What's new
What's new

algae

jim may

Plastic
Joined
Oct 24, 2014
Location
Houston
I have several charmilles wires. A few months ago I had no water pressure. My pump was completely engulfed with a sheet of algae plugging the
pump. Pulled the pump and it came off in homogeneous sheets. Looked in the tank the other day and all the sides are covered with this algae.
Going to drain it tomorrow and clean the tank. I looked at the other 2 machines they all have it.
I do have central cooling.
Is there anything I can put in the water to prevent this? Thinking about buying a submersible UV light to put in the tank.
This stuff looks like the black goo that was in Spiderman 2
I have a bunch of work coming at me so need to get these cleaned and ready when it hits.
Any suggestions or experiences?
 
I have never tried it, but for swimming pools, if you take out the phosphates, no algae will grow. So, take a water sample to a pool store, have it checked for phosphates, and add the amount of phosphate remover you need for the gallons of coolant you have so that the algae can't grow.

If you try this, let us know if it works.
 
I have never tried it, but for swimming pools, if you take out the phosphates, no algae will grow. So, take a water sample to a pool store, have it checked for phosphates, and add the amount of phosphate remover you need for the gallons of coolant you have so that the algae can't grow.

If you try this, let us know if it works.

More likely he will be telling us how badly it damaged his machine ...

This is a wire-edm machine ... you got that, right?

It doesn't use coolant.

It's generally NOT a good idea to add anything to the water in these machines.

Quite the opposite in fact.

You want your filters to remove as many particulates as possible and your DI system to bring the conductivity way down.

For best result you should start with and add only deionized distilled or RO water.

Most things that you might think of putting in the water will KILL the DI resin.

That's not good.
 
I have several charmilles wires. A few months ago I had no water pressure. My pump was completely engulfed with a sheet of algae plugging the
pump. Pulled the pump and it came off in homogeneous sheets. Looked in the tank the other day and all the sides are covered with this algae.
Going to drain it tomorrow and clean the tank. I looked at the other 2 machines they all have it.
I do have central cooling.
Is there anything I can put in the water to prevent this? Thinking about buying a submersible UV light to put in the tank.
This stuff looks like the black goo that was in Spiderman 2
I have a bunch of work coming at me so need to get these cleaned and ready when it hits.
Any suggestions or experiences?

A submersible UV sounds ok, but have you contacted GF about this problem?

Which machines do you have?

Is the problem confines to one machine or do they all have it?

Older machines had an open chiller loop, newer are closed and use a heat exchanger.

We have a mix of both, but put heat exchangers on the older models when we went to a central chiller.
 
Ebco used to make and may still, an ozone generator that would help in the reduction of the alge growth. Also, back in the day the only recommended product was micropur. i can find online so can you
 
Ozone generator

Jim May,

Your case sounds quite severe and partial-decontamination should begin with a thorough cleaning of everything you can reasonably reach. You may even have clogged or stuck solenoids. Even after your best efforts, there is no way you can completely remove all bacteria and once infected, the machine will continue to re-infect itself unless you incorporate an ozone generator.

Too lazy to re-explain this (sorry), I've copied one of my earlier explanations regarding organic contamination:

"The recirculating water in your WEDM is part of the dielectric system but it is also a mini-ecosystem in which bacteria can flourish. The presence of bacteria is revealed by a slippery, dark-colored slime that coats the sides of the reservoir and work tank. Just as this slimy bacteria coats everything exposed to the dielectric water, it also enters and coats the filters and resin beads and can render them both useless, even right after a filter or resin change.

Bacteria cannot be filtered out and will stubbornly continue to multiply, hiding inside every nook and cranny of convoluted hoses and solenoids. There are biocides available to counter bacteria, but these are all chemicals additives that can upset the chemistry and conductivity of the water. Instead, when faced with this problem, consider the use of an ozone generator, similar to the ones used in swimming pools and spas.

Ozone is a form of oxygen with three atoms linked together (O3) instead of two (O2), like the oxygen we breathe. Ozone is often called, “activated oxygen” or “trivalent oxygen”. This extra atom is a highly reactive oxidizer and therefore, short-lived.

Ozone is created naturally in the atmosphere in the presence of electricity (lightning) and ultraviolet rays (sunlight). Man-made ozone can be produced photo-chemically with ultraviolet light or electrical discharges (corona discharges). In a closed-loop dielectric system equipped with an ozone generator, O3 is injected into the DI water where it readily oxidizes organic matter by rupturing the walls of organic cells, destroying them as it gives up its extra atom in the process and harmlessly reverts back into pure oxygen."

This one is from Ebbco.
800-809-3901

Ozone Generator.jpg

Bud Guitrau

Good luck, Jim. Let us know of your progress.
 
Thanks everyone with your input. I will try to keep this updated as we progress. We have drained the tank and start scrapping the algae out.
this is a picture of what surrounded my pumps. I have talked to Ebbco about an Ozone generator (thanks Bud) after it is clean I will install in my clean water tanks
I attached a picture of the snot that I am taking out. Hopefully it attached
algae.JPG
 
OMG! I have never seen such gunk in a machine... ever! You're brave. This machine doesn't need an ozone generator, it needs HAZMAT! Pretty scary.
 








 
Back
Top