kero or diesel. Keep it covered and it hardly smells except for when you are using it (but I like the smell or both )

I think the fact that they both burn is a positive (but they are not easy to ignite) as it helps when getting rid of it. No pouring it away or trying to find a recycling centre to take it, simply put it though a filter and back into the diesel heater.

The one downside it then you HAVE to buy a diesel heater.

I assume your joking there but in case anyone thinks its a good idea, let me save them the bother. I actually did use the fluid AFTER it had been in the parts washer in a stackless diesel burner when I ran out of fuel for the shed heater.
And it was truly horrid, acrid, instant headache & you wouldnt want to share the room with it for more than a minute or two and it stank for days in there.
I now have one of the chinese diesel heaters in that shed and even though the exhaust is outside on this, I think putting used diesel out the parts cleaner in it with all the small debris and contaminants would kill it dead pretty quick even though it has a fuel filter inline!

My parts washer is a old oil drum full of old suspicious diesel and probably all sorts of other things, the pump is air powered so the risk of explosion is less but you need air in the compressor tank to use it.
I do maintain it by lifting the grates and scraping off the slime cake into a bin periodically but I've had the same fluid in it for 15+ years now but it gets topped off when I have to drain more suspicious diesel out of vehicles. My wife hates the smell when it gets on my clothes but hey, it does the job really well...

The larger tank motor pump ones I've seen have a lid which covers the work tank and held up by a fusible link so if they catch fire the lid drops and snuffs out the fire. Its not completely infailable, but its better than not having it.

 

[barracuda816]

I assume your joking there but in case anyone thinks its a good idea, let me save them the bother. I actually did use the fluid AFTER it had been in the parts washer in a stackless diesel burner when I ran out of fuel for the shed heater.
And it was truly horrid, acrid, instant headache & you wouldnt want to share the room with it for more than a minute or two and it stank for days in there.
I now have one of the chinese diesel heaters in that shed and even though the exhaust is outside on this, I think putting used diesel out the parts cleaner in it with all the small debris and contaminants would kill it dead pretty quick even though it has a fuel filter inline!

My parts washer is a old oil drum full of old suspicious diesel and probably all sorts of other things, the pump is air powered so the risk of explosion is less but you need air in the compressor tank to use it.
I do maintain it by lifting the grates and scraping off the slime cake into a bin periodically but I've had the same fluid in it for 15+ years now but it gets topped off when I have to drain more suspicious diesel out of vehicles. My wife hates the smell when it gets on my clothes but hey, it does the job really well...

The larger tank motor pump ones I've seen have a lid which covers the work tank and held up by a fusible link so if they catch fire the lid drops and snuffs out the fire. Its not completely infailable, but its better than not having it.

Nope, not joking. What are you washing? I have had no such issues, sure it smells a little more than “clean” kerosene. Mine is never so bad that it’s thicker or wet. I settle it and send it through a gauze and a (I think) 20mic 10“ filter then it gets chucked in the diesel heater. Two winters, coming into the third. It’s not used every day, but atleast 10hrs a week in the winter/ autumn.

 

[Turbo]

A strong mix of tfr is what I use in my parts washer and it cleans 90% of stuff. Really greasy stuff might take a soak or 2 in the base of the tank.
But there are times that you need a solvent based cleaner so I use old 2 stroke mix in a large saucepan. Sometimes I use celly thinners but you need to be careful with it as it will attack some plastics and rubber.