Guess i need to find something else to get them off the floor. I thought the plastic basket that came with my UC dampened the waves and made for longer times to get the same results?
Steeping Times and an Ultrasonic Cleaner Part III
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Hi guys I've been reading this thread for about a week now .Was convinced that this method works and ordered an uc from ebay .So I'll be steeping with this from now on .Thank You all for your knowledge . This is what I bought http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-LARGE-Digital-60W-1-4-Liter-ULTRASONIC-CLEANER-JEWELRY-jw3
My $7 Walmart cleaner actually works pretty well - should have bought two. Doesn't keep water warm, and doesn't hold much, but I throw 4 AA batteries in it and it'll run for days on end without me so much as looking at it.
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Thanks for the info before jcal! I now have one coming and I have some 15ml glass bottles also ordered (thank you Danny I went with one of your recommendations for the bottles)
Yes, I have been lurking and reading trying to learn
Hi all
Also, thank you to bobalex and everyone else that has been testing and sharing info.
Yes, I have been lurking and reading trying to learn
Hi all Also, thank you to bobalex and everyone else that has been testing and sharing info.
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"Quote Originally Posted by what the hell View Post
A question about the US cleaner from Harbor freight
I just bought the US cleaner from Harbor freight. Not sure if it's working correctly. Is it normal for the US waves to be mostly in the center? I stuck my finger in the water and didn't feel anything until I got to the middle."
"thats normal it makes sense to vibrate from the middle it makes for an even ripple effect. i wouldn't suggest putting you fingers in it while it's running."
Ultrasonic energy cannot hurt you. I have used ultrasound instruments for 30+ years. They have been used in the medical field longer than I've been around.
Ultrasonic energy is produced by the piezo-electric effect. Basically electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy. Think of your stereo speaker, same principal, electrical energy is sent from your stereo to your speaker where it is turned into mechanical energy and becomes sound.
Ultrasonic energy is mechanical energy at or above 20,000 Hz (hertz) or 20,000 cps (cycle per second). Sonic energy, which is audible is below 20,000 Hz. Sonic is where your speakers work.
The primary difference between sonic and ultrasonic energy is sonic energy can be transmitted through the air, ultrasonic energy cannot. Ultrasound is 100% attenuated by air. It travels in most solids and liquids.
We routinely work with ultrasonic energy in the range of 1 to 10 MHz (1,000,000 to 10,000,000 Hz).
So stick your finger in all you want, the only thing that will happen is you will end up with a wet finger.
A question about the US cleaner from Harbor freight
I just bought the US cleaner from Harbor freight. Not sure if it's working correctly. Is it normal for the US waves to be mostly in the center? I stuck my finger in the water and didn't feel anything until I got to the middle."
"thats normal it makes sense to vibrate from the middle it makes for an even ripple effect. i wouldn't suggest putting you fingers in it while it's running."
Ultrasonic energy cannot hurt you. I have used ultrasound instruments for 30+ years. They have been used in the medical field longer than I've been around.
Ultrasonic energy is produced by the piezo-electric effect. Basically electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy. Think of your stereo speaker, same principal, electrical energy is sent from your stereo to your speaker where it is turned into mechanical energy and becomes sound.
Ultrasonic energy is mechanical energy at or above 20,000 Hz (hertz) or 20,000 cps (cycle per second). Sonic energy, which is audible is below 20,000 Hz. Sonic is where your speakers work.
The primary difference between sonic and ultrasonic energy is sonic energy can be transmitted through the air, ultrasonic energy cannot. Ultrasound is 100% attenuated by air. It travels in most solids and liquids.
We routinely work with ultrasonic energy in the range of 1 to 10 MHz (1,000,000 to 10,000,000 Hz).
So stick your finger in all you want, the only thing that will happen is you will end up with a wet finger.
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This is correct. Glass has higher density and therefore transmits ultrasonic energy more efficiently than softer/lower density plastic. While most solids will transmit ultrasonic energy, those with a tighter grain structure are more efficient transmitters. This is known as acoustic impedance. All materials have known values for acoustic impedance, these values are a product of the material's density and the ultrasonic velocity.
Plastic has an approximate velocity of .16 cm/us (centimeters per micro second) where glass has a velocity of .579 cm/us. Glass has a velocity that is almost 4 times faster than plastic. These are longitudinal/compressional velocities.
Ok I have a few questions.
I bought a UC of Craig's list, looks exactly like the harbor freight 03305 unit, had a start button rubs for about 3 minutes at a time. Has a little plastic basket and stainless lined tub. Water gets hot when running, but I never put a thermometer in there to read the temp, that's next I guess.
Ok: from what I'm reading I can some how rig the start button pressed on to keep it running, with a chip clip or rubber band or something. I'll test that tomorrow...if that works a timer to run 30 mins on and 30 mins off should do the trick? And looks like everyone likes 3 hours of Jacuzzi time for the kids (LOL)
Most of my bottles are plastic with inkjet printed labels (commercially bought juices like HHV, AVE, MBV)...obviously I can not put these in the water, the labels with come off or fade or ink will run, etc... can I put them in zip lock bags? Or will that defeat the purpose? And absorb all the ultrasonic waves?
Are you guys transferring the juice from plastic bottles to glass bottles? That sounds expensive....
And last, I'm unclear, do I want to put the bottles in the basket or take the basket out and place the bottles straight into the stainless lining of the tub?
I bought a UC of Craig's list, looks exactly like the harbor freight 03305 unit, had a start button rubs for about 3 minutes at a time. Has a little plastic basket and stainless lined tub. Water gets hot when running, but I never put a thermometer in there to read the temp, that's next I guess.
Ok: from what I'm reading I can some how rig the start button pressed on to keep it running, with a chip clip or rubber band or something. I'll test that tomorrow...if that works a timer to run 30 mins on and 30 mins off should do the trick? And looks like everyone likes 3 hours of Jacuzzi time for the kids (LOL)
Most of my bottles are plastic with inkjet printed labels (commercially bought juices like HHV, AVE, MBV)...obviously I can not put these in the water, the labels with come off or fade or ink will run, etc... can I put them in zip lock bags? Or will that defeat the purpose? And absorb all the ultrasonic waves?
Are you guys transferring the juice from plastic bottles to glass bottles? That sounds expensive....
And last, I'm unclear, do I want to put the bottles in the basket or take the basket out and place the bottles straight into the stainless lining of the tub?
The air in the plastic bags will attenuate the ultrasonic energy. So not a good method.
sdennislee - you obviously know your stuff when it comes to UC. I have the same question as phone guy. Do you have to use the plastic basket or can I put my glass bottles directly on the bottom of the stainless tank. I read that the plastic basket reduces the effect by 30%.
Thanks!
Steve
Thanks!
Steve
But putting the bottles directly onto the floor of the tank wears out the UC faster. Suspending the basket in the UC is the way to go.
It is best to have the bottles up off the floor if that is where the transducer (ultrasonic energy generator) is in your unit.
Each item the ultrasonic waves (energy) interact with will cause the wave to give up some of it's energy. The water to basket interface, the basket to water interface, water to bottle interface, bottle to eliquid interface, etc... How much energy is lost at each interface is determined by the acoustic properties of each material. Materials with similar acoustic properties transmit more energy than materials with drastically different acoustic properties. This is known as acoustic impedance mismatch.
Various ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocities (given in centimeters per micro second):
Water - .145
Plastic (generic) - .16
Glass - .579
Stainless .570
As you can see water and plastic have very similar velocities, the energy that will be lost from the water to plastic interface will not be substantial. Water to glass has a larger difference but the energy is moving from a material with slower velocity to a material with a faster velocity, fairly efficient transfer of energy. Some energy is now going to be lost when the wave hits the slower water as it leaves the faster plastic. Next it leaves the slower water (as compared to glass) and enters the faster glass. This process is repeated each time energy moves from one material to another, losing some energy along the way. Now these losses are not anything to worry about as as one wave dies another is coming right behind it at rate of 42,000 per second, assuming your unit is one of the 42kHz units.
If it's really bothering you let me know and we can get deeper by calculating lambda (wavelength) for each material, lambda will tell us the wave's ability to penetrate any given material, then calculating energy transmitted vs energy incident.
My vote is stainless basket set in a manner as not to place weight on the the transducer and glass bottles. If you have plastic baskets and plastic bottles it will still work and the world will not end.
To give you one more thing to worry about; cold water is more dense than hot water therefore, cold water is a better transmitter of ultrasonic energy. Does throwing that in make me a horses ....?
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