Cutting Fluid Bottles Self-Pumping Contents Out

[Chips O'Toole]

I used squeeze bottles for cutting fluid. When I lived in Miami, this was no problem. I am in North Florida now, and we get big temperature swings. Over time, a squeeze bottle will empty itself wherever it's sitting. The pressure in the bottles goes up with heat and pushes the fluid out.

There is no way I'll remember to leave the lids loose to let the pressure out. I was thinking maybe I'd drill a hole in a bottle and put my finger over it when squeezing fluid out. The hole would release the pressure when I wasn't using the bottle.

Is there a better idea?

 

[mmcmdl]

Something blew out in the garage at some point . Same thing . Found a long trail of something white in color heading towards the drain . I think it was an old bottle of machine cleaner . If I sit the gas cans out front , same issue . I moved them to the north side of the house .

 

[ChazzC]

Do you mean bottles similar to this:

I have had this happen maybe 2 or 3 times, but my shop is conditioned so don’t have temperature swings of more than about 5 degrees.

This style is more likely to be a problem as if the liquid level is too high it can siphon out:

 

[mmcmdl]

Both . Stabile treatment comes in the lower style bottles . I've had them leak multiple times over the years .

 

[GeneT45]

I've had just about anything with a dip tube (including regular spray bottles) leak. Only standard bottles with well-attached lids work over temp. Even then, the vapor pressure can bulge and in some cases burst plastic bottles.

The problem with adding a hole is that the problem is normally with more volatile liquids, so they'll just evaporate. Perhaps better than leaking everywhere, but still not good.

GsT

 

[extropic]

If you are talking about the type of squeeze bottle that ChazzC showed first, I have had this conversation before (I think it was on H-M) and I learned a trick to solve the problem. I don't remember who provided the tip (sorry).

The trick is to put a very small diameter hole through one wall of the tube. The hole is to be located as high on the tube a practicable, but under the bottle cap. When the bottle is squeezed, some liquid will escape through the new hole but remain inside the bottle. The new hole will act to vent any pressure build up when the bottle is stored. No build of internal pressure means the bottle will not "pump" out it's contents due to temperature cycles.

A 1/16" diameter hole would be much too large in diameter. Think instead of heating a very fine needle to pierce the tube wall. The smaller the hole, the better, as long as the hole stays open.

 

[MrWhoopee]

^^^^This^^^

When I worked in the lab, we would heat a paper clip and melt a hole through the cap of the bottle. This was for acetone. Whatever evaporation there might have been was far less than the leakage from them constantly dripping until empty.

 

[Chips O'Toole]

Thanks for the tips.

It's not just volatile stuff leaking. Ridgid dark thread cutting oil leaks.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

If you are talking about the type of squeeze bottle that ChazzC showed first, I have had this conversation before (I think it was on H-M) and I learned a trick to solve the problem. I don't remember who provided the tip (sorry).

The trick is to put a very small diameter hole through one wall of the tube. The hole is to be located as high on the tube a practicable, but under the bottle cap. When the bottle is squeezed, some liquid will escape through the new hole but remain inside the bottle. The new hole will act to vent any pressure build up when the bottle is stored. No build of internal pressure means the bottle will not "pump" out it's contents due to temperature cycles.

A 1/16" diameter hole would be much too large in diameter. Think instead of heating a very fine needle to pierce the tube wall. The smaller the hole, the better, as long as the hole stays open.

That was me, thanks for saving me the typing.

It needs to be a teeny tiny hole, smallest pinhole you can make.

 

[davidpbest]

When not in use, just unscrew the cap half a turn. That will prevent a pressure differential which is what's causing the problem.