Parts not cleaned of all original soils

Your W.A.T.C.H. may be off

Water: Hard water may require higher concentration of cleaner

Agitation: Can you increase spray pressure or turn up ultrasonic power?

Time: Extend the time in the cleaning cycle

Concentration: Check or increase the concentration of the cleaner chemistry

Heat: Increase temperature within the limits of the TRIM^® CLEAN product.

Surfactants depleted

Add TRIM^® CLEAN B1 at 0.1% to 0.5% (1:1000 to 1:200)

Wrong Cleaner

Check your MCC Cleaner information to be sure the product is intended for the purpose

Dirty Cleaner Bath

Cleaner may be spent or have too high a soil load. Dump and recharge, or recycle using Scroungers, Coalescers, XYBEX^® Systems or ultrafiltration.

Parts are pulled up through oily surface of a dunker or ultrasonic washer

Modify washer to skim the surface continuously

Use an emulsifying type of cleaner

Heavy graphite residue on cast iron parts

Cleaner is removing the oils faster than the graphite, leaving behind the insoluble graphite residue

Reduce the speed of extraction of the oils by:

1. Reducing temperature to 120°F or less
2. Using a less aggressive cleaner
3. Using a cleaner specifically for cast iron

Hard white or light-colored residue on the washer

Buildup of silicate residue

If you are using a silicated cleaner, check for silicate residue by applying a drop or two of titration kit acid to a sample of the scale material. If it foams, it probably isn’t silicate scale. If it is silicate:

1. Lower operating temperature if possible
2. Lower concentration of cleaner if possible
3. Be sure pH of cleaner bath does not drop below 11.0
4. Dump washer more frequently
5. Call Cleaner Group in Perrysburg for instructions on how to remove silicate scale.

Buildup of hard water scale

1. Use DI or RO water
2. Call Cleaner Group for instructions on scale removal

Dark, greasy residue on washer using alkaline cleaner

Surfactants being used up faster than alkalinity

1. Add TRIM CLEAN B1 at 0.1% to 0.5%
2. Use a cleaner with a higher surfactant/builder ratio

Fungus

Low pH, low temperature, or depletion of fungicide

1. Keep temperature above 140°F on all affected surfaces
2. Keep pH above 11.0
3. Avoid depleting fungicide by keeping temperature below 135°F (if you are using a low pH cleaner)
4. Keep cleaner concentration at higher levels

Hard silicate residue on parts

Silicated cleaner plating on parts

Light silicate residues are often used to protect aluminum parts from corrosion or darkening. Silicates also provide good in-process rust protection on ferrous parts so they are not always objectionable. To help prevent silicate residue:

1. Make sure parts are rinsed before they can flash dry
2. Move parts more rapidly to the rinse stage
3. Lower cleaning temperature to slow flash drying

Water spots on parts

Hard water mineral buildup

1. Use DI or RO water
2. Dump and recharge

Built-up solids from the cleaner or the soils won’t rinse off

1. Try adding the TRIM CLEAN B1 rinse aid product
2. Recharge rinse or wash stage

Foaming - on washer startup

Temperature too low

Make sure the temperature is up to the minimum suggested for the product

Residue of previous product or cleanout

Try controlling with TRIM^® CLEAN DF1 until residue is depleted

Cleaner product too foamy for application

Use a lower-foaming product

Foaming- becoming excessive as the bath is used

Foam causing contaminant on the parts being washed

1. Try increasing temperature
2. Control with TRIM CLEAN DF1

Fatty soils converting into "soaps"

1. Use TRIM CLEAN B1 to control and boost surfactant content
2. Lower temperature
3. Switch to a lower pH cleaner (if it will do the job)

Depletion of anti-foams used in some cleaners

Use TRIM CLEAN DF1 to control

1. Washer pump running backwards
2. Air entrained in pump inlet piping
3. Pump sucking air

1. Check pump rotation
2. Examine piping for possible leaks on suction side of pump
3. Make sure the washer bath level is all the way up to prevent pump sucking air or foam

Odor - Stink (usually when washer is idle or on startup)

Low pH

Check concentration by titration and bring up to minimum recommended for the product.

Oil blanket on tank or high oil content

Use Scrounger, Scrounger Jr, Coalescer, XYBEX or ultrafilter to remove oils

Biocides killed off or depleted

1. Avoid heating biocide-dependent cleaners above 135°F
2. Keep concentration on the high side of the recommended range
3. Add a tankside biocide
4. If the washer is shut down on weekends, give it a dose of biocide after it has cooled down before leaving for the weekend

Washer cold

Bacteria and fungus are killed off at about 140°F or higher

Red flash rusting of steel or cast iron parts

No corrosion inhibitor

Use a product with a ferrous corrosion inhibitor

Corrosion inhibitor depleted

1. Cleaner bath too hot, driving off ingredients
2. Concentration too low

Parts flash dry before reaching RP rinse stage

1. Lower wash temperature to slow flash drying
2. Move parts to rinse stage faster

Longer term rusting of steel or cast iron parts

Corrosion inhibitor depleted

1. Cleaner bath too hot, driving off ingredients
2. Concentration too low

Unrealistic expectations

Change process

Darkening of aluminum parts

High pH

Use a lower pH cleaner

Use a silicated cleaner

Depletion of aluminum corrosion inhibitor

Check and maintain cleaner concentration

Add TRIM^® TC 155 at 0.1%

Darkening in rinse stage

Use cold water rinse

Add a TRIM CLEAN rinse aid product

White rust on aluminum parts

High pH

Use a lower pH cleaner

Use a silicated cleaner

Add TRIM TC 155 to all stages at 0.1%

Darkening or tarnishing of yellow metal parts

High pH in the washer

Use a lower pH product (pH < 9.5)

Failure of corrosion inhibitor package

Increase concentration

Add a TRIM CLEAN rinse aid product