Oily water separator FAQ


	All oil water separator vendors say their equipment performs the best; how can I determine how well a separators will really perform?
		One effective way to accurately determine oil water separator performance is to ask vendors to provide: An oil water separator performance curve. This curve shows oil droplet size vs. separation efficiency for the oily water separator being considered. This curve should not be some generic curve but one for the exact conditions for the application. Note that many manufacturers cannot provide such a curve, but the reputable suppliers should be able to do so. Ask the vendors if they can carry out performance tests to prove the separation curves provided. An example of a performance curve is show on the Ultraspin dimensions and specifications page.:
	How clean can an Ultraspin supplied oil separator get the water?
		How clean the water becomes depends on the Ultraspin equipment design, how it is operated and the nature of the oily water to be treated. These factors are explained in our learning centre. In most typical applications the oil separator can produce a results in the following range: 5 to 100 mg/l oil & grease 50 to 200mg/l suspended solids Less than 30mg/l petroleum hydrocarbons.
	Can you guarantee a water discharge quality of 10 mg/l?
		In many cases Ultraspin can give this guarantee. It is important to note however that for any guarantee to be credible it must contain at least the following information: Performance curve of the separator (see above) Characteristics of the oily water mixture to be treated (see above). Method of operation.
	Will the Ultraspin separator handle emulsions?
		The term “emulsion” is often used to describe an oily wastewater mixture with a lot of very small oil droplets. However there is no universal definition of what a “small” oil droplet is. It is therefore better not to use this term in performance specifications but to refer back to oil droplet size data curves as mentioned above. Our separators can usually deal quite effectively with oil droplets above 15 micron in size.
	I use a strong detergent. Will your separator still work?
		Detergents and cleaning agents are often responsible for producing oily water mixtures with a lot of small oil droplets. This makes the separation more difficult for gravity based oil separators but usually does not cause any appreciable loss in oil separation efficiency with our separators.
	We don’t have compressed air available; do you have electric pump option?
		Small flow standard module systems are only available with a fully pneumatic system. This system includes an air operated diaphragm pump and level switches. The reason for this are explained in our brochures in the downloads area. Larger flow Engineered systems are supplied with electric pumps.
	I am doing a cost comparison between different oil separators. Can you provide assistance in making this cost comparison?
		Yes. Ultraspin has a variety of Excel spreadsheets available for detailed cost comparison purposes. These spreadsheets allow you, the customer, to enter your own data to determine what option gives the best ownership cost result. These sheets available at no cost. Simply email your requirements and we will send the appropriate spreadsheet.
	Can we save some money by using a 20 litres or 200-oil drum instead of the standard module oil tank?
		You will probably not be able to save money in the medium term by using budget oil collection tanks when consideration is given to the following factors: Occupational health and safety Handling spillage and cleanup Site appearance Cost of collection In addition our system needs an oil storage device with automatic water decant. Our oil tanks therefore form an integral part of the effectiveness of our systems.
	I would prefer to collect concentrated oil in small drums for disposal rather than have the Ultraspin oil collection tank pumped out. Can I do this with your system?
		Yes. The oil collection tank can be fitted with an optional 2” concentrated oil outlet. This outlet can be connected to a smaller waste oil drum.
	How often do I need to clean the module system strainer basket?
		How often the small module systems basket needs cleaning depends on the amount of debris and rubbish collecting in the pit. For most of our installations the basket should be inspected and cleaned about every 6 months, but this can vary. The strainer basket is installed on the suction side of the pump to protect the system from larger pieces of debris that could potentially block the separator oil outlet (reject orifice) or damage the pump. The mesh size or hole size of our baskets is typically more than 3 mm.
	Do you ever get blockages in the oil separator?
		When installed and operated correctly the oil separator never blocks and it never needs cleaning. This is one of the great attractions with the our system.
	When should I use the optional recycle valve and recycle timer for module systems?
		We would recommend a recycle valve and recycle timer when: The system is likely to operate very infrequently, say only once per week. In these circumstances there is likely to be a build up of an oil layer. The system is in a critical application, like a fuel site where larger oil spills are more likely. The site is likely to have large oil spills greater than 200 litres. If it was a very difficult separation with say small oil droplets, highly emulsified mixture and recycle was needed to achieve the discharge specification. Very clean water is required.
	Can you remove the air operated diaphragm (AOD) pump on the OS system and substitute an electrical pump (eg progressive cavity type) or supply without and we will provide & install based on your engineering recommendation? The system quoted is a standard OEM design. These come with an air operated diaphragm pump for many reasons, both performance and process oriented. It is Ultraspin's strong recommendation that you retain the standard design, including the air operated diaphragm pump. The reasons for this are as follows: The AOD pumps are intrinsically safe for fuel sites. Our OS series, which we supply to fuel retail sites and workshops, is completely pneumatically operated to make it intrinsically safe for operation in hazardous areas. Electrical motors and controls will require hazardous ratings that make them more expensive. A pneumatic system is inherently safe in a fuel application as it can cause no ignition of fuel. The AOD pumps are self-priming. They can be dead-headed and run dry - all conditions that occur frequently in fuel site effluent treatment applications. A progressive cavity pump cannot tolerate these conditions. When we originally used to manufacture using helical rotor pumps, we often had to honor warranty claims (that were not a fault of our system) as a result of the pump being exposed to the aforementioned conditions. As a result, we made a decision to abandon the progressive cavity pump for the OS series. The AOD pumps can tolerate solids, an important consideration on fuel site effluent treatment applications. Solids from the effluent collection pit that are small enough to bypass the trash screen on the skimmer and the basket strainer, and a pump is required that is solids tolerant. The AOD pumps are a low cost item, with regards to both capital cost and ongoing costs. Their operational simplicity means that they are easy to service. If required the exhaust air from the pump can be used as a further treatment method - aeration. This allows removal of neutrally buoyant solids with a specific gravity close to that of water, and removal of dissolved hydrocarbons. Can we provide bilge water treatment systems? Our oily water separators are very well suited to ship use as the motion does not upset the separation at all. The separation "G" force is more than 1000 so 1G gravity has no effect. We have sold a small number of systems for bilge and ballast water treatment for use on ships. These were add-ons to existing IMO approved separators. This was to bring the water discharge into compliance, as many IMO systems do not work well or are high maintenance. We have been asked but never tackled a design for a full blown IMO approved system. Why do you recommend using an oil skimmer on many installations?
		The skimmer removes free-floating oil from the effluent water collection pit. This has many advantages including: Keeps the pit free of stagnant, smelly oil layers Makes the pit “flood-proof” (minimising any oil spillage should the collection pit accidentally flood) Removing the free floating oil also allows any dissolved oil in the water to liberate into the atmosphere instead of being “locked in” by the oil layer.