Case Studies in
AQUEOUS PARTS CLEANING
Best Environmental Practices for Auto Repair Shops • November 1999
Aqueous Cleaning Works!
<3
The case studies featured in this document are from studies conducted in
California between 1997 and 1999. Each of the shops featured in these case
studies successfully switched from solvent to aqueous (water-based) parts
cleaning. These case studies prove that aqueous cleaners are capable of meeting
or exceeding the many parts cleaning challenges encountered in a wide variety
of auto repair operations.
New Environmental Regulations
lead to Improved Aqueous Cleaners
The emergence of a new generation of highly effective cleaning units and
solutions is the direct result of environmental regulations recently passed in
two California air districts. To protect human health and reduce smog, aqueous
parts cleaning solutions are favored or required over solvent cleaners. These
new rules opened the parts cleaning market to new vendors and spurred inno-
vation. Shop owners, facility managers and technicians benefit the most from
the new rules, because compared to solvents, aqueous cleaners:
COST LESS • ARE SAFER TO USE • CLEAN EQUALLY WELL
The public also benefits from the overall reduction in volatile organic com-
pounds (VOC) emitted to the air as facilities switch from high VOC solvents to
aqueous cleaners. The estimated VOC reductions as a direct result of enacting
these new rules are 10 tons per day in the Los Angeles area and 2.1 tons per
day in the San Francisco Bay Area! Widespread use of these new aqueous
cleaners will hopefully bring about similar benefits nationally.
Tips for Successful Conversion
In selecting an aqueous cleaner for your shop, you should test more than one model to identify the model that works best for you.
As the case studies show, often more than one type of unit is needed to fulfill all cleaning needs in a shop (for example, spray cabinet
in combination with microbial sink-top). The good news is; in all but one case featured here, shops are saving significant money by
switching to aqueous cleaning systems. Reduced labor spent cleaning parts account for most of these savings (as with automated spray
cabinets and ultrasonic systems). Savings are also achieved through lower waste disposal costs, because aqueous cleaning solutions
generally last longer than solvent. For more tips on making aqueous cleaning work for you, see the fact sheet entitled "Aqueous Parts
Cleaning, Best Environmental Practices for Auto Repair". It can be obtained by calling (800) 490-9198 or viewed and downloaded at
www.epa.gov/regiono9 /p2 / autofleet.

-------
Case Studies in Aqueous Parts Cleaning
Testing the waters-aqueous parts cleaning case studies from California auto repair shops
CASE STUDIES IN AQUEOUS PARTS CLEANING, BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES FOR AUTO REPAIR SHOPS

Facility
Size
Operations
"Before"
"After"
SPECIALTY AUTO REPAIR
'Diesel/Fuel Injection
Specialties
Santa Ana, CA
3 technicians
Repairs engines, sensors,
and fuel injection systems-
1 person cleaned parts full-time
1 solvent immersion system
serviced every 2 months
1 ultrasonic system
'Newhall Carburetor
and Auto Repair
Newhall, CA
1 technician
Rebuilds carburetors-
1 hour cleaning in unit plus 20
minutes by hand per carburetor.
20 carburetors cleaned/week
1 solvent carb cleaner tank
serviced every 1.5 months
and 1 aqueous microbial
sink-top unit
1 ultrasonic system and
1 aqueous microbial
sink-top unit
'Bob's Transmission
and Clutch
Simi Valley, CA
5 technicians
Repairs and rebuilds
transmissions of all kinds
2 solvent sinks serviced
every 1.5 months and
1 water-based spray cabinet
1 ultrasonic unit,
1 solvent sink and
1 aqueous spray cabinet
FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIR
5Larry's Autoworks
Mountain View, CA
14 bays
6 technicians
Full Service Shop-
12 hrs/week cleaning parts
2 solvent sinks serviced
every 1.5 months
1 microbial sink-top unit
1 spray cabinet
5Glenmoor Auto
Repair
Fremont, CA
8 bays
2 technicians
Full service shop-
1 hour/week cleaning parts
1 solvent sink serviced
every 4 months
1 microbial sink-top unit
1 spray cabinet
5Auto Electric and Fuel
Concord, CA
3 bays
3 technicians
Large cleaning jobs sent to
local steam cleaner
1 solvent sink serviced
every 2 months
1 microbial sink-top unit
"Corvette Service
Company,
Carpenteria, CA
3 full-time technicians,
2 part-time
Full service, restoration-
5 hours/week cleaning parts
1 solvent sink serviced
every 2 months
1 spray cabinet
Tomvo's
Garden Grove, CA
3 technicians
Full service-
1.5 hours/week cleaning parts
1 solvent sink
serviced every 1.5 months
1 immersion
AUTO DEALERSHIPS
'Santa Monica Nissan
Santa Monica, CA
18 bays
20 technicians
Full service-
33 hours/week cleaning parts
7 solvent sinks
serviced every 1.5 months
50 gallon spray cabinet
4 leased microbial
sink top units

-------
New Unit Types
Best Environmental Practices for Auto Repair Shops



>
; Unit Cost
; Annual Savings*
; Payback Period i Testimonial


Alpha Cleaning Systems ultrasonic unit
with W.R. Grace cleaning solution
$9,300
$15,012
7 months
"The new system saves me time
and money. It can clean fuel
injectors in about 15 minutes
and they look like new"

Alpha Cleaning Systems ultrasonic unit
(18 cubic inch) with W.R. Grace cleaning solution,
Zymo microbial unit and solution
$3,000
$3>412
11 months
"1 save a lot of time with this
system. All 1 do is turn the unit
on and 1 can walk away and do
other things"

Alpha Cleaning Systems ultrasonic unit
with W.R. Grace Daraclean 257 solution
$5,000
$7,617
8 months
"This kind of system is revolution-
ary for cleaning valve bodies. One
day all transmission shops will have
at least one ultrasonic system"

EcoClean Bioflow2o, PC solution
EMC Model ioo(used system), ALO Jet.solution
$1,300
$1,600
$14,874
3 months
"The spray cabinet has improved
our productivity as well as the
cleanliness of our parts"

EcoClean Bioflow20, PC solution
EMC Jetsink, ALO Jet solution
$1,300
$1,700
$1,638
1.8 years
"The spray cabinet cleans parts
so well they shine. Our guys like
using both of these units"

EcoClean Bioflow20, PC solution
$1,300
$940
1.5 years
"The solution is nice and warm,
much easier on technicians hands
than solvent. The units meets our
cleaning needs very well"

Landa Model SJ-15, AX-IT solution
$4,825
$1,021
4.7 years
"Overall we are satisfied with the
spray cabinet. We made this change
because we wanted to stay in
compliance and be progressive"

Mirachem w/servicing agreement,
Mirachem 500 solution
$700
$274
2.5 years
"The Mirachem cleans all the
parts very well and quickly. Our
costs are lower because it does
not need to be changed out as
often as the solvent tank"
EMC spray cabinet, ALO Jet solution
Kleentec Model 4000,
Daraclean 257 solution
$4,000
$236 per unit
per year
$10,825
5 months
"We need a cleaning system that
works well and quickly...the parts
cleaned in the spray cabinet are
cleaned faster and better than
with mineral spirits"
*Annual savings includes cleaning labor, waste disposal, servicing, chemical purchase, and electricity costs.

-------
Case Studies in Aqueous Parts Cleaning
Best Environmental Practices for Auto Repair Shops
References
We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals and organizations whose referenced publications contain the
original source material for this fact sheet:
Water-Based Parts Washer Systems: Case Study Conversions prepared for U.S. EPA and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District
by Michael Morris and Katy Wolf, Institute for Research and Techncial Assistance, Pollution Prevention Center, December 11, 1998, available
at http: / /home.earthlink. net/-i rta/rprtooo2. htm
Water-Based Repair and Maintenance Cleaning: Case Study Conversions prepared for Southern California Edison by Michael Morris and
Katy Wolf, Institute for Research and Techncial Assistance, Pollution Prevention Center, March 12, 1999, available at
http://home.earthlink.net/-irta/rprtooo3.htm
Final Report: Aqueous Cleaning Demonstration Project, City and County of San Francisco prepared for the City and County of San Francisco
Hazardous Waste Management Program, Administrative Service Department, by Tetra Tech EM Inc., February, 1999. The executive summary
of the report is available at www.epa.gov/region09/p2/autofleet. The full copy is at www.p2pays.org/ref/03/02197.pdf.
Final Report: Aqueous Cleaning Demonstration Project, City and County of Los Angeles prepared for the City of Los Angeles Environmental
Affairs Department Hazardous and Toxic Materials Office, by Tetra Tech EM Inc., August, 1999. An executive summary of the report is avail-
able at www.epa.gov/region09/p2/autofleet.
Aqueous Parts Cleaning, Best Environmental Practices for Fleet Maintenance, part of this publication series.
Case Studies Vendor Contacts
Alpha Cleaning Systems *
(805) 520-8057, (800) 729-2828
KleenTec
(800) 435-5336
EcoClean Corporation
(510) 797-4050
Landa, Inc.
(408) 998-3051, (800) 547-8672
EMC
(408) 292-9289, (562) 908-7696
Mirachem
(602) 966-3030, (800) 847-3527
For Best Cleaning Solutions, Inc.
(225) 334-6990
Safety-Kleen Corporation
(800) 344-5191
Global Sonics
(800) 437-7«7
UniKleen
(310) 532-0353, (800) 930-4729
Graymills Corporation
(773) 248-6825
W.R. Grace
(708) 458-6811, (800) 854-1623
These vendors were featured in these case studies. Other vendors may provide similar or identical products and services.
<
Your state or Local government environmental agency has more information about compliance and pollution prevention for auto repair shops and
fleet maintenance operations in your state or area. Additional fact sheets and information can be found at www.epa.gov/region09/p2/autofleet.
This fact sheet is part of a package of fact sheets entitled either "The Pollution Prevention Tool Kit, Best Environmental Practices for Auto Repair"
(publication number EPA-909-E-99-001) or "The Pollution Prevention Tool Kit, Best Environmental Practices for Fleet Maintenance"
(publication number EPA-909-E-99-002). To obtain copies of either package, call (800) 490-9198. Accompanying videos, "Profit Through Prevention",
are available at the same phone number for either auto repair (number EPA-909-V-99-001) or fleet maintenance (number EPA-909-V-99-002).
fQ\
This fact sheet was produced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 pollution prevention program. Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey, and should not
be interpreted as conveying, official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation.

-------