Yankee Ingenuity or **** Fool?

[namedpipes]

I'm getting a little ahead of myself since I'm still Deuceless, but I have these parts kicking around and I'm starting to think how to connect them up.

I have an electric water heater for a house that was replaced before I realized all it really needed was a new heating element. It's basically a 40 gallon heated tank.

I think I could use this to hold and preheat oil for filtering (through something like the Simple Centrifuge). I know as the oil level drops it would expose and burn out the heaing elements, so I'd have to start with a full tank, preheat, then tun off the heater and run the oil through. If I ever started with less than a full tank it would have to go through cold (or wait for a full tank).

Using a 'fuge like the Simple Centrifuge or the Wolverine filter by one of the SS members, does oil have to recirculate through the system more than once to get the level of filtering desired or is one pass enough? Slow is fine if it makes one pass work. As long as it filters fuel faster than I use it up for normal driving I don't care how fast it is.

 

[Katahdin]

Well, strictly speaking flash points, Bio Diesel makers have been using electric hot water heaters to convert Veggy Oil into bio diesel for years. The flash point for motor oil is significantly higher then bio diesel or Veggy oil, so I would think it could work.

However, bear in mind possessing one of these contraptions may void home insurance policies, as some bio diesel makers have found due to fires unrelated to their brewing activities. You may want to use it outside or in a detached shed of some sort.

Edit: Probably a good idea to make sure you have a working safety pressure valve, and vent that outside.

 

[namedpipes]

Years, hunh? I thought I was being orginal The heater has a pressure relief. I thought to direct that into the same slop bucket the tailings from the 'fuge would drain into when the 'fuge stops.

Veggy oil, french fry grease, etc - bad for this, then? I don't know yet what sort of waste I may be able to find in my area. I assume WMO will be eaiest to get.

This would all go into a shed out back.

 

[southdave]

i have done this with WMO mine the gasoline..

 

[mikey]

Well, strictly speaking flash points, Bio Diesel makers have been using electric hot water heaters to convert Veggy Oil into bio diesel for years. The flash point for motor oil is significantly higher then bio diesel or Veggy oil, so I would think it could work.

However, bear in mind possessing one of these contraptions may void home insurance policies, as some bio diesel makers have found due to fires unrelated to their brewing activities. You may want to use it outside or in a detached shed of some sort.

Edit: Probably a good idea to make sure you have a working safety pressure valve, and vent that outside.

Actually bio diesel has a flashpoint of about 266F, motor oil about 450F and veggie about 620F. However, with a pressure relief valve OP should be OK. Most hot water heaters with thermostat only heat up to about 180F max.

OP, the Wolverine centrifuge is supposed to be single pass to .5 micron. The PA Biodiesel centrifuge, which I have, requires up to five passes to get down to .5 micron. It will depend on the fuge whether it's single pass or not.