Spitting These Down, Here
3 hours ago
Friday, August 15, 2014
Burning gravy
Do petroleum companies still advertise the quality of their fuel products? I don't watch TV so I don't know if they do or not. Those old commercials occurred to me as I was fueling up the veggie van. The grease it's been burning lately is the consistency of cold gravy. The fuel jugs have to sit in the sun for a while before the grease can be poured into the fuel tank. Sometimes the plastic jugs have to be squeezed to get the waste veggie to flow out fast enough.
The van starts on diesel. The engine coolant runs though a copper coil in the veggie tank. There's a second coil wrapped around the veggie fuel filter. Before long the grease gets hot and looks like it did when it was in the fryers. At that point a switch is thrown and the van burns grease.
For a few years my waste veggie source, a popular restaurant, had switched to canola oil. While I'm not sure about health claims for the oil, it makes a more convenient fuel. Canola stays liquid at much lower temperatures than the soybean oil the restaurant currently uses. That was great when my veggie vehicle was a pickup truck as the jugs rode in the unheated truck bed. Now that we have a van the veggie rides inside a heated compartment and soybean oil isn't a problem.
Since the van came back from the garage it's been all over the place. Yesterday my lovely wife and I took a ride over to the lumber yard. 12 foot long lumber fits right inside the van -very handy when the weather is nasty. That heavy thick veggie oil burned just fine on our 100 mile round trip and that's what really matters.
-Sixbears
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Glad to hear the van appears to be beyond its Fix Or Repair Daily stage!
ReplyDeleteA few years back when veggie burning was getting noticed there were a lot of internet comments about the fuel injectors wearing out prematurely. Have you had any issues with the injectors or other components having a shorter life than if ran only on diesel fuel?
I rebuilt the injectors on my old 240 Benz, but only after 400,000 miles. Water in the veggie is what's supposed to wear injectors. I think my water separator filters take care of that.
DeleteI have to say your title this morning intrigued me. But then, of course, I remembered your unique (to me anyway) vehicle, and it all made sense. No, I don't see commercials for any kind of gas on tv anymore. Guess the oil companies just know you're gonna have to buy it, or at least most of us do, but at least it is coming down in price. I have a 25 mile one-way trip to work, but that's normal for here in the Houston area.
ReplyDeleteSoemtimes I envy your lifestyle, but the Oil & Gas production company for whcih I work is still putting groceries on my table and insurance to my docs, so I'll not complain...
Happy Friday, y'all!
So they don't have those commercials anymore. Interesting. I don't envy your Houston commute. Not my favorite kind of driving. Happy Friday to you too!
DeleteCanola oil is horrible for you.It cloggs your arteries. It is really rape seed oil.A mad scientist changed its chemical maker.First GMO oil.He was awarded a job with Monsanto. Mustard gas is made from rape seed(canola)
ReplyDeleteIt's a fine motor fuel, but maybe that's all.
DeleteAlso from Houston.Gas prices here are high.Why.Because they know they can charge higher besause wages are higher.The skies are today in Houston are geoengineered(chemtrailed ).Looked up
ReplyDeleteThey are spayed with chemicals made up of aluminum, barium, etc.
It is amazing how they've changed the skies and few have noticed.
DeleteSome companies still try the advertising ploy of gasoline that's better than the leading brand, as in it cleans you engine and fuel lines while it provides optimal combustion and all that junk. Shell still does that
ReplyDeleteWell, when you see those ads, just think about me burning waste veggie and getting good results. :)
DeleteIf everyone took your advise and do what you did (converting your diesel to run on veggie oil) the used veggie oil will become more costly than diesel. You know, the law of supply and demand.
ReplyDeleteExactly right. Good thing that most people won't bother. I read somewhere that waste veggie could only power something like 5% of the diesel fleet -but I don't think even that many are doing it. Can't believe I've been able to do it this long.
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