FAQ

Yes. You can place an order as a guest with no obligation to create an account. We do recommend that you create an account, however, if you’d like to check your order history and have your shopping basket items and payment details saved for next time. It’s quick and easy to create an account. Just visithttps://www.zebraskimmers.com/account/registerand follow the instructions on-screen.

This is automatically sent to your email address when you place an order. If you haven’t received your order confirmation within 24 hours, please get in touch at sales@zebraskimmers.comjust in case there’s a problem with your order. Please check your mailbox’s spam or junk folder before contacting in case the order confirmation has been diverted there.

Orders are only be cancelled at the request of the customer. Please accept our apologies if your order is delayed in shipping or a problem at our end. Please allow 24 hours for your orders to process. In most cases your order will ship same day.

There is only a short amount of time between when you place your order and when we start processing it. If you contact us straight away after ordering, via sales@zebraskimmers.com, we may be able to cancel your order before it’s processed. If not, we’ll despatch your order and then you can return it to us if you wish upon receiving it.

We ship to any state within the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. At this time we do not ship to any other foreign countries.

Shipping costs depend on the item you’ve ordered and where it’s being delivered. Weight of the item will determine shipping method. Shipping is via UPS or Fed-ex ground services. Your tracking information will be uploaded into the system once your order leaves our warehouse. This information is automatically emailed to you with the tracking info.

Yes. We’ll provide updates at every stage of your order, from the moment you place it, through to despatch and delivery. In your delivery confirmation emails, you’ll receive a tracking reference which you can use to check the progress of your order online.

We accept the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Your credit card is process at the time of the order being placed. We also accept payment by PayPal or Amazon Pay. If you decide to use either of these two methods, you’ll be taken to either the PayPal or Amazon Pay website, where you’ll be prompted to log in and process your payment. You’ll then be directed back to our merchant website once your transaction is complete

We aim to process refunds within three days of an item being returned to us. Please note, however, that your bank may take several days to process the payment back into your account. With that said, please allow up to ten working days after posting the item back to us before getting in touch about your refund. We’ll contact you by email to let you know when your refund has been processed.

This depends on the carrier or shipping method that you choose when returning your item. Once we receive your return, we’ll notify you by email. We aim to process refunds within three days after receiving the item into our warehouse, but it can take several days for your bank or credit card provider to process the refund into your account, or onto your card.

The following products qualify for our Lifetime Warranty once the product is registers. Exceptions to this are any 24VDC motor units.

• Disk Skimmers
• Belt Skimmers
• Tube Skimmers

For full details on the warranty program please visit Lifetime Warranty

Yes, please see our document section of this product page. You can download a pdf version of the SDS.

Do these odor control tablets harm or change my coolant?

No. They are similar, but not an exact comparison. Since the Oxygenator Aerator will be used in an oil-based solution rather than water, we make sure to use the appropriate components for this application. But yes, they do work to discourage bacteria and other water-based bacteria growth, just like an aquarium type unit.

Yes, the XBUB8000 has 2 adjustable dials that allows you to adjust the flow. 

The Simple Disk Skimmer comes equipped, standard, with an intermittent duty motor. That means that it needs time to cool down since it does not have a fan. Run time is 40 minutes maximum with a 20 minute cool down period. If this is a problem for your application, then you can upgrade the motor to a fan cooled type. Give us or your distributor a call for details.

We supply replacement belts for other brand skimmers, but have only the 3/8” cogged, flat poly, or flat steel variety. All we need from you is the width and OAL (over all length or end-to-end) measurement. If you do not have the original belt to measure from, then we have a specifications worksheet which you will need to provide a few measurements of your brand skimmer. We can calculate the OAL from there and get you a replacement to get you back up and running.

Either a Zebra Belt Skimmer or Sidewinder™ Tube Skimmer, depending upon the access to your sumps. We recommend also mounting the Diverter and the Lockjaw™ Mounting Clamp. With the Lockjaw, you can then easily move the skimmer set up between each sump as well as to your barrel.

Often, we are contacted with the following comments regarding a newly purchased Machinist Venturi Mixer.

1. It’s not working or mixing
2. It’s not drawing up
3. Just water is coming out

The primary reason for these issues we find is that modifications were made to the mixer or the installation instructions were not followed. Any deviation from our recommendations for installation will affect the Venturi part of the mixer. The mixer must be hooked up in the manner we specify using the hose provided and the discharge side should not exceed 40″ in length.

Recently, we were made aware that certain types of coolant may react with the brass fittings and create a gel-like substance inside the mixing chamber. Coolants containing both monoethanolamine and chlorinated alkanes is causing this issue. When this happens, the mixer will not function and you cannot use a Venturi mixer for your mixing needs. A better option would be a proportioning pump

This is an example of an incorrect hook-up. A clamp and extra extender was added to the output and input intakes. This will dramatically alter the Venturi mixing capabilities resulting in the device not working.

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The correct method to hook the mixer up is illustrated below. The discharge hose that is supplied must be used and installed per the picture below. The discharge hose is limited to 40″. Any modifications to the hose to exceed or shorten it will affect how the unit work. Again, you are inadvertently affecting the venturi mixing effect and the device will not function.

Following the supplied instructions will guarantee your Venturi machinist mixer will work correctly. If still experiencing issues please contact technical support at 440-528-0699 for assistance.

The proportioning pump has many small parts which can wear if given the opportunity. Using a pre pump water filter will decrease the likelihood of wear since it will capture any tiny particles that may flow through your water line.

Check the discharge hose. If you are NOT using the hose we provided, make sure you are using NO MORE than 40” of discharge hose, with a minimum UNINTERRUPTED ID of 1/2” for 3 gpm models, and 3/4” for 10 gpm models. Make sure that the hose has no kinks or other obstructions. If delivering mix through a garden hose, for instance, a proportioning pump is required.

If you want the type of setup illustrated below (note discharge tube on right is longer than 40 inches), you will need to order a proportioning pump. The 7gpm MIXPP518 proportioning pump is our most popular model, it mixes water and coolant to concentrations between 1.4% and 12.3%.

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1. Examine the check valve at the bottom of the standpipe. Debris can keep it open, allowing concentrate to drain back into the drum. The check ball should be below the valve’s set screw.
2. Check the water pressure. Our equipment requires a minimum pressure of 25 psi. TEST: Using the mixer with needle valve closed, fill a pail of known volume and time it. If you can fill a 1 gallon pail in 20 seconds there is enough pressure for our 3 gpm unit. If you can fill a 1 gallon pail in 6 seconds there is enough pressure for our 10 gpm unit.
3. The needle-valve (dial) is numbered as a guide only. It does not indicate proportions. Turning the dial clockwise reduces coolant concentrate ratio.
4. Check the coolant concentrate level in the drum. You may be running out.
5. Check the viscosity of the coolant concentrate. Our equipment is designed for up to 500 SUS at 100° F. (SUS=saybolt universal seconds). 500 SUS is about the same as SAE30 motor oil.

Water Draining into Concentrate Container

1. Shut water ball valve off (check valve on end of standpipe is not rated to hold fluid under pressure).
2. Check water ball valve for cracks or damage.
3. If using a solenoid valve, install it on inlet before water supply (check valve on end of standpipe is not rated to hold fluid under pressure).

Concentrate Siphoning from Container

1. Remove discharge hose from output holding container or sump.
2. Verify concentrate container’s breather hole is open.
3. Verify that the check valve is free of debris.

The individual selection of a Muscle Coalescer depends upon application factors such as:

• Chip removal requirements (removal of suspended and floating chips or swarf) Metal chips chemically degrade coolant, so they are best removed, whenever possible. The smaller the chip size, the quicker this degradation takes place, so in grinding or cast iron machining, chip removal is definitely recommended. Choose the Deluxe w/Filter model whenever chip removal is of interest. Select the filter bag with a pore size relative to that of the chip size.
• Type of coolant (full-synthetic, semi-synthetic or water-soluble oil) For full synthetics, the Plus model is recommended. For semi-synthetics and water soluble oils, the Deluxe model is best due to the additional coalescing media which helps separate the tramp oil from the base oil.
• Intake attachment selection will be based upon sump factors such as access to the area where installed, fluid level fluctuations, and surface debris.

A dedicated Muscle is best for each sump that sits idle more than one shift. Idle sumps biologically degrade more quickly than those that circulate. The Z17 Muscle Coalescer will remove the tramp oils and also continuously aerate and circulate the sump, preventing bacterial rancidity.

It is a matter of what best “fits” your application as well as your equipment preference. There are cost implications between the 2 products so that should also be taken into consideration.

A mechanical skimmer will remove the tramp oil layer via a pickup mechanism, such as a disk, belt, or tube. The tramp oil is then discharged automatically to a waste container, which will need to be manually emptied as needed. Since tramp oils are best removed daily, as they are a food source for bacteria, it is recommended to have a skimmer installed on each machine sump to run as needed.

A coalescer draws in the entire surface layer of your sump, then gravity separates the oil within its holding tank for manual discharge to a waste container. Again, oil removal should be done daily, so dedicate a coalescer (such as a (Z17 Muscle™ Coalescer) on each sump to run continuously, or daily utilize a portable coalescer unit on each sump.

The filter in the standard T-strainer is designed to catch chips that might clog the eductor. It also helps to keep those chips from settling in the bottom of your Z17 muscle coalescer. It’s much easier to open the T-strainer and dump those chips into your chip bin, instead of shutting down the entire muscle coalescer, emptying it, and shoveling out chips that have settled in the bottom.

Yes. Our media can be added to any coalescing equipment and will improve their effectiveness. It increases the surface area in the holding tank to improve the separation time. It is a non consumable, and will never need replaced.

We supply the Z17 Muscle™ Coalescer with a small submersible, centrifugal pump so it can fit into most machine sumps. It is pretty rugged for most applications, however, it is not designed to handle a lot of air intake. If reintroducing this pump to every machine every day, it may cavitate and burn out prematurely unless you keep it primed with fluid. It may also be time-consuming to reinstall the pump and intake attachment at each use point. So, labor costs are also a factor.

Although the unit is available with a drum dolly, this dolly is only meant for ease of maneuverability when moving around your machine, such as during machine cleaning and recharge.

The Z17 Muscle Coalescer has a hold time of 15 minutes, and with its coalescing media, will be able to separate tramp oil which naturally gravity separates in 20 minutes or less. To determine the amount of tramp oil that will naturally gravity separate in 20 minutes, you will need to take a miniature separation test for each sump.

Using a clean, clear plastic pop bottle, for instance, dunk it in from the top of the sump to the bottom, for a cross section of the solution. Cap the bottle off and shake it vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Then let it stand to naturally reject the tramp oil while timing the process. Whatever tramp oil separated in 20 minutes will be the amount that the Muscle will be able to remove from that sump.

To note, as coolant ages, and the more base oil there is in your coolant, tramp oils will take a longer time to gravity separate. You may find that older sumps take longer for the oils to separate. However, if you were to use the coalescer from the first day of a recharge, it will remove the tramp oil effectively.

Also, add on high-pressure coolant delivery systems cause tramp oils to deeply emulsify into the base coolant because of the pressurization of the solution. During the separation test, you may see mostly a separated inverse layer, somewhat like a milkshake. This may be the only separation, yet this layer is still best removed. If using a coalescer, it is recommended to run the coalescer only when the machine pumps are not operating, whenever possible, for the best effectiveness.

A mechanical skimmer only removes the tramp oil and needs regular maintenance to keep the chips and other debris that are collected off of the pickup mechanism and the oil scrapers.

The Z17 Muscle™ Coalescer will remove the oil layer AND keep the coolant sump in constant circulation, helping to prevent bacterial contamination which degrades coolant. If the machine tool runs less than 2 full shifts per day, a Muscle Coalescer will help to keep that sump in its best overall condition, preventing bacterial problems and coolant degradation. Little to no maintenance is required, as cleaning of the coalescer only needs to be done if their is a buildup of chips and debris within it, or if it is biologically contaminated. Zebra manufactures models with variou attachment which have chip collection capabilities to remove chips which also help to degrade coolant.

If using a coalescer is impractical or impossible near that machine, use a mechanical skimmer to remove the tramp oil and run an aeration device, such as the Zebra Oxygenator™, whenever the pump does not run to help keep bacteria at bay.

It means you need to replace the coolant in the sump, and not the refractometer. When a definitive reading is not possible, the sampled coolant has deeply emulsified tramp oils in it. It is still usable for the lubrication process, but may promote excessive coolant mist, feed bacteria which degrade coolant, and contribute to health and safety issues. Not to mention you’ll never be certain of its concentration. Your call.

This refractometer probably needs to be recalibrated. Use water (tap water is okay, but distilled is best) to zero the scale (in accordance with the instructions for your unit), then try it again.