Oil Skimmer Blog

Written By:  Cole Solberg

The ability to remove oil from water is a common problem that can cost a lot of money when not properly dealt with.  The green movement has placed an unprecedented concentration on keeping our world clean.  This concentration has led to stricter laws and higher penalties.  In the past, many factories would see hydrocarbons in their wastewater and proceed to discharge it into the sewer system.  Various agencies will monitor the amounts of hydrocarbons in wastewater now and hand out hefty fines for improper discharging.  Oil skimmers can remove oil from water to make it suitable for releasing into the sewage system.  Abanaki oil skimmers can save money and reduce stress from the steep penalties.

Written By:  John Logar

The PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer is a fine choice for coal tar applications. Recently an environmental firm came to Abanaki looking for a way to remove coal tar from a well application.  Since it was a DNAPL they were trying to remove, they were skeptical that the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer would work. They had used the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer in the past on LNAPLs and it worked great, but they never thought it would work in a DNAPL application. With the recommendation of Abanaki’s Sales Manager, John Logar, they were willing to try the unit in one of their wells. Abanaki adds stabilizer bars to most DNAPL applications to work with the heavier product.  They agreed to try the PetroXtractor for their coal tar application. After a few weeks in operation with the unit working satisfactorily, they came back to Abanaki and ordered a second unit. The Abanaki PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer works well in both LNAPL and DNAPL applications.   Watch how the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer removes hydrocarbons from wells.

Written By:  Megan Wurm

The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer can be used in wastewater applications that are shallow in depth.  The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer is a great fit where a belt skimmer is too big.   Due to the sleek design of the Oil Viper tube oil skimmer it can skim in just inches of water compared to a belt skimmer which could need one to two feet of water to skim from.  The Oil Viper tube oil skimmer works off the same principle of the belt skimmer, the tube breaks the surface tension of the water, the oil is then collected and skimmed off by its unique wipe clean design.  Two tube materials are available, the standard tube is great in a wide variety of applications; the high temperature tube is best suited for high temperature or caustic applications.    See the Oil Viper tube oil skimmer in action!

Written By:  Jim Linaburg

After a recent trip up North to a power plant that utilizes the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer with the poly oil skimmer belt, I discovered just how well the poly belt has been performing.  Due to the freezing temperatures in the area during the winter season, water pickup was a major concern for this site.  Previous applications seemed to pickup a substantial amount of water along with product and the collection tanks would eventually freeze due to the water content.  After switching to the poly oil skimmer belt, the oil skimmers started picking up more pure diesel and less water.  With the addition of the poly oil skimmer belt, these oil skimmers can now run all season long, picking up more diesel and less water.  Less water also means more cost effective disposal, for instance, the power plant now uses their recovered diesel as an in-house heating fuel.  Saving money and the environment, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Written By:  Cole Solberg

When it comes to separating oil from water and coolant, belt oil skimmers are among the least expensive units for maintenance.  Belt oil skimmers need very little attention for everyday use.  The items that will need to be changed from time to time are the belt and wipers.  This is because these are the parts that eventually wear from contact.  It is typically a good idea to have a spare oil skimmer belt and wipers on hand so that you can get your belt oil skimmer up and running with little to no downtime.  As the wipers wear down, they will slowly become less and less effective.  The belt can wear down in a number of ways until it eventually breaks.  Belts can last a long time depending on the application, but it is always good to be prepared when you are in need of that back-up belt.

Written By:  John Logar

The Mighty Mini Belt Oil Skimmer may be your solution to help rid yourself of oily “mop water”.  Have you cleaned your shop floors and wondered what to do with the oil that is in your “mop water”?  While many city ordinances prevent disposing of the oily water in the drain and it is costly for it to be hauled away, companies are looking at alternative ways to rid themselves of this nuisance. Many companies have turned to using the Mighty Mini Belt Oil Skimmer to lower their PPM of oil to reach acceptable levels so they can dispose of the water into the city sewer system.  So if you are looking for an inexpensive way to help rid yourself of this problem, view the Mighty Mini Belt Oil Skimmer demo to see if it may be the answer for you.

Written By:  Megan Wurm

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought we would look at pump & treat in comparison to the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer.  Pump & treat is an old solution to an old problem.  The oil and groundwater are both pumped from the monitoring well.  They are usually put into a collection tank and then the groundwater is treated to remove the oil.  The PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer allows just the oil to be removed eliminating the need to treat the groundwater.  The belt oil skimmer is outfitted with a belt that can fit in 2″ casings up to 6″ or bigger.  The belt oil skimmer breaks the surface tension of the groundwater and the oil is picked up by the belt.  A new solution to an old problem!  See how the PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer works!

Written By:  Jim Linaburg

There are a wide range of coolant maintenance products including oil skimmers to help keep your coolant fresh and extend its life.  Does your shop smell like rotten eggs?  Have the quality of your products been compromised?  If so, you probably have dirty coolant to blame.  From belt oil skimmers to tube skimmers and coolescers, having the right tools and products can make keeping your coolant working properly a breeze.  Putting the proper oil skimmer on your machine will cut down on the way lube and floating oils are left in your tank.  These oil skimmer units do a great job of removing the oil from your machines coolant tanks, leaving you fresh coolant to run quality production parts.  There are also other products that can help in your quest, items like oil eating microbes, coolescers, and coolant deodorizers can all be added to your maintenance plan along with an oil skimmer so you can rest assured you are getting every dollars worth of your machines coolant life.  View an oil skimmer in action now.

Written By:  John Logar

Abanaki’s Oil Grabber® Model 8 oil skimmer was the perfect solution to a meat processing plant’s dilemma with its oil waste removal problem.  A recent inspection at a ready-to-eat cooking plant left the company in violation of a city ordinance dealing with waste disposal. The plant which cooks meat products for the restaurant industry, had a parts per million exceeding the allowable amount. They had looked at many alternatives for removing the oils but found most solutions to be costly or involve many man hours. After a thorough search, they came across the Oil Grabber® Model 8 oil skimmer. This unit with a removal rate of up to 40 gallons per hour was an ideal fit for the job. Abanaki’s Oil Grabber® Model 8 is a belt type oil skimmer that removes the oil with little or no maintenance involved. The Model 8 oil skimmer helped this plant reach the levels (PPM) that were needed for discharge with little maintenance required.    View the Oil Grabber® Model 8 oil skimmer demo now.

Written By:  Megan Wurm

Many of the machining centers built today have limited access to the coolant sump.  This presents an interesting challenge to plant maintenance personnel on how to remove the oil from the coolant sump in their machine.  They need a small solution to a big problem; a tube skimmer like the Tubetastic is the perfect fit.  The tube skimmer has a small footprint and an even smaller mounting arrangement.  There is a small lip on the front of the tube skimmer that allows you to easily mount the skimmer on even the most limited-access tank.   The tube skimmer has an oleophilic tube that snakes into your machining center and removes the oil from your coolant. Keeping coolant clean is important in reducing shop odors and will make coolant last longer.   See how the Tubetastic tube skimmer works in this animated demonstration.