I set up my filtering tank today and would like some feedback. Be nice. I cut a hole in the top of a 55gal drum big enought to put a five gallon bucket in. I drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket and put a pillow case turned inside out in the bucket. I used a bungee cord to hold the pillow case in. (truck drivers always have bungee cord's) I poured the WVO in the bucket with the pillow case. I don't have any idea what the micron filter of a pillow case but, this is the first stage.(And it caught a lot of crap) I plan to pump it out with a 10 micron filter in the next stage. What say's the group!!

Sounds like a good start. I'm starting with polyester felt at around 5 micron bag into a filter housing. Then drawn through a Racor 500fg @ 2 micron which should get rid of most water and chunks. All done at ambient temps which are now in the 90's into a 55 gal drum to set until I get a diesel vehicle.

I cut two holes in the top of a 55 gallon drum and I have 2 denim sofa cushions (Some people use blue jeans cut off and stiched at the bottom) Same idea as the sofa cushions. I can pour one whole cube in each sofa filter and get 40 gallons in the drum. I let the cubes settle for two weeks before dumping in the filters, I save the thick stuff on the bottom of the cubes for biodiesel.

That obviously takes some time to filter into the drum. I pour two cubes in the sofa filter a2 to 3 times a week. It only takes a minute. I usually wait until I get 40 plus gallons in the drum then I heat it, then let it cool over night to make sure there is no water in it. The next day I bring it back up to 100-110 degree and pump it though a 10 micron filter into a 5 micron bag that goes into a bucket then gets poured into cubes to be used in the car. When I pour it into the car I leave any thick stuff on the bottom of the cube there is very rarly any thick stuff and if there is it is only a few once.

So how do I heat it. I use a water heater element that is screwed into PVC pipe. I glue the fitting that the heater element is in into a 90 degree elbo. Then that get a tall pipe that sticks out of the bucket glued to it. It looks like a hockey stick with heating element on the bottom. The power cord is in the middle of the PVC pipe. I actually use the heater stick in different place. Once I left in pluged in over night and the oil got to 300 degree and the pvc warped. I always had it plug into a fused outlet but that night I did not and it just keep heating. Still works fine.

I have 16 spare cubes of grease waiting to go into my car that uses about 2 to 3 per week.

Robert

Mad sounds like you could put a pants leg in each hole and barrel supports pants by the seat.

how about this for a pre pre filter? Sorry my time demands right now, make me more of a theorist/planner than a "do it" person trust me I wish it was different. Anyway... here goes

Theory: Dont want to loose the bung hole in barrel by cutting out the top. Want to keep it so I can put a diesel fuel dispensing pump there. Also I want to have a solid reliable top to keep out water. Then again medal drums are not that easy or safe (if fuel/Lube was in it before) to go cutting on. soooooo.

1. Take a 5gal bucket and make a filter bag like one the many suggestions from in here. I Like the bungee cord holder mentioned above butt....

2. in the bottom of that bucket mount a sink drain and a short pipe. Add a ball valve to the pipe below the buckt, as well as another piece of Flex hose below this. Keep the total lenght of pipe as short as possible. most the length should be below the ball valve.

3. Now make a stand for the bucket that will hold up the bucket but allow the hose to insert partialy in the bung hole. Make sure you have room to fit your hand underneath to turn the ball valve. The hose should bend out of the way when you put the bucket on a flat surface. Also, make sure hose is not so long that it keeps getting caught under one of the legs of the stand when you put it down

4. Make a top some way. Say a piece of vinyl bungee corded on orr??? Or make a stand* to hold the bag filter inside the bucket so you can use the top of the 5 gal bucket to close it. orr?

Usage: (with bucket on stand)
1. Mount your filter bag.
2. Fill with unfiltered/settled oil,
3. Put on top (avoid spills, bugs, and/or air moisture getting in etc.
4. set bucket on barrel. Poke hose into bung hole
5. Open ball valve. let it sit over night

hmmmm.. what else.

a pully and rope system to lift the full bucket up to the top of the barrel from the surface you sit the bucket when you pour the Cubee into it. (this surface should be at a hight where you dont break your back filling the bucket from the cubee.)

hmmmm.. damn new idea just him me. More on that later.

*Filter holder: idea just hit me on that

Filter stand. Take a five gallon bucket. Cutt off a few inches of the top. Cut the sides into strips removing a few of them. leaveing open space. Or put hunderds of 1" holes in it orr. Idea is to put bag in this holder and have bag over lap the top edge and hang over the sides. This is inserted into the other bucket with the over lap getting pinched between the holder and the walls of the bucket. Now the top will go on the bucket.

Gawdddd I hope that made some sense. and sorry my spelling sucks

quote:

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Originally posted by Charles B:
Mad sounds like you could put a pants leg in each hole and barrel supports pants by the seat.

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bwhahaha.. now thats funny. Would make a good humor filter system. Buckle the wast of the pants around bucket with the bottom cut off and fill-er up with oil. Sit a manakin bust or?? atop this to complete the body.

Sounds like a lot of work. The barrels I got are food barrels. It has a clamp on the top and I have them in the shop so water is not a problem.

quote:

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Originally posted by philcrow:
The barrels I got are food barrels. It has a clamp on the top and I have them in the shop so water is not a problem.

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Sounds great. Dont forget you can't fill the barrel to the top with your setup. Only to the bottom or so of your filter bucket where it hangs into the barrel. This may or may not be an issue.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Hey Phil,

What kind of capacity GPD are you going to need to meet your needs?

Hey Dana, Thanks for the great plans by the way. Love the heater. Not sure what "GPD" stands for. I use about 20 gal. a week. The "filter" only goes into the barrel abouy a foot so I sould be able to get about 40 gal. to the barrel. I don't think anyone in the area is using WVO. I'm getting it from two small places so far. A chianse(sp) and a small local place. I see what people mean by the chinse used oil being cleaner. It has way les fat and is darker.

Pre-filter.
Using a 5 gal plastic bucket. Cut a hole in the bottom ~2" from outer edge. From inside bucket insert pvc fitting.( One end has male threads, the other is female smooth. Grind female end down to base before inserting.) From outside bucket place O ring on threads and screw on a female threaded coupling. Apply a coating of pvc glue to outer edge of fitting that is inside of bucket to ensure seal.
You now have a 5 gal bucket with a bung in the bottom.
Get a yard of polyester felt (Walmart). Fold it in half (2 layers). Place this in bucket lapping outside top rim. Snug a large pipe clamp just below top rim and over felt edge.
Sit bucket on 55 gal drum with bucket bung in drum bung. Pour your oil in the bucket.

Sounds good Dave. How well does the felt filter?(say that 3 time fast) That, that, that.LOL What micron? I just used things I had at hand. I can still use the bung hole. I off set the bucket hole towards the smaller hole. I can still get a pump in the large bung hole.

I have a mesh kitchen strainer that's about 5" around. I am going to cut a hole in the top of my steel drum for the strainer and pour the cubies in there.

I am plumbing a this 116 GPM 3" NPT In-Tank 200 Mesh (75 Micron) Strainer onto the 1" pickup of the pump.

From there it will pass through 2 other filters before going into the car.

Hey Phil,

GPD= Gallons per day.

You can easily avoid a having much of the crud which settles toward the bottom of the cubees ever get to the first filter. By cutting a small v-notch(1/4" deep) in the lip of the cubee and then screwing the lid back on you create an adjustable drip valve. Screw the lid on tight...flow stops. Loosen it a half turn...and it begins to drip...or dribble when turned on its front.

If after cutting the notch and screwing on the lid slowly tip the cubee on its front and loosen the lid to a dribble most of the crud will stay in the cubee as the liquid wvo drains slowly out. I set up to 3 dripping cubees on the top of my prefilter drum twice a day and so filter over 25 GPD with very little time invested..or danger of splashing/spilling.

I then pour the remains into a collection cubee and when it is full set it aside for a few days to settle. 95% of my the fats and crud never leave the cubees this way.

I hate cleaninig sock filters.

philcrow
Sadly, I do not know the micron rating. I went with polyester felt because most web companies use this type material for their filter bags.
I pump filter at 10 microns after blending.