USING A 50GALLON ELECT WATER HEATER FOR FILTERING
June 14, 2004 - 11:14pm
Hey everyone, I'm just about to buy a 1983 mercedes 300sd, since I work at a water heater company it dawned on me, take a 50gall or 20gall(electric water heater) since its only 110v, wire it up, plumb it up, I'm being simple here, since you have a 2 inlets on top, hot side cold side, & drain valve, the elements are in already, with an adjustable t-stat- my idea is you pump the unfiltered veggie oil thru hot side outlet nipple filter it somehow, then heat up I guess, I'm still learning here, then pump it out the cold side intake nipple, since there is a diptube on the cold side inlet, I think this could work, or I'm creating a future explosion, anyway this website rocks, I can't wait to convert, take care everyone,,,,,,,,matt
June 15, 2004 - 11:10am
#2
It sounds like a simple enough plan but you'll have an electric heating element directly in contact with a burnable fuel. If you get the water to steam you've got oxygen and hydrogen and electricity, damm sounds like a bomb to me. I think I'd use the water heater as an indirect source of heat for a exchanger to heat the WVO and filter it from there.
June 16, 2004 - 11:35am
#3
Dr. John, you have a valid point, but I considered that earlier, first, water starts to boil at 210 deg. if memory serves me correct, second from my research I think were supposed to heat the oil to 140 deg., and third were the t&p valve is located(the temperature pressure relief valve, that could be left open to vent any possibl steam out. Anyway, I just trying to use my raw resources to come up with something hassle free, that will not blow up, anyway off to work,,,later people,,,matt
June 17, 2004 - 3:52pm
#4
I have been using a cut off 50 gal. water heater to preheat my oil before filtering for over 2 years. The tank is stripped , top cut off, lets you clean out all the crud, plug all but the lower hole for a 1100 watt heater unit, 115 volt. I run it long enough to heat 30 or so gal. until it's warm to the touch. Pump it out with a hand pump from Harbor Freight into a water press. tank with the blader removed,put the cap on, give it 30 psi and run it through a Fram oil filter the a diesel filter and into my furnace fuel tank. I'm heating with a furnace built by econoheat in Spokane Wa. Just converted a chevy 6.2 1 ton will use the same system for winter filtering, let the sun do it this summer. I do run my oil through a double window screen filter before it goes into the water heater tank. Yes it's work but we saved over $ 3000 on heating cost last year and now I dont plan on spending much on diesel , have two more rigs to convert.
June 17, 2004 - 7:54pm
#5
Hi Greaseheat
Why did you remove the bladder from the water Pressure tank?
Lloydbob1
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June 18, 2004 - 3:33pm
#6
Hi lloydbob1,
The blader is usualy what fails on a water press. tank, you can replace the blader but it's a pain and you don't save much over buying a new tank. To use the tank for oil filtering it needs to be cleaned out, when the blader fails the water goes into the whole tank. You also have to cut a few holes and weld or braze on some fittings.
June 20, 2004 - 7:42pm
#7
hey grease heat, do you have any pics of your set up, I would really appreciate it, please send to matt650@sbcglobal.net thanks
June 20, 2004 - 8:11pm
#8
Can you tell me more about that furnace?
June 22, 2004 - 12:15pm
#9
It's a great frunace, go to www.econoheat.com, a 150,000 btu hot air unit was around $4000 two years ago
June 22, 2004 - 11:36pm
#10
Hello,
Been thinking about doing the same thing but using an electric pump, can you send me a photo or diagram of the modified water heater. I have yet to cut one up but I thought it would simply have awater in and a water out, a heating element and a drain...Am I missing something?
I thought to simply cut the top off, pour the grease in, let it settle, drain the crap from the bottom, heat the oil by switching the heater on and pump the hot oil through a pool filter followed by a finer filter (racor 1000) then directly into my tank...
Is this similar to your system or does the water heater need further modification???
chris at goodwinmotorsport dot com
June 23, 2004 - 8:38pm
#11
The water thing is as good as any, its just a vessel with the heating element inside as long as they are covered with WVO. I just got a call from #2 son, water heater took a "lighting strike" last night. It shorted out the heating elements, dead short. So you guys using waters and start tripping that breaker, check out those elements.
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You would want to filter it before you put it in your hot water heater ( use a window screen or fine wire mesh filter) and of course use the drain valve at the bottom after it settles for a few days to remove water and particulates that will settle, then apply the heat and filter it to at least 5 microns after it comes out of your heater. You should have a good set up make sure your pump will "push" or "pull" that much grease and try and get nonhydrogenated oil if at all possible. Good luck you greaser you....a fellow greaser.