Oil/water separator questions

Condensate Drains, Oil/ Water Separators, Electronic Timers, Solenoid Valves

Why does my old style condensate cleaner overflow?

You almost certainly have a weir type machine which cannot handle condensate from modern systems. The indicator provided gives a very short warning but in practice, overflowing is the first indication that the machine is blocked.

How can I stop my weir type machine from overflowing?

The only way to prevent weir type machines from overflowing is to change the carbon elements frequently. For example, if the carbon elements were replaced every day, overflowing would prevented but costs would be very high. In practice, elements changed every three months or so ensure ‘acceptable’ costs and minimise customer complaints.

Will the PURO condensate cleaners overflow?

Provided that normal maintenance is carried out it is almost impossible for the PURO condensate cleaners to overflow.

How do I know that my old style condensate cleaner is working properly?

All weir type condensate cleaners have a bottle or container to catch any separated oil. If the machine is working properly, after a week or two, depending on the system, this bottle should contain some liquid oil i.e. some oil that looks like oil. Should it contain nothing at all or some solution of oil and water, the machine is not working properly.

Will the PURO condensate cleaners work with modern systems and solutions?

The PURO condensate cleaners are designed to handle any solutions and even thick emulsions and are working very successfully on all types of system.

Why can I not use solenoid type drains with my old style weir type machine?

This type of machine depends upon the oil settling out and rising to the surface of the solution. Solenoid type drain valves mix up the solution and reduce the settling time.

Can I use any type of drain valves with the PURO condensate cleaner?

The PURO condensate cleaners work with any drain valves or any combination of drain valves.

Why do I need to test the output of my old style weir type machine?

This type of machine is very un-reliable and likely to fail at any time. Until it actually overflows, regular and frequent testing is the only way to discover if failure is imminent.

Why do the carbon elements on my old style separator only last a short time?

The design of the weir type machine means that, in most cases, oil is not actually separated but is collected inside the machine. After some time, this oil gets through onto the carbon elements and quickly blocks them. Replacing the elements doesn’t help as the new elements also get blocked by the oil.

Why do the carbon elements in the PURO condensate cleaners last longer?

The design of the PURO condensate cleaners prevents most of the oil from passing to the carbon elements which only have to do a very minimum of work.

How long will the PURO elements last?

Provided that the PURO poly-element is changed properly, the carbon elements should last for about 12 months. The life of the PURO white-element is determined by the amount of oil that needs to be separated which means that well maintained systems will use fewer elements. Should compressor servicing be poor, neat oil may pass into the PURO condensate cleaner and will seriously shorten the life of the PURO white-element and, if not noticed, carbon elements as well. However, the PURO condensate cleaner will prevent all or nearly all of the neat oil from flooding onto the floor or down the drain.
Problems will be averted if both compressor and the PURO supervision and servicing is carried out properly.

Why do I not need an oil bottle with the PURO machine?

The PURO condensate cleaners collect all the separated oil in a special disposable filter which means that when the filter is changed, all the separated oil is removed from the machine.

Will my condensate be clear enough to put down the drain?

The efficiency of the PURO condensate cleaners means that it is not uncommon for the condensate to be clean enough to discharge before it reaches the activated carbon elements for final cleansing.

Why are the PURO condensate cleaners cheaper to install?

The low size and weight of the PURO condensate cleaners mean that they will fit almost anywhere and will take less time and manpower to position. The PURO does not need a smooth or a very level floor or adjusting and it is not necessary to purchase and fit special, expensive drain valves.