I have a 40 gallon parts washer I want to add a filter to to filter the solvent before it comes out the nozzle. Everyone seems to use an oil filter relocation kit when adding a filter. I want to use a water filter to filter out the solvent. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-158117-Clear-Filter-Housing/dp/B003VT79VA. I like that the housing is clear so I can see what the filter is trapping. Also the filters are large and reasonably priced with a 5 micron rating. I don't know much about oil filter micron ratings but 5 microns sounds pretty good. The solvent I will be using is crown psc 1000 parts cleaner from tractor supply. I want to know if the water filter will work with the solvent and not fall apart. Will the solvent eat the water filter housing or is the water filter housing plastic resistant to the solvent? Thanks
question on filtering parts washer solvent
- Thread starter joegreen
- Start date
"I don't know much about oil filter micron ratings but 5 microns sounds pretty good."
25.4 microns equals .001 of an Inch
I wonder how often a 5 micron filter would need to be replaced if cleaning greasy car parts.
How does a standard parts washer filter, if at all ? ? ?
25.4 microns equals .001 of an Inch
I wonder how often a 5 micron filter would need to be replaced if cleaning greasy car parts.
How does a standard parts washer filter, if at all ? ? ?
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If you could use a Filter BAG, McMaster has some for petroleum.
75 - 800 microns
https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-filter-bags/=17me7rp
75 - 800 microns
https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-filter-bags/=17me7rp
A few questions.
First, what is the purpose of filtering the cleaning solvent in a parts cleaner?
Second, because of the amount of material that comes off of the parts cleaned, wouldn't an oil filter or water filter plug up really quick?
Third, considering that the solvent flows at a fairly low pressure in a parts washer, would the pump really be able to generate enough pressure to pump the solvent through a 5 micron filter? Would you burn out the pump?
If you really want to filter the solvent, the idea of the bag filter seems to be a very good choice. Very low restriction. High capacity. And really, what do you need to filter anything bigger for?
First, what is the purpose of filtering the cleaning solvent in a parts cleaner?
Second, because of the amount of material that comes off of the parts cleaned, wouldn't an oil filter or water filter plug up really quick?
Third, considering that the solvent flows at a fairly low pressure in a parts washer, would the pump really be able to generate enough pressure to pump the solvent through a 5 micron filter? Would you burn out the pump?
If you really want to filter the solvent, the idea of the bag filter seems to be a very good choice. Very low restriction. High capacity. And really, what do you need to filter anything bigger for?
It's a common modification to add a filter to a parts washer. Most high end parts washers come with filters pre installed. Most people change their oil filters yearly on the parts washer. The reason to filter the solvent is to keep it clean so grit does not get on the parts you are washing such as bearings and other precision parts.
I don't know the chemical composition of the fluid you are using. Most likely, it's reasonably inert, due to the varied nature of parts that get cleaned in these types of machines.
I suspect it will work. But the fluid may, over time, discolor/cloud the clear plastic housing and negate the "visual" aspect of your plan. Even so, the filter housing is rather inexpensive and a worthwhile experiment.
I suspect it will work. But the fluid may, over time, discolor/cloud the clear plastic housing and negate the "visual" aspect of your plan. Even so, the filter housing is rather inexpensive and a worthwhile experiment.
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Pp (polypropylene) san (Styrene-Acrylonitrile). I bought a water filter housing from amazon for $10 from the warehouse deals. The top is made from pp and the clear bottom is made from san. Its looks like the pp will easily resist the parts cleaner which is naptha based. The san on the other hand may or may not. It was hard to find info on its resistance to organic solvents. Anyway ill see how it goes and if the san reacts badly to the parts cleaner ill just get an all pp water filter housing.
joegreen,
Looks good.
Let us know how it works after a Month or two.
Looks good.
Let us know how it works after a Month or two.
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I have an oil filter on my parts washer,just an ole fram I had from a chevy that fit the adapter I bought
Tractor supply has the best price on solvent i could find but my
waster is just 5 gallons,40 is huge
Tractor supply has the best price on solvent i could find but my
waster is just 5 gallons,40 is huge
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The parts washer has been working great so far. The only thing so far is the vinyl tubing has gotten really hard. I put a magnetic mount with a nozzle on it in the washer so i can move it anywhere in the parts washer.
@joegreen How is the sump and filter holding up? It has been almost 5 years now. HF doesn't currently even have the parts washer on their website anymore. I am going to use a Beckett GP201V pump that has Viton seals on it and does 210gph up to 7' which should be more than enough. It is meant for stoddard solvents like TSC's PSC 1000. I'm considering just doing the oil filter but was curious as to how your filter element is holding up and if it ended up melting into a goopy mess or not. Hopefully you have been enjoying the parts washer. I will be using it to clean chainsaws out for the most part.
Also did you end up replacing the vinyl tubing with some fuel line?
Everything has been holding up great. The water filter housing is as solid and clear as the day it was installed and the water filters have sat in solvent for years and are still nice and hard when i swap them out. I still have the pvc tubing as well although it really needs to be changed to rubber so it’s flexible as the pvc has gotten hard. The pump still runs great though. I got the parts washer from tractor supply not HarborFreight. The 5 gallon bucket is good as well.
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Excellent! Thanks for the update.
I use the big blue housings for my whole house water filtration setup. I have a prefilter at 100 micron in a spin down, then a 20 micron in a 20" BB, then a 5 micron in a 20" BB, followed by a Fleck granular activated carbon setup that removes all chlorine (and other things), and ending with another spin down 100 micron filter to catch any carbon chunks that may pass when the Fleck auto-flushes ever 2 weeks.
How often do you use your parts washer and how often have you had to change the filter? Your last pic there sure shows a lot of gunk at the bottom of the tank. Have you found that most of gunk just settles down to the bottom and never reaches the pump area? A lot of people add a scotch-brite pad to the filter area and secure it with zip ties either as a replacement for the stock filter and/or as additional filtering.
Have you had any experience with the PSC 1000 damaging any rubber components or do you remove all rubber before cleaning something? I'll be doing chainsaws and I'm concerned about the fuel and impulse lines as well as the rubber anti-vibe mounts. I don't plan on soaking them in solvent by any means but it would be nice to clean up some of these filthy saws without having to remove all the rubber bits first.
I do not remove any rubber when cleaning. I haven’t noticed any I’ll affects from the psc 1000 on rubber but it doesn’t sit on there long enough. I usually wash my parts after the parts cleaner with soap and water as the psc 1000 leaves an oily film that doesn’t dry that quick. I don’t use the washer that often. Usually only when it’s warm out and if I’m doing a project that requires it. Probably the last large thing i did was wash my transmission case when rebuilding it. Because the water filters are pretty low micron they do have a tendency to clog up after a moderate amount of use. But i find that if i turn the pump off and let the fluid in the filter settle for a minute i get full flow when i turn it back on. You could probably get 50 chainsaws cleaned before a filter change. A lot of the stuff i clean is super grimy. I don’t have any extra filtering in front of the pump. Just the little cotton stuff that came with it
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Good to hear about the rubber. I won't be letting it sit in there long either. I don't have water in my garage so I might just let it air dry while I do something else. Got plenty to do that's for sure.
Depending on the price and how often you want to change the filter i might be inclined to go with a remote oil filter filtering setup. It may provide longer time between filter changes.
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I have to flush the spin down filter at a minimum of bi-weekly if not weekly sometimes. Municipal water too. Absolutely ridiculous. The 20 micron has been lasting several months before requiring a change but for a while there while they were doing major water main work it was monthly like clockwork. The 5 micron not so much and the last spin down maybe once a year. I'm used to flushing/cleaning/replacing my filters.
That said I did already order a fuel filter setup (larger thread, larger filter element) and will see how that goes.
$29.35 for the remote filter mount
$32 for a 2-pack of large fuel filters
Amazon.com: FF5320 Fleetguard Fuel, Spin-On (Pack of 2) : Automotive
Buy FF5320 Fleetguard Fuel, Spin-On (Pack of 2): Fuel Filters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
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