WVO in Victoria

[loki]

Just wondering how many people in Victoria and surrounding area are running Waste Veggie Oil and where they get their oil from.
Also I was wondering how many people are wanting to convert but haven't because there is no where to fill up?
I would also like to hear what people think a fair price for WVO would be per litre.

thanks for your time

[Adam]

Hmm, I guess Nanaimo isn't really in the surrounding area of Victoria, but I cast my vote anyway

[Weasel]

Well, I voted that I would if there was somewhere to fill up... but right now 99% of my driving is done in 10-20 minute stints, and it just doesn't seem worth it to convert in order to use WVO for maybe 40% of my driving. When I have an actual commute, or when I have the time/money to go on trips, I'll look at converting, based on availability of fuel.

[EnviroImports.com]

well i have two vans running around right now with my kit in them and they get their oil for $50/month so the filtered oil is certanly available, but also is not hard to get and filter it your self, especially if your even just a little bit mechanica or industrius.

[loki]

I'm asking as I want to start a WVO business selling and delivering filtered WVO to people that need it and taking unfiltered in for probably a 2:1 trade-in and I'm wondering what the demand is now and how many people there are that would like to convert but haven't due to lack of supply as they don't want to go to the hassle of working out deals with restaurants, picking it up, storing it, filtering it and such, and others in condos at apartments would find it really difficult I'd bet :).

[EnviroImports.com]

well dont store it to long, it goes Rancid FAST, so you can end up with alot of it on your hands than you have to pay to get rid of, and make sure you become an alternative fuels dealer, the gov frowns on those who dont go through that step,
Really its free to get the oil, only costs to store it, and if your serious about filtering it, invest in a centefuge for a quality filtering or you wont get it down to a constant 1-2micron.

[Adam]

well dont store it to long, it goes Rancid FAST

How fast is fast??? I've been filtering a oil stored in few hundred 16 litre buckets, some of them are a few years old. I have come across a few obviously rancid buckets and some buckets with some thick sludge in them, but only 1/2 dozen so far and I've filtered 1500+ litres.

Are you using a centrifuge right now for your WVO sales? I've only been using a 10 micron filter, which was the group standard when I joined. I'm looking at upgrading to a centrifuge, but they aren't cheap and they whole reason I'm in this is to save money.....oh and the planet, can't forget about the planet.

[EnviroImports.com]

Adam, years!!!!.... Dude,
well after a few months if my oil is still around its gone, but its never around more than a few weeks, Im sure its good after a few months, but for me its like produce or Milk, I dont like to drink it close to the due date.... but if your having success with it then, I hope your oil is right up to the top of the bucket and sealed off from the air.
Ya I like the centerfuge, ten microns is an air filter, and thats fine for pumping air into the valve and then out the other valve, but for going into an injector.... well it works but its not the best. sort of like eating at MC ... you can live on it, you can even survive, but we all know there is stuff in there that should have been taken out.
just make sure your REALLY on top of your engines oil changes, and keep running the raycore fuel cleaner , hopefully it will help like putting a salad into your body....

[Adam]

well after a few months if my oil is still around its gone, but its never around more than a few weeks, Im sure its good after a few months, but for me its like produce or Milk, I dont like to drink it close to the due date....

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't drink this stuff, but it still seems to burn without an issue. Are you saying you chuck oil that is a few months old regardless of condition?

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I often am), but isn't the stock Delica diesel filter 10 micron? If so I wold think the injectors could tolerate WVO passed through a 10 absolute micron filter. I'm also using a VegMax filter which uses a 5 micron water blocking element, so I should only be passing 5 micron WVO to my injectors.

I've been trying to get a 5 micron or smaller filter to use in my setup, but haven't been able to locate one that is compatible with a goldenrod filter. I really would love to filter down to 1-2 microns just so that I could avoid changing my VegMax filters. Seeing as the cheapest centrifuge set up I've seen is $700 or so and replacement VegMax filters are only $22 I think I'll hold off until I can spread the capital costs around a bigger WVO group.

[loki]

I'm going to look around about the rancid oil thing, I've heard that rancid can still be made into biodiesel so I would think that it would likely still be OK for WVO but I could be wrong (and I would hate to damage an engine to find out), also you can use a UV Filter and Pump to circulate and UV sterilize the oil for an hour or two every week or so and it should last pretty much forever.

I haven't started filtering yet, I don't want to go and spend a ton of money on centrifuges and filters and the like if there isn't enough demand for it. If there is the demand for it I plan on a pretty slick portable setup and reasonable prices (to be determined).

[EnviroImports.com]

Hi Adam, while I have to agree with you about the 10 micron fuel filter we all use, I have to point out that the diesel from the pumps has allready been filtered down to a couple microns at the plants,(yes I used to work at a refinery in Alberta) and I also used to fuel Jets with JetA and know a fair bit about contaminates in fuel, but really I think PETER La..... on here would be a good one to talk to as he has alot of knoledge on this sort of area.
the only particulates you have to really worry about from refineries come from old storage tanks at the gas stations and from the inside of your own tank, I know I could be wrong on this next point,
but I dont think its often that people are using fuel grade diesel in their deep fryers and cooking crazy amounts of food with it.
After its used up and just waste then we get it for fuel and for my engines and customers I am much happier to filter it with the centerfuge, I started using the "sock" 5 micron filter befor the centerfuge and the centerfuge still has left over "crud" that has to be gotten rid of, so I dont even want to think of the "bits" of "stuff" thats left over from fryer oil and a 10 micron filter.
Noel

[Adam]

I dont even want to think of the "bits" of "stuff" thats left over from fryer oil and a 10 micron filter.

My VegMax on board 5 micron filter should be catching the bits over 5 microns, so really only debris smaller than 5 microns getting passed through to my engine. I would like to filter down to less than 5 microns. but it is a case of economics. Unless I'm clogging the the $22 VegMax filters at an alarming rate or there is serious concern that I'm harming my engine with 5 micron particles my wife is going to see me spending another $700 or so on a centrifuge as another gadget I just have to have (I may have been accused of this in the past).

What kind of engine damage could I expect for <5 micron particles in the engine? If you say $701 worth of damage I can get a centrifuge

[EnviroImports.com]

hahahahaha, well if your wanting to add up the costs of contamination, possible detonation issues and if you really want to look at what your putting into your fuel, with a centerfuge you would be able to seperate any other harmfull liquids, so you dont have bad things going on, if you have a co-op up there, what about a centerfuge and splitting the cost around.... or renting it out to the co-op........ hmmmmmm Im working for ya here adam, I think in the end you will need to buy one anyway, but not sure I can predict what your future bills will be, there is a few people that have shown their actuall bills online for not properly filtering their oil, rebuilt engine, mechanical bills..... what centerfuge are you thinking for $700, mine was a fair bit more, but im curious about what one your looking at. ttyl
Noel

[Adam]

if you have a co-op up there, what about a centerfuge and splitting the cost around

Yeah, the only problem with that is the oldest standing member of our group ( I mean the original member of the group, not the oldest dude) has been running 10 micron WVO on his diesel truck for years without any problems. I'm trying to avoid being the guy that comes in and says we have to tighten up all the standards and spend more money because of something that I read on the interwebs, and btw thanks for letting me into the group, but you are doing it wrong

The cheapest centrifuge option I've found is the Dieselcraft OC-20 which Plant Drive is selling for only $325. Great deal, but then I think need to get a new pump that is capable of 90 psi. It looks like my current MP2000RS Redline Pump only goes to 30psi.

EDIT: Plant Drive also sells the pumps needed for the dieselcraft CO-20 for $549. The pressure relief valve is factory set at 90psi. I wonder if I could up the psi relief on my current pump to meet the minimum 35 psi requirements for the OC-20....

[sean]

Interesting discussion guys. I have been reading about longterm storage as my collection partners and I have a acquired a 1000 litre holding tank. From what I have read it needs to be air tight and your oil should have no residual water in it. The water is what promotes bacterial growth. So if you are only using a 10 micron filter before storing that may not get rid of the water content. Heating and settling will help, as well as being able to empty your filtering drums from the bottom of the settled water. We have very good results with our "frying pan" test that we conduct every batch (215L per). We only filter with a 5 micron at the tanks but heat the oil and let settle for 2-3 weeks. Our oil is very clean to begin with though, so that may help. The centrifuge is definitely the way to go if funds are available. Noel, your system sounds skookum. Do you sell to out of towners? I visit my relatives once every couple of months and sometimes need oil whilst down there.

Loki wrote

you can use a UV Filter and Pump to circulate and UV sterilize the oil for an hour or two every week or so and it should last pretty much forever.

I sell UV sterilization units at my store for water treatment. I am curious about where you heard you could treat oil with UV? The reason I ask is because UV works on transmittence parameters that even tannins (decomposing organics) and flecks of iron can block. Now obviously you are not trying to get the level of bacteria (coliforms) down to the drinking water standards but I wonder what kind of kill ratio you would get treating veg oil? This has made me very curious. If you could get the transmittence level you needed, the contact time would also be important. With a low pressure pump, it might work well as the oil would pass slowly through.
Sean