Paul Edwards asked: How can I check to see if the oil I need removed will adhere to your belt materials?

Skimmerman says: Abanaki offers various belt materials that provide the best possible pickup rates. An easy way to test effectiveness is using a piece of PVC or metal pipe. Run the pipe through the oil floating on the surface. If oil sticks to either material, our belts will work effectively too.

George Perkins asked: I have a Tote It oil skimmer with a cr steel belt. Is there supposed to be a bearing inside the lower pulley?

Skimmerman says: CR steel belts are driven by the upper magnetic drive pulley. The lower tail pulley “floats” on the axle and washer provided. It adds weight to the belt and holds it in place. No bearing is required for operation.

Anonymous asked: How do you set the timer on a Mighty Mini?

Skimmerman says: Turn the time dial to match the current time of day. Set the switching program by pushing actuators inward. Each segment on the dial represents 15 minutes.

Christopher Hollis asked: My belt is slipping on my Mighty Mini, how can I fix it?

Skimmerman says: Check that the belt passes through the wipers without any obstructions. Ensure the tail pulley turns freely and is unobstructed. Coolant/oil mixtures can be very slippery, causing belt slippage. Add a 1/2″ spacer between the spring and base plate for extra tension. This added resistance should help prevent the belt from slipping.

Dave Clarkson asked: What is the amp draw on the 110v Mighty Mini motor?

Skimmerman says: .5 amp

Dan Smith, Mech. Engineer at Cornerstone Engineering asked: For a Model 4, with a 12′ long poly type belt running continuously in a sump with water-oil mix at ambient temperature, with a pH between 8 and 11 and about 2500 ppm oil-to-water ratio,using the ceramic wiper blades, what can be expected to be the life of a) the belt b) the wipers, c) motor and d) gear box?

Skimmerman says:

1. The Polybelt in this application should last a year or longer. Certain factors can reduce belt life, such as fine particles or grit in the liquid. An unlevel head pulley causing bad belt tracking also reduces belt life. Belt life depends more on the application and process than on belt material.
2. Your ceramic wipers should last close to forever. The only thing that will hurt these wipers is physical abuse.
3. Your motor is a ¼ hp industrial strength TEFC motor and should last for many, many years of trouble-free operation.
4. The gear reducer slows head pulley speed to about 12 rpm. Change the gear oil every six months or so. This unit and motor should last many years. For abnormal failures, contact the factory for solutions.

Bryan Irving, Project Manager at Handex – NY asked: Do any of the skimmers work on gasoline recovery, they seem to be mostly for heavier oils.

Skimmerman says: For years, belt skimmers efficiently removed only heavier oils due to available technology. Belt skimmers rely on the scientific principle of surface tension. Recovery depended on product viscosity and belt surface area. Some manufacturers sped up the belt to recover more product. This caused emulsification and reduced belt coating efficiency. Abanaki recently developed a belt for light oils like gasoline and diesel. We call it the LFO Polymer belt, with impressive recovery rates. A 1″ belt removes 3 gph, 2″ removes 6 gph, 4″ removes 12 gph of fresh gasoline. As viscosity increases, recovery rates also increase. We created a belt with greater surface area and minimal profile increase. Using Abanaki’s Oil Concentrator is strongly recommended with the LFO Polymer belt. It ensures nearly water-free recovery during operation. Contact our technical support team at the factory with any further questions.

Alejandro Alcala, Environmental engineer at GALVAK SA DE CV asked: We have a wastewater treatment plant for removing oil and grease. The wastewater comes from a cleaning section of strip (we’re a galvanizing and coil coating facility) and is pumped to equipment for adding sulfuric acid for break emulsion and free grease. I need you to recommend which skimmer to use. The flow of the wastewater is 24 GPM and o/g concentration is about 5000-7000 mg/L. The tank where it is released o/g has only 60 cm depth. Sometimes we have grease and not oil, this causes more problems when removing it. What do you recommend?

Skimmerman says: Based on the application, the most suitable Abanaki skimmer is the Oil Grabber Model 4. It meets the required capacity of 58 LPH (15 GPH) and handles grease efficiently if it is flowing. Mount the skimmer on a 122 cm (24″) stand for gravity discharge into a 55-gallon drum. Use our standard Polymer belt material for best performance in this application. Choose hybrid ceramic-impregnated UHMW polypropylene for the wiper blade inserts. Use 316 SS for the tail pulley, yoke, and chain if sulfuric acid concentration is high. For sticky grease, add silicone strip-heaters under the troughs to keep grease liquefied. Recommended setup: Model 4 with 4″ x 5’6″ poly belt and 60hz TEFC motor (1 or 3-phase). Include 316 SS tail pulley, hybrid wipers, 316 SS yoke and chain, and a 48″ stand. Consider adding strip heaters depending on grease properties. For details, contact Simon Bennett at sb1@abanaki.com.

Daniel Cross, Biochemist/Consultant at Biochemical Products and Services asked: Oil and grease tends to become solid in the surface of separation tanks in food industry. How do the skimmer works in this situation?. Are they provided with a heater?. Thanks for your answer

Skimmerman says: An oil skimmer works well here by using a Mat Buster to break up surface solids. As oil and grease are collected, they discharge into a heated trough or hopper. There, they are liquefied and flow into a tramp oil container. The Mat Buster was created from client needs—just like yours!

Randy Sears, Sr. Engineer at Westinghouse Savannah River Corp. asked: I’ve got a 4′ x 4′ x 4.75′ sump that receives condensate waste water from two air compressors in one of our facilities. Oil is migrating from the compressors and is getting into the its condensate waste stream causing an oil sheen on the sump’s contents. Normal discharge of the sump contents is to the Storm Sewer, but due to the oil residue it is being drummed. Do you have a recommendation?

Skimmerman says: You can handle this application in two ways. Skim surface oil from the sump if the skimmer has enough time. Or skim oil directly from the drums instead. Air compressor oil is difficult to skim due to its low viscosity. It mixes easily with water and doesn’t separate quickly. If skimming from the sump, tell me how long water stays before pumping. A light sheen takes time to remove effectively. Also, let me know the lowest water level distance from the floor. Since skimmers discharge by gravity, height affects container placement. Consider how high the skimmer must be to drain properly.

Pierre McKenzie, Subsurface Program Manager at GA Environmental Services, Inc asked: I have a need to recover #6 fuel oil from fractured bedrock. We are proposing to install a 12-inch diameter recovery well, 40 feet deep, cased from surface to 16 feet (soil/bedrock interface) open borehole to depth. GW at 18 FBG. Which system do you recommend. My experience with skimmers is that they don’t function well in #6. Wipers don’t tend to clean off the oil, especially during cold weather.

Skimmerman says: I recommend a 4″ PetroXtractor with a Polymer belt, heated troughs, timer, support rods, and drum shutoff switch. The Polymer belt retains a little oil, which helps attract more oil on later passes. Heated troughs maintain flow, and support rods prevent the tail pulley from floating in thick oil. #6 fuel oil gets thick in cold weather but should still wipe off the belt. If oil remains on the belt, add enough heat to keep the unit above freezing.

Karen Sohlberg, Environmental Engineer at R&C Industries asked: My oil skimmer isn’t picking up oil from my coolant sump like it did a few days ago. What is going on?

Skimmerman says: Your coolant may have rust inhibitors coating the metal belt, blocking oil pickup. Try switching to synthetic belts like Elastomer or Polymer. Rust inhibitors do not affect synthetic belt materials.

CARLITO. SANTOS, JR., WASTEWATER TREATMENT DESIGNER CONSULTANT at UNIKLEEN INTERNATIONAL CORP. asked: Can you discuss applicability of your product to kitchen waste coming from a group of Chinese food restaurants. Do you have price ranges where I can select from, with its corresponding capacities?

Skimmerman says: Restaurant grease traps are ideal for Abanaki skimmers. Governments are tightening regulations on food industry water discharge. Different units suit grease traps based on size and wastewater flow. Ask about heaters, as fats and greases congeal quickly.

James Kilbane, Senior Engineer at BKC&E Consultants asked: I’ve used skimmer pumps in the past. Not only do they pick up a lot of water, they emulsify the oil and water. How is your skimmer different?

Skimmerman says: Abanaki skimmers do not use pumps, preventing oil and water emulsification. Oil sticks to the belt at the oil/water interface and moves to the skimmer head. The oil is wiped off and gravity discharged into a collection tank. All Abanaki units pick up minimal water during operation. If little oil coats the belt, some water pickup is unavoidable. Abanaki offers timers and Oil Concentrators to minimize water collection.

Sandy Lahtola, Geologist at BT Environmental asked: What is the recovery rate I can expect from a 4″ well?

Skimmerman says: Recovery rates depend on belt speed, product viscosity, well refresh rate, belt size, and material. Abanaki customizes each unit for maximum removal and minimal water pickup. For gasoline, a 2″ PetroXtractor with LFO Polymer belt at 30 rpm recovers about 3 gph. For #6 fuel oil, a 2″ PetroXtractor with Standard Polymer belt, support rods, and timer at 12 rpm recovers over 6 gph. Most wells cannot recover fuel oil as fast as this setup.