McTighe Industries provides specifically tailored Installation, Operation, and Maintenance manuals for every separator project we work on. Actual site conditions determine frequency of maintenance intervals. The following instructions can be used as a guideline for the maintenance requirements of our standard rectangular oil-water separators.

See Oil Removal Options in this catalog section for additional information.

Read and comply with WARNINGS at the end of these instructions (Paragraph F).

A. General

Periodic preventative maintenance should be scheduled based on actual usage, but not to exceed six month intervals.

B. Oil-Water Separator

1. Inspect separator for general appearance and operation.

2. Inspect for coating durability and possible corrosion. Maintain operating water level at full in the oil-water separator. Level is established by the invert of the outlet pipe under static conditions. Be sure separator is always plumb and properly vented.

3. Maintain individual components as indicated elsewhere in these instructions.

4. Heavies will collect in the Interceptor/Distributor chamber. Remove sludge from separator by pump out or other method every six months or as is dictated by site conditions. This can be done with a diaphragm pump through the top clean-outs.

5. Oil removal is in accordance with type of oil removal system chosen.

6. Always refill separator with clean water each time oil or sludge is removed from the separator. If oil removal is automatic via skimmer or pump, influent flows can re-establish operating level in the separator.

C. Corrugated Plate and Parallel Plate Separator

1. Once each year plates and other separator internals should be visually inspected for a hard film or sludge build-up using proper safety gear for internal access to separator. See WARNINGS under Paragraph F.

2. Typically, the McTighe corrugated plates require little maintenance. If necessary, the plates may be removed and cleaned with pressure washer or a steam wand.

D. Petro Pak* Equipped PCO

1. Follow a regular maintenance schedule for Petro Pak* coalescer. We recommend inspecting the Pak during routine separator maintenance. Experience will increase or decrease the frequency of Petro Pak* cleaning requirements.

2. In addition, McTighe recommends the cleaning of the Pak after heavy rainfalls (storm events that cause flooding conditions and/or wash-out of drainage piping), oil spills, or high loading of the separator with sludge or foreign debris.

3. Refer to Petro Pak* Description Sheet for maintenance information.

E. Oil Removal

1. Our standard separator is equipped with 3" NPT clean-out ports in the top cover. The oil layer thickness can be checked using a gauge stick with water detection paste. The paste changes color when in contact with water which enables the determination of the oil layer thickness. McTighe provides calibration charts in all our job specific maintenance manuals.

2. The oil can be removed by dropping a suction hose down the clean-out port into the oil layer. Off-load oil until layer is sufficiently reduced. Refill separator with clean water after oil removal.

3. Refer to Oil Removal Options in Catalog Section 4 for more details on other oil removal configurations McTighe provides.

F. WARNINGS

1. THIS SYSTEM MUST BE PROPERLY VENTED BY PURCHASER IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNING SAFETY CODES FOR EXIT OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES WITH RESPECT TO ENVIRONMENT AND SPECIFIC LOCATION TO INCLUDE USE OF FLAME ARRESTERS IF NECESSARY.

2. THIS SYSTEM MUST BE PROPERLY GROUNDED BY PURCHASER AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY GOVERNING CODES AND EQUIPMENT LOCATION. REFER TO LOCAL ELECTRICAL CODES.

3. PURCHASER MUST INSURE THAT THE FINAL STATE OF ALL WIRING IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE U.S. N.E.C. AND LOCAL CODES FOR LOCATION AND SERVICE INTENDED.

4. PERSONS SERVICING SEPARATOR MUST EMPLOY ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS TO INCLUDE USE OF APPROVED BREATHING EQUIPMENT, PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND EXTERIOR SAFETY PERSONNEL AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE PURCHASER FOR THE PROCESS PRODUCT.

5. CAUTION: SEPARATED PRODUCT AND VAPORS ARE FLAMMABLE!!!

6. ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS, ELECTRIC MOTORS AND WIRING MUST BE APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED FROM SUBMERGENCE AND INFILTRATION IN HIGH MOISTURE LOCATIONS. METHODS AND LOCATIONS SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH YEARLY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

7. CONTROL WIRING FROM LEVEL SENSOR TO CONTROL PANEL SHOULD BE 18 GAUGE COPPER WIRE OR, IF LONG DISTANCE, 16 GAUGE COPPER WIRE RUN IN STEEL CONDUIT. CONDUIT TO BE GROUNDED AT THE PANEL END AND SHOULD BE FREE OF INTERNAL MOISTURE. ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND WIRING MUST BE APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED FROM SUBMERGENCE AND INFILTRATION IN HIGH MOISTURE LOCATION. METHODS AND LOCATIONS SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH YEARLY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

S3-MAIN-3 REV. 7/97

NOTE: Item's #2, #3, #6 and #7 apply when electrical items are supplied with separator.