Bioheat, heating home with biofuel biodiesel

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curdy

curdy

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So its not 'heating with wood', but I think its close enough that it qualifies for this section. The spirit of the idea is the same. Besides, I heat with wood right now to reduce the amount of heating oil I use...so the topic is related.

I just started looking into the option of making biofuel and using it to heat the home in the oil fired boiler.

http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Biodiesel_Home_Heating.htm

Trucks Episode - Making Biodiesel
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=457773184300286737

FuelMeister II
FuelMeisterII.jpg

$2995 + ship
http://www.cascadebiodiesel.com/products.php

Says it takes about 30 minutes of hands on time to make a 40 gallon batch...with a cost of $0.70/gallon in materials. Heating oil is more than $3.70/gallon right now (actually closer to $4). According to my numbers, I used about 1105 gallons of heating oil last year for heat and hot water (which was at least double that before I installed a wood insert). If I was saving $3/gallon, it would pay for itself in the first year.

Plus, I could use it in my truck too.;)

Thoughts???
 
There's a ton of good info about biodiesel out on the web. It's not hard to make, but do your research before jumping in.

First and foremost, find a reliable source of WVO. I've been involved with WVO/biodiesel for going on 6 years now, and back in the day every restaurant had to pay to get rid of their oil. Now, in many parts of the country (my part of northeast OH for one) restaurants are paid quite handsomely for their oil. So, obviously, they're not interested in giving it away for free. And paying for the oil almost nullifies any cost savings by the time you account for your time and the equipment to make bio.
 
Very good points and exactly what I was thinking too. I've never been one to jump into things anyway...but I am one who brainstorms all the time, and then does the due diligence on research.

Well said about the sources for WVO. I'm not surprised that most places are being paid for theirs now. I'll have to see if I can track down a place that'll be free or close to it. Got any suggestions?
 
It's not for me... I'd rather play with a chainsaw and splitter than pick up and refine a thousand or so gallons of nasty fryolator oil. And I'd much rather vacuum up a few woodcrumbs in the living room, than clean up an oil spill! You'll have a lot of waste product to deal with too.

As far as burning it in your truck... I burn b100 in my diesel Jetta (bought, not brewed) sometimes. You have to make sure that your fuel system can handle the higher viscosity of bio so you don't damage something.

And you absolutely have to watch the weather. I found myself unable to get out of the driveway last week. Fuel gelled up and couldn't pass through the fuel filter - at 28 degrees! The gel point of bio varies depending on the feedstock, but it is invariably MUCH higher than good old D2.

Love the smell though... :D
 
WOW !!! $3,000 for the processor!

I have been looking into making diesel for a while now and I am building my processor as we speak. Maybe you should look into building your own also.
Most people build a model called the "Appleseed " it is a VERY simple unit to make and cost about a tenth of that processor. I would say that 75% of the people making their own biodiesel use this processor link: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/

One last thing, I use a multifuel ( wood/coal/oil backup ) boiler to heat my house and I checked with the manufacturer of the oil burner that is on my boiler about using biodiesel for fuel. They said that it will eat the rubber o-rings and gaskets very quickly. I'm sure this applys to most, if not all oil furnaces also. But, you can buy a kit with the proper gaskets, o-rings etc.. for oil furnaces for burning bio...
But !!! ( there is always a but) Biodiesel gells at a much higher temperature than dino diesel. So, if you live in a cold climate it might cause some major issues.
 
Last edited:
ktm rider said:
WOW !!! $3,000 for the processor!

I have been looking into making diesel for a while now and I am building my processor as we speak. Maybe you should look into building your own also.
Most people build a model called the "Appleseed " it is a VERY simple unit to make and cost about a tenth of that processor. I would say that 75% of the people making their own biodiesel use this processor link: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, I'll look into it. I know there are DIY options when it comes to the processor, and I will certainly explore that option. My goal would be to get/make something simple to use and also get a lot of use. Since everybody in my neighborhood heats with oil, I could also look into making some for a couple of friendly neighbors for a small profit.

Yes, I had read about the rubber issue. I think I had read somewhere that those parts were more common on older boilers? Mine is 2 years old, but I'm not about to assume there aren't any parts on there that are at risk.

Oh yeah, and my tank is in my crawl space where it doesn't get TOO cold, but I may have to address it depending on at what temp the bio gels. Also, I may have the option of storing it in my garage (which is well insulated) against the wall that backs right up to where the tank is. So maybe I just insulate the line and tap directly into the garage. I could certainly monitor the fuel level better there.

Concerns with storing less than 100 gallons of fuel in the garage?
 
Sounds like you have done your homework also. I store my fuel oil tank in my garage. My boiler is also in my garage..
You could possibly get away with leaving it in your crawl space by insulating the tank a bit.

If you are talking about storing the biodiesel in your garage, I don't see where that would be an issue either. But, I wouldn't sleep too well storing the methanol ( used to make biodiesel ) in the garage. I plan on keeping that in a drum ouside where it can get PLENTY of ventilation !!!:blob2:
 
ktm rider said:
...But, I wouldn't sleep too well storing the methanol ( used to make biodiesel ) in the garage. I plan on keeping that in a drum ouside where it can get PLENTY of ventilation !!!:blob2:
Click to expand...

Excellent point that many forget about. Methanol is the most dangerous part of the entire endeavour, though even then it isn't too bad as long as you respect it. Plenty of ventilation is a must at all points of the process.

As far as storing the bio in the crawl space, that might be an issue. The trick with bio is that the fatty acid makeup of the feedstock can lead to a wide range of gel points. Virgin canola oil (mostly unsaturated fats) give bio with a gel point of right around freezing or slightly above. On the other end of the spectrum, saturated animal fats or hydrogenated vegetable oil gives bio with gel points as high as 50 degrees. Homemade bio from WVO is a little trickier to predict, so it'd be best to throw a sample in the fridge with a thermometer in it to see where it gels at for sure before filling a tank with it.

As far as suggestions for suppliers of oil, the tried-and-true advice is to seek out the Mom and Pop joints. Smaller places aren't as likely to be paid for their oil since they don't produce as much as the chains. Also look for places well off the beaten path. The further the truck has to drive to collect the oil, the less likely they are to pay well for it. Of course you'd have to drive further as well, but after all, there's no free lunch.
 
buckwheat said:
Does bio-diesel have a lower btu output than a comparable amount of "fossil" diesel?
Click to expand...

As Dan said, yes it usually does. But again, it does depend on a certain extent on the feedstock of the bio. I would call 10% an upper limit of difference from the literature I've read.

You usually don't see much of a drop in mpg in an automotive engine because the bio combusts more efficiently. So, even though it has fewer btu's, you're getting more bang for your buck, so to speak. I haven't come across any literature pertaining to its use in fuel oil burners, so I don't know if the same is in that application or not.
 
curdy said:
Quick search took me here:

http://www.itsgood4.us/Which.htm

BioDiesel 130,000 Btu
Petroleum Diesel 138,690 Btu

Although, I really don't know how accurate the figures are.
Click to expand...

Those are more or less in the ballpark of the figures I've seen reported. Again, there are so many variables involved that the error in both numbers is probably +/- close to 10,000 btu.
 
could you have skipped this processing step and just installed a waste oil burner ??
I am looking into a waste oil boiler as I can get about 60 gallons a week of deep fryer oil for free and I can take that home in a small car.
 
bassman said:
could you have skipped this processing step and just installed a waste oil burner ??
I am looking into a waste oil boiler as I can get about 60 gallons a week of deep fryer oil for free and I can take that home in a small car.
Click to expand...

Not sure. But I'd like to heat the house, make fuel for the truck, and sell some too. So I figure getting or making a processor is the way to go.

BTW, where are you scoring 60 gallons a week? That's sweet!
 
Curdy,curdy,curdy

wANNA watch out for the Fuel Meister brand bio-processor that you had posted. See those pvc fittings on the top in the photo. That is a dangerous mix of parts. The plastic will deteriate when the methoxide mix makes its way through pvc fittings and it'll leak. Plus those non-reinforced clear tubes are an accident waitin to happen. The same goes for them man. The object is to use a processor that uses reinforced hoses and ALL BLACK IRON FITTINGS. Ther's only one of those on the market and EZBIODIESEL.COM has got em. Guy Purcela owns the company and i just finished readin his book(one of only a couple on the market) and he knows his stuff. He does it right the first time so you don't gamble. His kits are starting at 1995, so you'll save some bones. Check out his site WWW.EZBIODIESEL.COM. Good luck with the bio fuels endeavor.:blob2:
 
Gelling veg oil

Curdy to solve your problem of your fuel gelling ,:hmm3grin2orange: try this. Run copper tubing from your hot h20 heater around the holding tank of oil and inline as normal and voila, hot oil,no gelling 24-7. :biggrinbounce2:
 
Turner, what year is the jetta you're burning WVO in? I've got a '98 that I'm thinking about experimenting with. Aaron
 
SCORE

I just stopped by a burger joint (one of the 4 locations they have) I like to go to from time to time. The co-owner knew me by sight, but not by name. I knew he was a really nice guy, and it was a pleasure introducing myself and speaking with him more formally. I let him know what I was looking to do and he was excited about it. He said he'd be happy to help me out.

Each location goes through roughly 8 gallons/week = 416 gallons/year. 4 locations @416 gallons/year = 1664 gallons. Should be just the right amount for heat and some extra to have to sell, stock, or put in the truck.
 

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