Skimmers

An oil skimmer recovers free, non-emulsified oil floating on water. ERE carries five types for different settings. In monitoring wells, Geotech PRC passive skimmers recover product-only LNAPL layers down to a sheen. In pits and sumps, the Oil Bucket™ floats on its own and shows a visual alarm when it is full. For lagoons and open water, the Oil Scavenger™ system separates and pumps hydrocarbon product from the surface. In industrial wastewater, the Olio-Skim floats at the oil/water interface and feeds a vertical gravity separator, and for machine coolant the Centipede removes tramp oil.

Tell us where the oil collects and how much, and we will recommend a skimmer.

Oil skimmer FAQ

Passive or active skimmer?

Passive skimmers such as the PRC canister and the Oil Bucket™ need no power and little maintenance, and suit wells, pits and sumps with modest amounts of oil. Active, pumped systems such as the Oil Scavenger™ recover more product from lagoons and open water. Our guide compares five industrial skimmer types.

Will a skimmer replace an oil/water separator?

No. A skimmer removes free product from a surface; it does not treat a continuous flow before discharge. For that you need an oil/water separator, with a skimmer where oil collects. See how oil skimmers work.

How do I remove tramp oil from machine coolant?

Use a coolant-selective skimmer. The Centipede recovers about 17 L (4.5 gal) of oil a day at roughly 93% oil and 7% coolant on 115 V power, where a traditional belt skimmer recovers about half oil and half water.

How do I recover free product from a monitoring well?

For thin LNAPL layers, hang a PRC passive skimmer in the well: it is 1.75 in. in diameter and 43.5 in. long, holds about 0.035 gal and collects product only, down to a sheen. Record the volume recovered at each visit.