its easy to keep the bag full unatended think of a pet waterer . have a tank that you can seal up say a 55 gal drum , put it on a stand on the side , a valve on the small fitting with an elbo pointing down with a length of pipe that extends into the filter a couple inches. on the big opening another valve to seal off .close the small valve fill the barrel through the large opening ,close the large valve . with the filter in place open the small valve . the oil that will come out of the small valve is determined by the amount of air that will go into the same valve . when the oil level in the bag gets up to the pipe it stops air from going in and the oil stops coming out

Thanks for the description of an easy filter while away set up.

WVOCOLL

I cut about a 7" hole in the top of my drum and hung the filter sock into the hole.

I fill a 5 gal water bottle with WVO and turn it over into the sock and set it down.

As the oil filters down thru the sock, air bubbles into the bottle and more oil flows into the sock.

It feeds the filter sock just the right amount until the 5 gal bottle is empty.

I actually have two holes in the top of my filter drum and use three layers of socks 25/10/5 micron. It gets the job done simply and I don't have to every worry about the sock over-flowing.

the water bottle does the same as my barrel but it does more than 5 gal and the bottle is real simple

Diagramme?

Great Idea!!! I did the same thing with a hole in the barrel to hang a bag filter. Never thought of the water bottle (or valves fitting) idea.
Thanks,

Shep

I do the same thing with my wvo sucker collection unit.

Suction hose goes in the filter bag and I open the large bottom valve. As the wvo level drops air can enter the "sucker" hose, travel to the collection tank, and lower the vacuum in it.

This begins the oil flowing into the filter bag and the level rises..which prevents more air from entering the hose/tank and stops the flow. Then as the wvo level in filter bag gets lower and air is allowed to enter the hose the cycle repeats.

Pictures at 11?

seriously, this is one case where a picture is worth a thousand words. I know Dana may not abe able to post since it would bascially take from his how to file, but you other guys?

thx.
-Tony O

Not a picture..how's a schematic?



For a larger image click here

Air can only enter the sucker vessel from the hose with one end connected to the bottom of the sucker and the other end in the filter bag itself and any air is prevented from entering it when the level of wvo is higher than the open hose end in the filter bag. When enough wvo is filtered to allow air to enter the hose it "glugs" in and allows some wvo in the sucker to be released into the filter..and level in it rises preventing more air from entering. Eventually the level of wvo in the filter drops angin and the cycle repeats.

Just make sure you start with a filter drum empty enough to allow all of the wvo in the sucker to fit.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: danalinscott,

A question or thought, would it work best if you had the filtered oil level, in bottom container, at its highest still be below the bottom of filter? So the oil would gravity feed through and not have filter immersed in oil.

Certainly Charles; otherwise you have to stand there for hours pulling the filter bag out gradually or make a big mess when you pull it out when the oil still in it continues to flow out of it.

quote:

A question or thought, would it work best if you had the filtered oil level, in bottom container, at its highest still be below the bottom of filter? So the oil would gravity feed through and not have filter immersed in oil.

I have not found this to be true. Except in the case which BP speaks of (pulling a filter out of a full drum which is itself full of oil) there can be several advantages to having the outside of the bag filter immersed in vegoil.

And when I do need to remove a filter for cleaning I just draw down the level outside the filters and allow them to run dry...then remove them.

Has anyone figured out how to feed multiple filter socks automatically? Different socks pass oil at different rates, so the fastest filter would keep calling for more oil which would come to all outlets of the upper container. I have 4 socks and would like to autofeed all. I think it requires separate upper tanks....

If you connect all the bags together with a siphon line...or lines... they will self level with each other.

Then ANY of the bag filters can be auto filled and it will feed all the filters.

I made a handy 4 line "octopus" with tees and hoses. Three of the clear hoses go into the bag filters...the fourth has a small (needle) valve and a clear line. So to "prime" the siphon I just open the valve and suck vo up all of the 3 lines (in the bag filters) at once...and once oil is above the valve...I close it.

I am having trouble picturing the 4 line octopus and the role of the valve. Could you give more details or a drawing?

This sounds like the solution I have been looking for!

THANKS!

OK...Here is a simple side view using two bag filters for clarity. As many bottom hoses can be added as wished.



The top hose is just to allow all air to be removed from below the valve so the siphon effect takes place. Once VO is drawn up to the valve it is closed.

Self_leveling_siphon.JPG (5 Kb, 621 downloads) Self Leveling siphon

ok I know this is a really weird and possibly ridiculous question. I'm a member of a network of fish enthusiasts and I'm reading all of this, y'know, cause hell, who isn't interested in new fuel sources with the price of oil these days? Anyway.. do you think this type of mechanism could be used with a fish tank filter for automatically changing water??