i have seen a lot of people using pressurized bag filter cases. they seem to work great, greasecar uses them in their automated filtration systems, but they cost $800 to $900 shipped. does anyone know where to get these filter cases for cheap?

piper

There are serveral threads on these here - search for bagfilter vessel , bag filter housing . You can buy them new at www.mcmaster.com and www.filterbag.com starting at about $300.00 . I bought a used one at a scrapyard for less but they are very difficult to find . BTW- After using it . I have gone back to simple gravity bag filtering from an elevated supply barrel - No high pressure bypass or leaks .

thanks rkpatt,

i found this one :
http://www.midwestfilter.com/x100.html
supposedly it retails for just over 200?
anyone know about the gpm rating on any of these units? the x100 description on filterbag.com says 55 gpm for water, so would grease be like 10 gpm. greasecars filter supposedly gets 18 gpm. also how fast the filters will clog? i have one friend who does 3000 gallon batches of WVO with a big, expensive bagfilter vessel and he says after 6 weeks of settling he can filter up to 1000 gallons per filter after clearing off the gunk from the bottom of a 3000 gallon cone bottom tank.

the tanks in the setup i am building are going to be 200 gallon cone bottoms. and im wondering if the bag filter units are going to last a long time and are going to be worth the upgrade from cartridge filters.

piper

I apologise for the off topic post and will remove it ASAP.

Piper...I have been trying to contact you with via the email you provided ..and the one at the bottom of your posts (using @ in place of (at) but neither seem to be reaching you. Can you please contact me ASAP...and if you do not receive a reply within a few hours send me an email with you telephone #. I need your address to send you the FPHE you ordered.

Piper & All,
Be sure to learn the difference between nominal and absolute ratings. Filterbag.com has a definition page and discusses the difference. Any bag filter, as I understand it, needs to repeatedly filter oil as it only removes 80% of particulates over the size rating of the filter.

I just switched to filterbag's $350 system and it works great IF you pass the oil by it 6 or 8 times (you can see it get very bright). All other attempts at single pass (like Greasecar) will keep you shopping for deals on onboard filters.

Another thing, if you filter partially hydrogenated oil then you only get one use of the bag filter, clogged or not. After it cools the waxes dry and even introducing hot oil into the filter will not revive it. I plumbed it with a 120 gal water heater so I would atleast get a fair volume filtered with each bag.

The only other filter I've used sucessfully is levi's with gravity only just like Dana describes. As soon as I tried a 'real' bag filter, even under gravity, I ended up with significant clogging of the polishing goldenrod filter.

I like the sound of 3000 gal at a pop!

I use the x-100 with a absolute 2M filter bag and love it. I have a 20 gal hot water tank next to it. I fill the tank and heat it either in the sun or with a heater pad I have stuck on the bottom. Once warm, I pressurize the water tank with about 10psi and out comes the clean oil. A absolute filter will take out 99.98% of particles of its rating, very different from a nominal rated filter. For me, it is very easy and simple. I think that the x-100 is rated to 200psi. I get hundreds of gallons per filter bag useing very well settled 100% vegetable oil.

yea

i dont think we will have problems with the clogging. we use no hydrogenated oils in our system. just a lucky feature of our town i guess. what kind of pumping or gravity system do you use alex?

piper

I use the X100 with the 5micron bags. It's clean, fast using well settled warm oil. I'm still on my first bag after 300 gallons filtered. The tru testimonial is I'm also on the first filter in the TDI also. I pump the oil to the filter. Well worth the investment.

Alex,

Where do you get the absolute bag filters?

[I use the x-100 with a absolute 2M filter bag and love it.]

Paul

Also, while Filterbag's X100 filter housing says it is rated to 100 psi, I ran mine up to 70 psi trying to unclog some hydrogenated oil, and the basket cracked. They responded that the basket is only good to 25-30 psi, and replaced mine but only b/c it was 1 week old.

The baskets are about $50 to replace so I keep my pressure below 20 psi now. The filter indicator has always shown green so I go by the gauge installed on top of the lid.