Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeff Silver on November 22, 2009 at 6:06pm

Safety Kleen says we can put waste water in the same drum with solvent. Since adopting 3M PPS cups we have generated so little waste we got rid of our solvent recycler.

Permalink Reply by John Norris on December 28, 2009 at 1:04pm

Mixing waste waterbornes with solvent based material can lea to gas emissions that are explosive. You will know as you can see the bubbles coming to the surface. This is caused by the reaction of product from silver colours and creation of hydrogen gas. We are not sure, but there is cause for alarm in this may have been the cause of two explosions and a death to date. Would suggest very strongly that you get good H& S information from a goverenment agency rather than just a supplier's OK. Best wishes.

Permalink Reply by Bill Irvine on November 23, 2009 at 10:50am

Michael,

The best resource is your current waste hauler and or your local authorities.

In nearly all cases you will need to have a separate water waste stream.

Some gun washers use filter systems that greatly reduce the need to change the cleaning solution.

Also the use of Plastic disposable cup systems, 3M PPS or DeVilbiss Dekups, reduces the waste and keeps washer solution cleaner longer.

I have yet to see a “water recycler” not to say they aren’t available. Keep in mind that cleaning is not done with tap water but a special solution designed for cleaning each company’s product.

A gun washer is a good choice and one that has heated solution in really nice.

Permalink Reply by Carol Keyes on July 15, 2010 at 6:00pm

I'm new to CH, so new to responding. In MN we have helped clients identify their various waste streams. We recently worked with the local sewer authority (for Minneapolis-St Paul) on disposal of water from waterborne gun cleaners (after it has gone through the filtering system). That water tested out okay for going in the sewer (we tested gun cleaners that were used with different brands of paint).

For the waterborne paint waste (so, the paint related waste), some of the paint manufacturers (in particular BASF) said do not mix at all with solvent waste. Most of our clients are mixing solvent related waste with the waterborne waste with no problem. They ship all of it as hazardous waste (but there is a lot less waste than when they used all solvent based paints).