Ultrasonic cleaner recomendation
- Thread starter lookhigh
- Start date
Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
I got this one earlier this year and am really happy with it:
Unfortunately, you can only put smaller items in it - if you want to put in large glass pieces, you will need to step up to a bigger (and usually more expensive) cleaner.
Unfortunately, you can only put smaller items in it - if you want to put in large glass pieces, you will need to step up to a bigger (and usually more expensive) cleaner.
Last edited:
BabyFacedFinster
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
blackstone
Well-Known Member
Even with a regular size one @Jill NYC I remember you noticing a significant increase in the amount of isopropyl you went through with the device.
Is this still the case, because iso was already hard to get in some places.
Is it because you need to fill the tank or do people also use water to transmit the waves to smaller vessels placed within? Thanks
Is this still the case, because iso was already hard to get in some places.
Is it because you need to fill the tank or do people also use water to transmit the waves to smaller vessels placed within? Thanks
Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
Yes, I definitely use more ISO, but I have been recycling until it gets easier to purchase. I never put the ISO directly into tank.
Here is how I use my UC, based on suggestions from others on FC:
- Put stuff to clean in a ziplock bag - pour enough ISO in bag to cover everything. Zip the bag closed, letting all air escape.
- Put bag inside cleaner on basket.
- Fill tank with hot water.
- Close UC and turn it on.
Bazinga
Well-Known Member
Hmm - hadn't thought of cleaning with this method. I just poured some ISO in the tank and let the machine do it's job. I tried dish washing soap and water in the Ultrasonic cleaner and found that it fails to clean the gunk in CU of the Mighty. ISO in a baggie, for me, works the best. The Ultrasonic did work fine for glass stems from my other vaporizers.
BabyFacedFinster
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
My UC arrived today and I'm playing with it. I was way off on how to use this best. Didn't think about using a better solvent like ISO. I just put some costume jewelry and some dirty pennies in there with plain cool tap water. I think it did clean the rings to some degree, but I think I wrongly had it in my head that it would remove tarnish. I see now that is a different process. You're not going to get shiny new pennies, but they will be clean of debris and grime. Is this right?
I'm going to try putting some things in the bag with iso.
I'm going to try putting some things in the bag with iso.
RustyOldNail
SEARCH for the treasure...
Some UC basics:
1) Never fill your UC tank with ISO, or any other FLAMMABLE solution. The escaping fumes can explode with any spark source. They make expensive enclosed tanks for those types of solutions. I don’t use ziplock bags, I use glass beakers suspended in the metal SS wire baskets the good ones come with. It’s a much smaller amount of ISO, and the breaker is open, no lid on the UC. Much less flammable vapor to worry about. Ultrasonic waves easily pass through glass, not so much on plastics.
How to Select an Explosion Proof Ultrasonic Cleaner:
2) NEVER place any objects on the bottom of UC tank, this is where most of the transducers are located, doing so can eventually ruin your UC. Use a wire basket to hold your parts, or a plastic basket if that’s all you have.
3) Good units also have a setting to "degass" the water in the tank, this eliminates much of the oxygen bubbles in the water, making ultrasonic cleaning as efficient as possible.
4) Add a bit of “Dawn dish detergent”, or other similar product to the tank water. This reduces the surface tension of the water, making your UC more efficient.
FROM LAST LINK BELOW:
“In ultrasonic cleaning applications, the surface tension and the vapor pressure characteristics of the cleaning fluid play the most significant part in determining cavitation intensity and cleaning effectiveness. The energy required to form a cavitation bubble in a liquid is proportional to both surface tension and vapor pressure. The higher the surface tension of a liquid, the greater will be the energy that is required to produce a cavitation bubble and the greater will be the shock wave energy that is produced when the bubble collapses, In pure water whose surface tension is about 72 dynes/cm sq. , cavitation is produced only with great difficulty at ambient temperatures. It is easily produced when a surface-active agent is added to the liquid, reducing the surface tension to about 30dys/cm sq. When the vapor pressure of a liquid is low, as is the case with cold water, cavitation is difficult to produce but becomes less and less so as the temperature is increased. Every liquid has a characteristic temperature relationship in which cavitation exhibits maximum activity within a fairly narrow temperature range.”
5) NEVER run the tank empty, it will ruin the UC.
Like many devices, there is a lot to learn if you want to master it, but certainly pay attention to the safety considerations, as well as proper operation instructions. My first cheap plastic Chinese UC started to smoke after plugging it in with the power off. I returned it, and while most of the units you will find on the internet are made in China, and “may” be fine, I decided to spend more and bought one made in the USA. PM me if you are willing to spend more then $250, and I’ll respond. Otherwise, be CAREFUL. A lot of Chinese electronic products have NO real safety requirements like the US “UL LISTING”, as these requirements cost money. Most of the “safety” stickers are BOGUS.
Questions and answers about Ultrasonic Cleaning:
Good site to learn more about ULTRASONIC CLEANERS. KNOWLEDGE = POWER!
1) Never fill your UC tank with ISO, or any other FLAMMABLE solution. The escaping fumes can explode with any spark source. They make expensive enclosed tanks for those types of solutions. I don’t use ziplock bags, I use glass beakers suspended in the metal SS wire baskets the good ones come with. It’s a much smaller amount of ISO, and the breaker is open, no lid on the UC. Much less flammable vapor to worry about. Ultrasonic waves easily pass through glass, not so much on plastics.
How to Select an Explosion Proof Ultrasonic Cleaner:
2) NEVER place any objects on the bottom of UC tank, this is where most of the transducers are located, doing so can eventually ruin your UC. Use a wire basket to hold your parts, or a plastic basket if that’s all you have.
3) Good units also have a setting to "degass" the water in the tank, this eliminates much of the oxygen bubbles in the water, making ultrasonic cleaning as efficient as possible.
4) Add a bit of “Dawn dish detergent”, or other similar product to the tank water. This reduces the surface tension of the water, making your UC more efficient.
FROM LAST LINK BELOW:
“In ultrasonic cleaning applications, the surface tension and the vapor pressure characteristics of the cleaning fluid play the most significant part in determining cavitation intensity and cleaning effectiveness. The energy required to form a cavitation bubble in a liquid is proportional to both surface tension and vapor pressure. The higher the surface tension of a liquid, the greater will be the energy that is required to produce a cavitation bubble and the greater will be the shock wave energy that is produced when the bubble collapses, In pure water whose surface tension is about 72 dynes/cm sq. , cavitation is produced only with great difficulty at ambient temperatures. It is easily produced when a surface-active agent is added to the liquid, reducing the surface tension to about 30dys/cm sq. When the vapor pressure of a liquid is low, as is the case with cold water, cavitation is difficult to produce but becomes less and less so as the temperature is increased. Every liquid has a characteristic temperature relationship in which cavitation exhibits maximum activity within a fairly narrow temperature range.”
5) NEVER run the tank empty, it will ruin the UC.
Like many devices, there is a lot to learn if you want to master it, but certainly pay attention to the safety considerations, as well as proper operation instructions. My first cheap plastic Chinese UC started to smoke after plugging it in with the power off. I returned it, and while most of the units you will find on the internet are made in China, and “may” be fine, I decided to spend more and bought one made in the USA. PM me if you are willing to spend more then $250, and I’ll respond. Otherwise, be CAREFUL. A lot of Chinese electronic products have NO real safety requirements like the US “UL LISTING”, as these requirements cost money. Most of the “safety” stickers are BOGUS.
Questions and answers about Ultrasonic Cleaning:
Good site to learn more about ULTRASONIC CLEANERS. KNOWLEDGE = POWER!
wastedpotential
Well-Known Member
I have been using a teaspoon of PBW in hot water using ultrasound. Works well.
Some parts clean quickly, and others like gunked up vapor coolers, might require a few runs through the UC.
This way, ISO can be used for smaller wipe down jobs.
Some parts clean quickly, and others like gunked up vapor coolers, might require a few runs through the UC.
This way, ISO can be used for smaller wipe down jobs.
Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
@BabyFacedFinster - how is the UC treating you?
BabyFacedFinster
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
I'm going to have at it this weekend with some dirty stems and maybe some other items that have some old grime. In particular, some glass and plastic pieces and not just metal. I'm a bit weary of using iso, so I will give it a go with hot water and detergent or maybe salt and vinegar?
Thanks for asking. I hoping to get it working for me.
Last edited:
Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
Why weary?
wastedpotential
Well-Known Member
yeah, why weary of iso?
I am also, but I don’t know why. No scientific reason. I just think we misuse “common” household chemicals like bleach and others.
currently, during the pandemic, iso can sometimes be hard to find. So having alternatives is great.
RustyOldNail
SEARCH for the treasure...
ISO and the fumes can be extremely FLAMMABLE. Filling an ultrasonic tank with ISO can be dangerous. I posted as much as I could on this a few posts above. There are ways of using ISO in a ultrasonic unit, as well as other operational and safety issues to educate yourself on, like most other machines. I suggest taking a bit of time learning about these devices, used incorrectly, besides the ISO or other potentially dangerous solutions one can dump in, ultrasonic waves can in little time pit, and destroy certain materials. Good luck, be smart....
Jill NYC
Portable Hoarder
. Thank you !!!
BabyFacedFinster
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
I guess it's the alcohol fumes issue. However, I imagine putting just enough in a baggie with your items wouldn't be much of an issue if I ran the device outside with the lid open.
I just ran it at the full 480 sec with hot tap water and a few drops of dawn dish det. I don't see it working well with just water on reclaim. I am running it with the iso in a baggie. I'll be right back.
Ok, the iso in the bag cleaned it perfectly. I ran it outside which worked out cause the sun is out. I had a bowl and cracked a beer while I was waiting.
RustyOldNail
SEARCH for the treasure...
You are one of the SMART ones!
For all my glass, I don’t need the UC, I use PBW, or Simple Green Crystal, soak and water rinse.
I’m waiting on my new Mighty to gunk up, the CU “cooler unit” top, is what eventually clogs up with weed vapor reclaim. I’m going to at first try it with LIQUINOX, a product designed for UC tanks. If that doesn’t cut through the oily reclaim, I’ll try PBW, then the SG. I’m trying to avoid ISO in the UC. If that doesn’t work, I’ll use the technique I described above and supplied a link for. Suspending a small beaker with minimal amount of ISO, in my UC tank.
STAY SAFE!
wastedpotential
Well-Known Member
The PBW works well, but seems to leave sticky gunk on the plastic basket. So, I also add a drop of dish soap, and that seems to remove the sticky.
And as RustyOldNail said, it is important to learn your tools. Take the time to research the do's and don'ts. The reason I went with a UC was to get away from 'dangerous' or perhaps 'reactive' chemicals. I did have a moment of thinking how super clean things might get putting alcohol in the UC, but pushed it out of my head as "why risk it? at what benefit?"
Keep it simple. PBW, and a little soap. Multiple runs of 480 seconds, maybe changing the water out once. It's not magic, but it feels like it sometimes.
(I also just cleaned some shower parts, removing the water calcium build up, with just water and soap in the UC. Yes, I could have used vinegar, but again I wanted to limit chemical product)
And as RustyOldNail said, it is important to learn your tools. Take the time to research the do's and don'ts. The reason I went with a UC was to get away from 'dangerous' or perhaps 'reactive' chemicals. I did have a moment of thinking how super clean things might get putting alcohol in the UC, but pushed it out of my head as "why risk it? at what benefit?"
Keep it simple. PBW, and a little soap. Multiple runs of 480 seconds, maybe changing the water out once. It's not magic, but it feels like it sometimes.
(I also just cleaned some shower parts, removing the water calcium build up, with just water and soap in the UC. Yes, I could have used vinegar, but again I wanted to limit chemical product)
RustyOldNail
SEARCH for the treasure...
Good post. If you can replace the plastic basket with a wire stainless steel one.