How to Filter WVO For use ? - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

83-240D · #46 10-13-2004, 06:23 AM

boostnbenz......try a car wash. that is where i am getting my plastic barrels. i have three now and requests for 2 more. there are more available in winter when the weather is bad than now(its dry around here in wisc.) i went to a couple places, one said the owner would call me back,,,uh huh. the second when he heard what i wanted them for said o yeah no problem.

car wash.

TwitchKitty · #47 10-13-2004, 09:35 AM

I get plastic barrels cheap at the local flea market. They are originally used for soft drink syrup. They come in 15 gal (blue) and 55 gal (white) sizes. I also see them advertised in the local trader type classifieds.

BoostnBenz · #48 10-13-2004, 09:46 AM

IMO gravity feed is the way to go, I plan on sticking my barrels together with a 4" piece of PVC with the 4" sock filter inside of that.

Car wash... come to think of it they have a cutoff plastic barrel at the end of their driveway for the car wash. Thanks for the suggestion I'll ask about that the next time I'm there (in my dad's truck).

Hmm I don't think there are any flea markets around here, but thanks for the suggestion.

odie · #49 10-13-2004, 11:54 AM

I tried the car wash too. They all have to turn the barrells in for credit. Everyone was using the same supplier and the used barrells were $5 bucks each. I figured it wasn't worth my time to try raiding the dumpsters at night looking for a barrell or two.

I wouldn't worry about the solids in the waste oil. It seems the solid stuff floats on top so just put your suction hose a few inches below the surface. Most waste oil hase been setteling several days or weeks anyway. Plus any fat & shortening is solid at room temp which means it won't pass thru your filter anyway.

How often do the restraunt bins get emptied anyway? I guess it depends on how much oil gets thrown out. Once a week? Monthly? Or only as service call?

R Leo · #50 10-13-2004, 01:31 PM

My primary source has had nothing but trouble from square-one with his grease-sucking company. Before I started my piddling collection process, he'd had to call them three times in the last 6 months when discovering that the dumpster was close to overflowing. No problems lately because I've been able to keep the level down by pulling the clean oil I want off of the top.

He is closed on Sunday so I usually go over there late in the afternoon so that the nasty guck has had plenty of time to settle or stratify since he's emptied his fryers.

I'd like to find an alternate source but haven't done much research into it. I'll certainly have to expand my storage capabilities becasue I only have 2 55gal drums available now.

odie · #51 10-13-2004, 02:54 PM

So how much waste oil does the typical "local" mom & pop restraunt put out? Like the average Chinese place or neighborhood eatery?

Obviously McDonalds is using tons of the stuff. The small guys are probably the best places to ask for oil.

I'm just starting so I don't have a reliable & predictable source yet.

R Leo · #52 10-13-2004, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odie

The small guys are probably the best places to ask for oil

Absolutely. And, they're the ones most likely to be disposing of it improperly (ie in the trash dumpster) too! So, you may be doing more of a service than you realize by collecting their oil.

Quote:

how much waste oil does the typical "local" mom & pop restraunt put out?

I'm still trying to figure out how much oil Curtis uses during the week...I'd guess something like 8-12 gallons.

#53 10-15-2004, 10:14 PM

I get some oil from a burger place where they change oil twice a week and produce about 7 gallons each time. I have to get there when they change it and I get it right out of the fryer - HOT!!

kip Foss · #54 10-17-2004, 11:54 PM

Be careful about getting grease from the main dump tank. This tank also contains meat grease, and a lot off other goop, from the griddle. I think that the satruated fat in this will give your system a hard time.

kip Foss · #55 10-17-2004, 11:56 PM

Any one looking for 55gal. plastic barrels in S. Texas call 1-361-319-7033. There is a guy in Swinney Switch, just south of San Antonio, that is selling them for $10 each.

tenknots · #56 10-18-2004, 07:58 AM

As a follow-up to my previous post regarding funnel filters, I received this email from Baja Filters, a company that makes aluminum funnel filters with three elements, one on top of the other.

"The micron ratings for the filter elements are as follows:

the coarse filter: 140 microns

the fine filter: 104 microns

the water separator: 74 microns

Hope this is helpful."

I know this isn't enough by itself, but since I have one if these, I'm going to give it a try when I start collecting WVO.

Interestingly, the last element actually does filter water. I did an experiment where I poured a quart of diesel that had been mixed with a cup of water, and the water didn't get through, though it slowed up the filter.

JamesStein · #57 10-18-2004, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odie

So how much waste oil does the typical "local" mom & pop restraunt put out? Like the average Chinese place or neighborhood eatery?

Obviously McDonalds is using tons of the stuff. The small guys are probably the best places to ask for oil.

I'm just starting so I don't have a reliable & predictable source yet.

I'm getting from 20-25 gallons a week from the local fried fish store I get my oil from.

odie · #58 10-18-2004, 02:03 PM

Some interesting settling observations...

I took a couple of samples of waste oil. The samples where a little silty or creamyish looking. I set them on my garage shelf for a couple of days. The oil settled and left a layer of whiteish crud ont he bottom of the jars. I then placed the jars outside in the sun and the crud layer disappeared in a couple of hours.

Does this mean I should only transfer oil in the early morning to leave the nasty stuff behind? Does the oil seperate better when it's cold?

R Leo · #59 10-18-2004, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odie

Some interesting settling observations...

I took a couple of samples of waste oil. The samples where a little silty or creamyish looking. I set them on my garage shelf for a couple of days. The oil settled and left a layer of whiteish crud ont he bottom of the jars. I then placed the jars outside in the sun and the crud layer disappeared in a couple of hours.

Does this mean I should only transfer oil in the early morning to leave the nasty stuff behind? Does the oil seperate better when it's cold?

If that sample has already been filtered, mix that oil 80/20 with B100 and the cloudy stuff will probably go away. If not, filter and peform the test again; some of the white material you're seeing is hydrogenated oil and some may be animal fat.

R Leo · #60 10-18-2004, 03:04 PM

I'm learning, a little at a time...

Last week, on the way to work, I thought I'd run out of fuel....engine started missing and then died...would barely idle....gauge showing 1/4 tank. I limped to the service station and dumped in 5 gallons of dinodiesel and ran the remainder of the day just fine.

Fast forward to this morning, several gallons of WVO and 150 miles later...

I'm heading to work and, clunk! She quits again...DOA with 1/4 tank showing. I happened to have a 5 gallon jug of B20/WVO in the car anticipating something along these lines and emptied it in thinking I have a real problem with the gauge I'll have to fix.

Cranked her off...and she never really ran all that well.... made it 2 blocks before quitting completely. This time I popped the hood, took a look at the prefilter and it is completely filled with this black slimy guck. I swapped the prefilter for a new one, primed her and away I went...gone in 60 seconds.

Looks like I'll be spending some quality time with Marlene's fuel system in the near future.