Smelly water

When you don’t use your abrasive waterjet for an extended period of time, you may notice that the stagnant water may start to produce an odor. What do you do about it? We’ll discuss this in a minute, but first let us note that OMAX does not recommend putting any chemicals into your tank.

OMAX doesn’t know what you are cutting and therefore doesn’t know how any specific chemical may react in your tank. For example, chlorine added to a tank that cuts a lot of aluminum may inadvertently create aluminum trichloride – a neurotoxin capable of producing permanent damage. So… to restate: OMAX does not recommend putting any chemicals into your tank. With a whole host of water treatment chemicals available as well as a growing selection of composites, metal alloys, and all sorts of things you may be asked to cut, it is just safer to not put any chemical in your abrasive waterjet’s tank.

Now that we understand what not to do, let’s focus on solving your water-odor problem. Similar to a rolling stone gathers no moss; a working waterjet doesn’t grow bacteria. Ultimately, if you used your machine often, you wouldn’t have the smell. If you are unable to use your abrasive waterjet for cutting regularly, there are other methods: 1) periodically running your machine, 2) a small circulation pump, 3) add an OMAX Water Recycling System.

It is suggested that if your waterjet is not in regular use, that you may want to turn it on at least one a week and run the system. You can run the test operation on water only so as to not waste garnet and use the test to move your water around. Move the jet around the cutting table to circulate the water in the tank. Doing this once a week will help from keeping any ill-smelling bacteria from forming in the tank.

Another option to keep your water moving is to purchase a small circulation pump. These pumps are usually used with home aquariums for exactly the same reason we are using it here. An adequate circulation pump can run in the ballpark of $50. Hang it on the edge of your tank, furthest away from where you usually cut. The down side to the circulation pump is that these pumps are not designed to handle abrasive garnet. As a suggestion, wait until your tank has settled before turning the circulation pump on.

The third option is to install an OMAX Water Recycling System. The OMAX Water Recycling System is designed to capture the workable overflow water for recycling to the proper specifications, then returning the water back to the high pressure pump. A filtration system traps suspended particles and ensures that high quality water feeds to the high pressure pump. An ozone generator is used to reduce bacteria growth. The water recycling option has the added benefit of being ISO 14000 compliant. The system can help a company comply with environmental management requirements and waste authority disposal regulations.

Whatever you end up using to mitigate the aroma from your tank, remember that moving water is your friend, and that OMAX does not recommend putting any chemicals into your tank. For more information, please contact customer service