I have access to a restaurant's used vegetable oil if I want it, and was wondering about using it to heat a small camp. As an experiment, I put some in a big cast iron pot with some crumpled up some newspapers as a wick. I set it inside the woodstove in my house, and it burned for three hours. Anyone have any thoughts about the safety or efficiency of such a thing? If it's feasible, it'd be easier to store and less work than firewood. I know some of the early arctic explorers had heaters designed to burn seal and penguin fat, but Google didn't turn up much.
Burning used vegetable oil?
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I dont know about heating a camp, I'd be filtering it and sticking it straight in my fuel tank lol
If you pour it through a simple filter, to get most of the dirt out of it, you can use it the same way yud use Diesel-fuel.
In more warm weather, or with a preheater on the fuel line, any diesel-car will run on it, as long as its filtered good enough aswell.
Think of getting one of them old multifuel-heaters, should be able to use it on those aswell, again if you have filtered it good enough
In more warm weather, or with a preheater on the fuel line, any diesel-car will run on it, as long as its filtered good enough aswell.
Think of getting one of them old multifuel-heaters, should be able to use it on those aswell, again if you have filtered it good enough
There's no way straight vegetable oil would work in either of my diesels, no matter how well it's filtered. The stuff's solid at our winter temperatures, for starters. If I can't use it as "firewood", I'm thinking about using it as bear bait next hunting season.
Solid, really. I knew it thickened but I wasnt aware it set solid. Oh well, you learn somet new everyday
Found some interesting videos on You-Tube here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmHLKZOlu2M
And the second method here seems straight forward:
http://www.green-trust.org/oil_burner.htm
Hope this is of help.
I burn kerosene in the central heating and in a Rayburn range, thankfully I've also got access to a good supply of wood for the open fires.
Pete.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmHLKZOlu2M
And the second method here seems straight forward:
http://www.green-trust.org/oil_burner.htm
Hope this is of help.
I burn kerosene in the central heating and in a Rayburn range, thankfully I've also got access to a good supply of wood for the open fires.
Pete.
If you do a web search for "bio-diesel" you will find a bunch of info on turning used cooking oil into fuel for a vehicle. They filter the oil, then add some enzymes to it. Those enzymes end up changing it somehow, and you get "diesel fuel" out of it. And then you can do most anything with it that you could do with regular diesel fuel or #2 home heating oil.
But there is a catch. If you burn it in a vehicle, the gov still wants you to pay that "road use tax" on it. A number of people here in the US were so proud of their "bio-diesel" fueled vehicles, that they had news stories done up on them. That caught the attention of the State Dept of Transportation guys, who then walked up and presented those people with hefty "road use" tax bills. If they had just quietly kept doing it, they would never have gotten noticed. But they decided to go for the "publicity", and then found all the "consequences" of their actions.
And then the Food and Drug, Public Health, and Hazardous Waste people came knocking on their doors! There can be pretty strict rules on the private storage and public transportation of that used cooking oil.
So good luck on your search for info. And then don't go BRAGGING about it on the local news programs!
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. It's kind of like bootlegging alcohol. They aren't so much concerned about you making the stuff, but in collecting the FEES and TAX REVENUE from it!
But there is a catch. If you burn it in a vehicle, the gov still wants you to pay that "road use tax" on it. A number of people here in the US were so proud of their "bio-diesel" fueled vehicles, that they had news stories done up on them. That caught the attention of the State Dept of Transportation guys, who then walked up and presented those people with hefty "road use" tax bills. If they had just quietly kept doing it, they would never have gotten noticed. But they decided to go for the "publicity", and then found all the "consequences" of their actions.
And then the Food and Drug, Public Health, and Hazardous Waste people came knocking on their doors! There can be pretty strict rules on the private storage and public transportation of that used cooking oil.
So good luck on your search for info. And then don't go BRAGGING about it on the local news programs!
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. It's kind of like bootlegging alcohol. They aren't so much concerned about you making the stuff, but in collecting the FEES and TAX REVENUE from it!
Wich is why vehicles modded to run on it, have a preheater on the fuel line
All you need to do, is mix it with regular diesel. No more than 20% or so of the vegetable oil, then the additive in the diesel will keep it fluid.
Later post:
The enzymes added, at least as far as i know, are added to make the dirt in the oil sink to bottom, to become solid and not diluted. That is filtered out afterwards.
I know of a chap in germany who runs old cookingoil thru 3 200litre steelbarrels, kind of like a 3 tank seperator. Very simple and bombproof way of doing it.
But yes. You still need to pay taxes on it, if you use it. Same thing here in DK.
Its also worth pointing out that in the UK you will get a hefty fine for doing such. (using it in your car that is).
I think your exempt as from 06 to 2500ltrs a year before tax. I do know a couple of guys who run their Land Rovers, a Defender and a Discovery on veg oil. Not some thing I know much about though.
Pete.
It's very feasible to run your diesel (whatever) off veg oil just remember the downside is you need to decoke the top end ie, head,pistons,barrels sooner than later.
bmw used to make injectors that would burn WVO without processing but they are like hens teeth. Here is a link to a forum with a wealth of info on the subject http://www.listerengine.com/ alternative fuels section
any q's i'll try my best
bmw used to make injectors that would burn WVO without processing but they are like hens teeth. Here is a link to a forum with a wealth of info on the subject http://www.listerengine.com/ alternative fuels section
any q's i'll try my best
I'm mindful of two things here; first, that few of the replies address the OP's question and second, that some of the info here is potentially quite wrong and very possibly will result in expensive bills for vehicle users.
To address the OP's question:
My advice would be to mix it with sawdust so it goes into a thick sludge. Otherwise, bottle it and use anything that resembles or acts like a wick to burn it.
To the vehicle question:
Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) *will* go solid at low enough temps but that isn't really the issue. The issue is that depending on the quality of the oil, it will increase in viscosity quite dramatically at temps far higher than it goes solid. My experience in the UK is that straight vegetable oil (SVO) became extremely problematic in a Mitsubishi L200 below 7*C. The L200 has a brutal, very basic engine so you could take this as a lowest operating temp. Lots of people will come back on this and say "but I run it succesfully at lower temps etc..." and they probably do - for now. The pertinent problem is that more viscous fuel places a lot of strain on your fuel pump/injectors and it becomes a "when" it will fail rather than an "if". Average costs for new pumps for UK cars is £2000+.
As for heating the fuel with an inline heater, it's a bit of a fallacy. You need to heat the whole system, including the tank or the pump will still struggle to suck the unheated fuel out of the tank.
Running WVO in the UK is exactly the same as running red diesel - if you get dipped, you will get your vehicle confiscated. The 2500L exemption limit is for home producers making biodiesel - a completely different subject (and my particular speciality in this regard).
Remember folks - lots of things are feasible but not practical. Do your homework first or pay the price.
For what it is worth, most of the non-current-model L200s and the older Shoguns/Pajeros will run SVO quite happily at 100% in summer and on a 50/50 mix with diesel in the winter. The problem now is that the price of SVO is higher or equal to that of diesel!
Happy to answer questions by PM if needed.
To address the OP's question:
My advice would be to mix it with sawdust so it goes into a thick sludge. Otherwise, bottle it and use anything that resembles or acts like a wick to burn it.
To the vehicle question:
Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) *will* go solid at low enough temps but that isn't really the issue. The issue is that depending on the quality of the oil, it will increase in viscosity quite dramatically at temps far higher than it goes solid. My experience in the UK is that straight vegetable oil (SVO) became extremely problematic in a Mitsubishi L200 below 7*C. The L200 has a brutal, very basic engine so you could take this as a lowest operating temp. Lots of people will come back on this and say "but I run it succesfully at lower temps etc..." and they probably do - for now. The pertinent problem is that more viscous fuel places a lot of strain on your fuel pump/injectors and it becomes a "when" it will fail rather than an "if". Average costs for new pumps for UK cars is £2000+.
As for heating the fuel with an inline heater, it's a bit of a fallacy. You need to heat the whole system, including the tank or the pump will still struggle to suck the unheated fuel out of the tank.
Running WVO in the UK is exactly the same as running red diesel - if you get dipped, you will get your vehicle confiscated. The 2500L exemption limit is for home producers making biodiesel - a completely different subject (and my particular speciality in this regard).
Remember folks - lots of things are feasible but not practical. Do your homework first or pay the price.
For what it is worth, most of the non-current-model L200s and the older Shoguns/Pajeros will run SVO quite happily at 100% in summer and on a 50/50 mix with diesel in the winter. The problem now is that the price of SVO is higher or equal to that of diesel!
Happy to answer questions by PM if needed.
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I have done simerlar experiment. i did't filter the bits out, i just shoved a wick in it and burned it. I have used it to heat up kettles of water It works very quickly the only problem was if water hit the oil it fire balled It is lighter and tidier fuel that alot of alturnatives but I woundn@t consider it safe unless it could made into a closed unit
sorry my cat slept on my key board and the buttons aren@t working>
There's an interesting heater/tent stove that might suit, the US Army M1914.
http://www.gvec.net/tfilip/diesal450.jpg
It burns solid fuel but there's also a converter available to burn various oils including veg, perhaps the converter could be used in other types of stoves
.Here's a link to a shop on Ebay that sells the converter:
http://stores.ebay.com.my/KENEFICK-MOUNTAIN-TRADING-POST
Tripitaka, thanks for taking the time for that well-thought-out post. The sawdust idea appeals to me and I'm going to try it today.
Puub, by remarkable coincidence, I have a surplus M1914 tent stove in my garage, and that's the one I was planning to put in my camp. I'll look into the converters.
Puub, by remarkable coincidence, I have a surplus M1914 tent stove in my garage, and that's the one I was planning to put in my camp. I'll look into the converters.
EdS
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Leaving the aside that turps is a non rebated fuel and therefore na no, no it will trash the engine.
Aftyer filtering to at least 5 microns it will be need to thinned with approx 5% unleaded. This should be ok for a indirect injection diesel with a non Lucas or CVA injector pump.
Indirect and Lucus injector pumped will need a twin tank system with fuel pre-heating.
Modern HDI and common rail diesels will not take veg oil at all
As for tent heating - just think along the lines of wick oil lamps / candle heaters.
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