Does anyone use a solvent recycler?

[Notarealsignguy]

Does anyone here with an in house paint setup use a solvent recycler? I am thinking about buying one to clean the lacquer thinner that comes out of our gun wash and was wondering how well they work.

 

[bowtievega]

We have one that we use for the same purpose. I believe it is a Becca brand. Its more than 15 years old at this point and still works great. Sure beats paying to have dirty thinner picked up and recycled.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

We have one that we use for the same purpose. I believe it is a Becca brand. Its more than 15 years old at this point and still works great. Sure beats paying to have dirty thinner picked up and recycled.

How long can you recycle the same solvent or does enough evaporate through the gun wash that it stays fresh as you add to it?
Does it dry the sludge, chuck it in the dumpster or is it hazwaste?

 

[James Burke]

If you have a flammables cabinet, just store it in rectangular gallon cans. Leave it for a couple months and rack off the clean thinner and let the sludge evaporate out. At that point, the waste would be would be no different than dried paint. Obviously, this type of recycled solvent is only good for cleaning purposes due to minute amounts of dissolved oils remaining in suspension.

JB

 

[bowtievega]

You get about one gallon of solvent for every three you put in. It still works well as gun cleaner. Our machine does not produce 100% dry pucks of solids like some other larger more expensive machines i've seen. You can adjust the temperature based on what you are putting in to get it very close to being dry but if you get it too hot you will start melting bags and that turns into a mess lol. If it still has some liquid we just place it outside to dry and then chuck it in the dumpster when the rest of the solvents have evaporated.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Thanks for the info, I think I am going to go this route. We are getting hit with charges for solids in our waste paint, it's costing us about $500 per drum now plus the drum itself. I think this will eliminate some of this or at least hope it will.

 

[Gino]

All of our solvents and crappy stuff goes to our local ballpark in the area. Late spring they let anyone bring in as much as they want..... within reason. Approximately 2- 55 gal drums worth is about the limit. No questions, just drop it off and they take it all.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

All of our solvents and crappy stuff goes to our local ballpark in the area. Late spring they let anyone bring in as much as they want..... within reason. Approximately 2- 55 gal drums worth is about the limit. No questions, just drop it off and they take it all.

They won't take it here but they will take our fluorescent tubes and batteries and give us a disposal receipt. We have an EPA number and FLDEP permit so we get random records inspections. Those safetykleen receipts keep me out of jail.