Where can I find a water block filter such as a Racor or whatever, the local pep boys has nothing of the such.
Miles

A decent diesel truck service center/shop should have them, but why do you want one? They don't work to separate water in biodiesel or SVO. The true water "block" ones will swell up and block fuel flow, which you might desire, but you probably see the obvious disadvantage (your engine stops on the highway).

I was thinking of using it prior to putting in my fuel tank just to make sure the bio was really dry. But if this is not necessary I won't worry about it.

Also a lot of people mention filtering before gas tank, but i have yet to see any instructions or plans or whatever for filtering bio! Does no one filter, is it unneccessary? If it is necessary How?

Um, ok, that'd work. It'd be sort of like a fuse - plugging up before too much wet fuel gets into the vehicle.
There's a GoldenRod Water block filter element that I've heard does the same thing - absorbs water until nothing gets through. Almost certainly cheaper than a Racor.
As to filtering; yes indeed, it's necessary. I run all of my (very well settled and prefiltered) BD through a pair of water filters (string-wound, rated 10-micron, for removing rust and sediment from household drinking water), then through a 2-micron Racor, then into the vehicle. I've found this to work well, not clogging a vehicle filter in over a year now. Really good filtering is mandatory for diesel engine life. Water and dirt will kill the injector pump very quickly, even in very small amounts. Dirt is straight-forward to filter, but water is trickier because it can reappear just from a temperature change or condensation.

Thanks johno,
My set up is similar the first 10 micron filter, my second is a 2 micron filter designed for water same as the 10 micron. It is not a racor.

I am new to making biodiesel and was also wondering about filtering the raw oil and finished biodiesel.

It seems people are trying to get rid of water to minimise soap formation. I have searched websites and forums on this issue. It appears most people just filter out the large particals of fries and then try and boil or settle out the water, or not worry about it and just deal with the problem by adding more reactants to make more soap.

I am thinking about trying to filter out water from WVO and finished B100 using a Racor 500FG-2 Diesel Fuel Filters/Water Separator from Westmarine.com:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/pro...72588/10001/219/68/6
Click here if the link did not work.

It is specifically designed to seperate water from diesel fuel, and incorporates a water block filter, 30, 10, or 2 microns.

Earlier in this discussion a post suggested that water block filters do not work to get rid of water in raw oil of finished B100.

Is this true and has anyone had first hand experience trying this out?

Any other thoughts on filtering befor or after?

Thank you for all your help,
Anastasios in Sacramento, CA

Which model GoldenRod filter and where are good places to purchace them?

Thank you,
Anastasios

I was wondering the same thing Anastasios if the filter is designed for fuel and removing water why would it not work with bio?
Miles

That is the question. have you found any other filters similar to what I found? Yes it is a bit expensive, $214, but to save myself the hassel, and money in electricity of not having to boil water out it looks like money well spent in the long term. It may also save some time in drying the fuel after washing. I would have to test this out but I want to know if anyone else has done this same thing before I spend the money.

Goldenrod #496 or 495 is a water block filter, approx. $40.00 replacement elements approx $14.00. Do a search you'll find them I think 496 is the water one and 495 is the regular fuel filter.

Its not only $214 you will throw away if it doesn't work, it is also the injector pump. Study carefully.

that post made a lot of sense how bout in english this time, don't mean to be rude but i can't make any sense out of ur post.

also injector pump, study carefully, what exactly do you mean?

Oh I get it if I use a water block filter prior to putting in my fuel tank I will kill the injector pump, this makes no sense whatsoever. Sorry just my opinion, how can fuel with no water or no fuel at all ruin my injector pump???

hello an answer would be nice

Ok lets do this in laymans terms, if i have a water block filter before my fuel tank, any fuel that gets passed it is waterless (dry) agreed? If it clogs so much that nothing passes it (i have nothing getting passed, correct)? If nothing gets in my fuel tank, how is my injection pump gonna get ruined, there is nothing in there to ruin it???

You're right BioMiles, sorry. A water block filter will protect your pump. I was thinking of the usual water separator which does not appear to work on veg oil or even on biodiesel. I have heard people report that they have collected glycerine from biodiesel in a separator but never water.

Anastasios,
Your post was asking about using a water block filter to remove the water from WVO, prior to making biodiesel from the WVO. You also included using a water block filter to filter the biodiesel.

The reason that most people either simply strain the WVO (I prefer Used Cooking OIl - UCO , so I'll use that from here on) and either heat-dry, or boil any water from the UCO, is that they do not know how much water is present in the UCO, and that filtering to even 30 microns can be expensive using cartridge filters.

This expense comes from the price of the filters (which can block up in just 10 litres of UCO) and the fact that much (most?) of the UCO is high Melting Point oil. It is relatively easy to "set and forget" using a "low technology" solution like settling, to remove most solid contaminants and water, or like heat drying of the oil.

If you have tried the Cartridge filter technique and it works for you, please use it, if it works, it can save you worrying about water in your reactor.

If you are using a "water Block" filter for your unwashed biodiesel, you will not have a water problem, because unwashed biodiesel wil have no water anyway.

If you are using a "water Block" filter for your washed biodiesel, it will be useful to ensure that your fuel drying process is effective.

Tony,
Thank you for the insight.
I am definately planning on using a Water Block filter for washed biodiesel, just to make sure.

But, it seams you are advising to "dry" the washed biodiesel before I use a water block filter. In looking around i see some people recomend heating the oil and then using a mist sprayer to mist it back into the wash tank for an hour or so to help the lower boiling temperature water evaporate out of the misting oil. Is this a good method of drying and could you please point me to other good methods?

I am keeping in mind this particular forum is on filters I am swinging back to them.

Why do i have to dry before going through a final water block filter if I have clean, washed fuel. Is there a good reason, or even better, experience, not to just "dry" the clean washed biodiesel in a water block filter and save myself the time of heating the oil and mist drying it? I would think the filter would get rid of the water for me.


As for unwashed biodiesel, is there a good way to seperate out the glycerol and soap either during the process of making the fuel, or in transfering biodiesl, already settled and having drained out the layer of glycerin and soap, to the tank. I am thinking more on the co-op scale of things. I was thinking of a centrifugal separator to help filter out the soap and glycerin as it is forming. Put one in line with the processor so as glycerin, soap, or water form they are removed from the reaction.
I am looking at something like a Pep Filters Seperator found at: http://www.pepfilters.com/pages/ics.html
or a better picture at: http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/CDweb/c-html/c027.htm

I am thinking the lighter oil will spin through clean and then there would be less soap to wash out so I could save wash water.


Now for UCO, (used cooking oil) after a good screen filter would using a centrifugal seperator be a good way to spin out the water before I titrate. There are no filters to replace. It also looks simple enought to make, one pipe inside another with an off set inlet. (yes I can weld and fab stuff.)

Any thought on this item, it is low tech and seems like a possible way to seperate out the remaining solids and water from UCO.

As always, thank you in advance for helping out a new guy.

Anastasios