Filtering Out the Unwanted - Life Lessons

What You Let in Determines How Well You Run

We filter so much in our daily lives.
The furnace filters that keep our homes comfortable.
The water filters that make our water taste just right.
The air filters that let our cars breathe easily.

Even the humble coffee filter teaches us something, life’s better when you keep the grounds out.

So why, when it comes to the lifeblood of our equipment, would we ever skip the filter? After all, the same rule applies in industry and in life: what you let in determines how well you run.
 

Clean Oil, Clear Thinking

Oil is more than a lubricant, it’s a lifeline. When it’s clean, equipment runs smoothly. When it’s dirty, everything grinds to a halt, literally.

Recently, we ran two comparative tests to show how effectively Trico filtration can restore contaminated gear oil. The results didn’t just prove a point about oil cleanliness they revealed a small truth about patience, process, and filtering out what doesn’t belong.
 

Test Setup

Two systems, same challenge: turn contaminated oil back into a healthy operating fluid. Each system started with 8 gallons of ISO 460 Mobil XP 600 oil. We added 15 grams of Arizona test dust (0–40 µm) to simulate a worst-case contamination scenario. Samples were taken over a period and analyzed for particle counts in Trico’s Oil Analysis Laboratory.

Filtration Systems Comparison

System	Filters	Setup Summary
Portable Filter Cart (Model 36970)	(2) 10 µm primary filters + (2) 3 µm secondary filter	Designed for speed and depth, rapid flushing or oil transfer.
Wall-Mounted Filtration System (Model 37002)	(1) 10 µm primary filter + (1) 3 µm secondary filter	Designed for steady, continuous cleaning, kidney-loop reliability.

 

Understanding ISO Cleanliness

We followed the ISO 4406:2017 particle count standard, the industry’s way of quantifying oil cleanliness. It measures the number of particles larger than 4 µm, 6 µm, and 14 µm per milliliter of oil, reported as a three-number code (like 26/25/21).

Each jump in the code represents roughly a doubling of particle concentration:

ISO Cleanliness Code Chart

ISO Code	Particles per ml (approx.)
12	20 – 40
13	40 – 80
14	80 – 160
15	160 – 320
16	320 – 640
17	640 – 1,300
18	1,300 – 2,500
19	2,500 – 5,000
20	5,000 – 10,000
21	10,000 – 20,000
22	20,000 – 40,000
23	40,000 – 80,000
24	80,000 – 160,000
25	160,000 – 320,000
26	320,000 – 640,000
27	640,000 – 1,300,000
28	1,300,000 – 2,500,000

For both tests, we started by contaminating the oil with 15 grams of Arizona test dust (0–40 µm) to create a controlled, “worst-case” scenario. That produced about 244,000 (25) and 428,000 (26) particles per ml, or an ISO code of 26/25/21, firmly in the Serious zone.

Objective: Determine how long each filtration system takes to restore oil cleanliness.

Test #1: Portable Filtration (Model 36970)

Setup:
•    Equipment: 36970 High Viscosity Filter Cart
•    Filters: (2) 10 µm primary filters + (2) 3 µm secondary filters
•    Oil: 8 gallons of ISO 460 Mobil XP 600
•    Contaminant: 15 g Arizona Dust (0–40 µm)

Filtration Particle Comparison (Set 3)

Particles/mL	>4µm	>6µm	>14µm	>21µm	>38µm	>70µm	ISO Cleanliness	Rating
Out of the Barrel	5103	727	50	15	1	0	20/17/13	Caution
After adding 15g of particle dust	244292	148685	25296	7408	31	0	25/24/22	Serious
After 15 minutes of filtration	10458	4475	633	213	1	0	21/19/16	Caution
After 30 minutes of filtration	999	425	73	21	0	0	17/16/13	Normal

Result:
With dual primary and dual secondary filters, the portable cart packs twice the filtration surface area — and it shows. Within 30 minutes, the oil was back in the Normal ISO range. That’s a rapid, effective cleanup ideal for flushing gearboxes or pre-filling systems before commissioning.
 

Test #2: Wall-Mounted Kidney Loop System (Model 37002)

Setup:
•    Equipment: 37002 Wall-Mounted Filtration System
•    Filters: (1) 10 µm primary filter + (1) 3 µm secondary filter
•    Oil: 8 gallons of ISO 460 Mobil XP 600
•    Same dust load, same lab analysis

Filtration Particle Comparison (Set 2)

Particles/mL	>4µm	>6µm	>14µm	>21µm	>38µm	>70µm	ISO Cleanliness	Rating
Out of the Barrel	2136	524	45	12	1	0	18/16/13	Normal
After adding 15g of particle dust	428880	176659	11672	1732	1	0	26/25/21	Serious
After 15 minutes of filtration	72545	32144	3388	812	3	0	23/22/19	Serious
After 30 minutes of filtration	5486	2115	134	66	3	0	20/18/14	Caution
After 60 minutes of filtration	2187	836	93	27	0	0	18/17/14	Normal

Result:
The wall-mount system achieved the same Normal ISO cleanliness in about 60 minutes, exactly what we’d expect. With a single-stage setup (one primary and one secondary filter), the system is optimized for continuous, not rapid, filtration. It’s built to maintain oil cleanliness over time in a permanent kidney-loop configuration, a steady guardian for critical assets.

Combined Results

Both systems tell the same story:

Clean oil happens fast when you have the right filtration and the right system for the job.

• The portable cart delivers speed and deep cleaning, perfect for new gearboxes or pre-service flushing.
• The wall-mounted system delivers steady, continuous protection, ideal for keeping running equipment in top condition.
• Together, they cover the entire oil cleanliness lifecycle from startup to steady state. 

The Takeaway

Everyday life runs on filters; air, water, coffee. So why should your gear oil be any different?

Clean oil isn’t just maintenance; it’s machine insurance. It protects your assets, extends equipment life, and keeps up time at its peak.

At Trico, we like to think of filtration as the quiet hero of reliability working behind the scenes to remove the unwanted, so your equipment can keep doing what it does best.

Whether portable or permanent, both Trico systems know how to clean up their act.