parts washer - aqueous or solvent?
03-05-2008, 10:19 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
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parts washer - aqueous or solvent?
i'm thinking of getting a parts washer. i see there are now solvent (the kind i'm used to) and aqueous types. the aqueous types also seem to come in 2 flavors - oil skimmer and bio enzyme.
as a very low usage home user, which type is better? i don't care about cost difference (looks minimal anyway, for low use scenarios). environmental impact is nearly none for me (i think) since i'll rarely if ever change the solution and anyway i don't actually care since it's "covered" in the cost of solution disposal.
i like the plastic tank with the aqueous cleaners.
i think my 2 biggest concerns are
- how do i get rid of the solution if i ever need to change it? since i wouldn't have a regular service contract with a maintenance company will this be hard? enzyme aqueous seems an advantage here.
- is rust a problem for the aqueous cleaners? i see the cleaning solutions have rust inhibitors which tells me this is an issue to some degree.
as a very low usage home user, which type is better? i don't care about cost difference (looks minimal anyway, for low use scenarios). environmental impact is nearly none for me (i think) since i'll rarely if ever change the solution and anyway i don't actually care since it's "covered" in the cost of solution disposal.
i like the plastic tank with the aqueous cleaners.
i think my 2 biggest concerns are
- how do i get rid of the solution if i ever need to change it? since i wouldn't have a regular service contract with a maintenance company will this be hard? enzyme aqueous seems an advantage here.
- is rust a problem for the aqueous cleaners? i see the cleaning solutions have rust inhibitors which tells me this is an issue to some degree.
03-07-2008, 01:08 AM
#2
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I work for an industrial chemical manufacturer (lubricants, cleaners, etc.). We manufacture hundreds of chemicals, among them parts washer solvents. Here is my $0.02....
Solvent
Pros: Cleans fast, no pH (cause it's not water-based), dries quickly, leaves no residue, can be used in metal and some types of plastic tanks.
Cons: some products can be flammable, more expensive than water-based, more disposal issues.
Aqueous
Pros: Cheaper, non-flammable, fewer disposal issues
Cons: Cleans slower (especially if not heated), must be dried off due to residue, products often have a high pH (read: can burn skin), must be used with plastic tanks becuase they will rust metal ones (see high pH
)
A few other notes.....The bio-enzyyme products are pretty much worthless. They take forever and can't be heated.
We have a new soy-based product out....It's a better cleaner than aqueous but not as effective as solvent. One positive-it has zero air pollutants. One negative- the soy based product can eat up some types of rubber hoses (like the ones your parts washer comes with).
Finally, a tip about solvent based tanks. If you have any built in clay or paper filters to filter out oil/grease contaminants, you can dispose of parts washer filters in the same place you dispose of oil filters.
Solvent
Pros: Cleans fast, no pH (cause it's not water-based), dries quickly, leaves no residue, can be used in metal and some types of plastic tanks.
Cons: some products can be flammable, more expensive than water-based, more disposal issues.
Aqueous
Pros: Cheaper, non-flammable, fewer disposal issues
Cons: Cleans slower (especially if not heated), must be dried off due to residue, products often have a high pH (read: can burn skin), must be used with plastic tanks becuase they will rust metal ones (see high pH
)A few other notes.....The bio-enzyyme products are pretty much worthless. They take forever and can't be heated.
We have a new soy-based product out....It's a better cleaner than aqueous but not as effective as solvent. One positive-it has zero air pollutants. One negative- the soy based product can eat up some types of rubber hoses (like the ones your parts washer comes with).
Finally, a tip about solvent based tanks. If you have any built in clay or paper filters to filter out oil/grease contaminants, you can dispose of parts washer filters in the same place you dispose of oil filters.
03-07-2008, 03:14 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
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I just got an aqueous parts cleaner from NAPA, Chemfree's Ozzy Juice SW6. More info on the SW6 here: here.
I haven't used it yet but I read online reviews saying it's pretty good. It's sold to be used in the Smart Washer brand parts cleaners that use bioremediation, but from what I read it works well on its own in any parts washer. I found it hard to find suppliers for parts washing fluid, aqueous or solvent, and so the fact that NAPA had it was a big plus. Also, it has a rust inhibitor in it and is safe for use with aluminum.
I haven't used it yet but I read online reviews saying it's pretty good. It's sold to be used in the Smart Washer brand parts cleaners that use bioremediation, but from what I read it works well on its own in any parts washer. I found it hard to find suppliers for parts washing fluid, aqueous or solvent, and so the fact that NAPA had it was a big plus. Also, it has a rust inhibitor in it and is safe for use with aluminum.
Last edited by mathia; 03-07-2008 at 03:16 PM. Reason: Update links cause NAPA won't link, times out
03-07-2008, 10:46 AM
#5
For a home shop, solvent will last you a really long time especially if you preclean the parts with a brush,scraper, whatever.
The solvent in my washer is 10+ years and still works well.
Do a track day at Sears or Laguna and recycle the old stuff there (they have recycle stations).
The solvent in my washer is 10+ years and still works well.
Do a track day at Sears or Laguna and recycle the old stuff there (they have recycle stations).
