Oil Removal Solutions Blog

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Skimming oil early refers to removing oil as close as possible to the point of origin—ideally, where oil first enters the wastewater stream from the process that generates it.

The earlier you skim oil, or grease and fats, the more benefits you’ll see. Early oil removal can result in cost savings you might not have considered possible before now. By removing oil early, you can lower your water bills, lower your wastewater treatment rates, and see increased efficiency. You may even reap a handy payback if enough oil is recovered for reuse, or to be sold.

Read on for five use cases in which skimming early paid off.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Waste oil doesn't have to be a burden to plant personnel. Using an oil skimmer ensures that oil will be removed with minimal effort. With the right equipment, a facility can manage the oil effectively while saving time and money.

Plant personnel are always looking for new tools and equipment to help them run their facility more efficiently. In many manufacturing and processing plants, oily water is present, which prevents a plant from functioning at its maximum productivity level.

Water has several purposes in a manufacturing or processing facility: It can be used for cooling machinery, washing down equipment, or in processing. Sometimes, this water picks up oil or grease from surrounding machinery and equipment. Regardless of whether the facility chooses to reuse the water or send it to the city treatment plant, it has to remove the oil. Some plants, however, are not properly equipped to remove oil effectively.

An oil skimmer is an ideal solution.

Organizations are increasingly focused on reducing their environmental footprint and making the best use of our planet’s limited resources.

Removing oil from process and wastewater helps your company employ cleaner operations, conserve water and reduce pollutants in the water.

Read on for four ways oil skimming addresses environmental concerns.

When water is used in an industrial process for manufacturing, cooling or washing, it often combines with contaminants (solids, oil, grease, fats, etc.). Before this water can be re-used within your facility or prepared for discharge into the municipal sewer system, it must first be cleaned of the oil.

The infographic below demonstrates four key areas where oil skimming can be leveraged in the wastewater treatment process:

You don’t have to wait long to see the results.

Oil skimming can have an immediate and sustained impact on your business. In fact, a Brill® tube-type oil skimmer can pay for itself within a few months through process efficiency gains, new revenue streams, and reduced equipment and labor costs.

In this post, we look at seven key differences you’ll notice right away once you begin skimming and separating oil from water.

During many industrial and manufacturing processes, water is combined with chemicals, oils, grease, fat and other containments.

Oil skimming is the process of removing this floating oil from water. It is the first step in any recovery, recycle or reuse project, and has numerous benefits for businesses.

Read on to learn why you should skim.

Railroads are among the world’s most environmentally conscious companies. In an industry that re-fuels hundreds of locomotives every day and can use up to 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel for just one re-fuel, railroad yards must both prevent and properly manage spills when they occur. When it comes to storm water and wastewater treatment, fuel spills and oil leaks can pose significant challenges.

Spilled fuel or leaked oil at a railroad yard typically ends up in a collection pit along with wastewater, wash water or storm water. To meet municipality requirements and ensure environmental responsibility, the fuel and oil needs to be removed from the water. One proven way railroads can achieve effective removal is by installing an oil skimming system.

AS PUBLISHED IN MANUFACTURING TODAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1

When some think about oil on water, they think only of oil spills in open water. “But mixing oil and water is quite common in the manufacturing world,” Jim Petrucci says. “People who use water to any degree in manufacturing are going to get oil in it, whether it’s on purpose or by accident,” he explains.

When manufacturers want to remove the oil from the surface of the water, they turn to Oil Skimmers Inc. Petrucci is the vice president of the Cleveland-based company, which provides oil skimmers and oil removal systems to manufacturers, as well as power plants, food plants, mines and military bases.

Salt water is a byproduct of oil and natural gas extraction. Typically, the salt water contains residual oil. For companies involved in the disposal of salt water, removing the residual oil from the water offers potentially significant economic benefit.

One salt water disposal facility successfully used a Model 6V Brill^® oil skimmer with the free floating collector tube, from Oil Skimmers, Inc. to remove oil from its disposal pit. The Model 6V performed flawlessly and provided significant economic benefits and an ROI measured in weeks, not months or years. The disposal facilities’ business grew to the point where additional oil removal capability was required. In response to the need, Oil Skimmers, Inc. offered the heavy duty, high capacity Model 7V Brill^® tube-type oil skimmer.

Our line of Brill^® tube type oil skimmers feature our free-floating oil collector tube, made from our unique formula which creates a tube that loves oil. The tube is designed to be able to withstand the most abusive industrial environments involving changes in shape, movement, temperature, and chemical interaction. Upon placing your order, we select, cut, and weld the tube, at the length specific to your application.

To ensure your skimmer continues to perform as designed, always order your replacement tubes directly from Oil Skimmers, Inc.