| For cleaning retention ponds of light oil sheen and | | | | skimmer and how high the top of the machine will |
| keeping the EPA off your back, there is nothing | | | | be above the water's surface. |
| easier than using a tube oil skimmer. | | | | It's better to have tubing that is too long than |
| Tube oil skimmers are very simple devices that | | | | tubing that is too short. |
| consist of a machine with a motor, a collection | | | | If you tell the vendor you're buying the tubing oil |
| tank, and a tube that collects the oil. | | | | skimmer from how high above the water your |
| Like all skimmers, the tube oil skimmer only | | | | proposed location is and how big of an area you |
| collects oil or other petroleum based products that | | | | are trying to collect oil from, they will be able to |
| are floating on the water. They work because | | | | size the tubing for you. |
| petroleum based liquids stick to virtually anything | | | | The factory will cut the tubing to your specified |
| they come into contact with. | | | | length and then fuse it together to create the |
| Here's how the tube skimmer works: | | | | endless loop that is needed. |
| A loop made of polyurethane tubing floats on top | | | | I remember that it took our maintenance guys a |
| of the water and the oil sticks to it. The loop of | | | | little time to get the tube oil skimmer set up |
| tubing is routed through the skimmer on top of 2 | | | | correctly before it was working like it should. The |
| wheels. | | | | biggest thing to look out for is not putting a twist |
| The rear wheel is powered by the motor and | | | | on the tubing or it won't track properly through |
| grips the tubing moving it to the front of the | | | | the skimmer. |
| machine over the other wheel. Between the 2 | | | | The tubing should lie flat on the ground with no |
| wheels is a scraper that removes the oil and | | | | twists or humps before it is installed in the oil |
| dumps it into a holding container. | | | | skimmer body. |
| The front wheel is not powered and just keeps | | | | The best way to mount the oil skimmer body is |
| the tubing on track as it moves back out of the | | | | to form and pour a small concrete pad and |
| machine to the surface of the water. | | | | anchor bolt the skimmer to it or if you are using |
| As you can see its a very simple device that | | | | the skimmer in a tank or a place where you can't |
| performs a needed task. | | | | pour concrete, have some structural steel built to |
| There are several things that you need to know | | | | support it. |
| when you get ready to buy one. | | | | Once set up, the tube oil skimmer will do a |
| First of all, you'll need to know how long the | | | | fantastic job of removing petroleum based liquids |
| tubing needs to be. In order to determine the | | | | from the surface of waste water with little or no |
| length of the tubing, you need to know | | | | maintenance or attention needed from you. |
| approximately where you will mount the oil | | | | |