Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Bio diesel question.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 12:17:44 -0400

BioDiesel is not simply burning used cooking oil - it is processed into 
a form usable in a conventional diesel engine. The process of 
converting used cooking oil into BioDiesel makes it cost more than 
conventional diesel. It is probably a Good Thing environmentally but 
not from a strictly economical viewpoint. I believe there are ways to 
convert a diesel engine to run on used cooking oil but that wasn't your 
question... 

I would assume that you could 'dispose' of a few gallons of used 
cooking oil by diluting it in a few hundred gallons of fuel oil. But it 
doesn't seem like that was your question either... 

What was your question...?

Oh - saving some money. I doubt that a few gallons of used cooking oil 
in your home heating system is going to save any money unless it is 
very expensive to otherwise dispose of it. 

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC

Quoting [email-masked]:
> I know lots of people burn used cooking oil in diesel vehicles. 
>
> And since my oil heat is basically diesel fuel, my question is... 
>
> Can I burn used cooking oil in my home heating oil tank?  If so, what do I
> need to do with first?
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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 12:39:49 -0400

I guess my question is, will I hurt anything if I drain (filtered) used 
cooking oil into my heat oil tank?

This is mostly for a 'clean' way to dispose of the oil, and if I save a 
few pennies (and don't hurt the burner) that's a bonus.

So it is sounding like this is a possible way to go then, correct?

Eric P
"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational 
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph 
Waldo Emerson 

[email-masked] 
05/13/2012 12:14
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Re: [Shop-talk] Bio diesel question.

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 May 2012 10:43:49 -0700

> The process of 
> conventional diesel. 

That depends a great deal on what you pay for the cooking oil.  From
everything I've read, the conversion process itself is relatively
inexpensive, but only produces about 2/3 as much oil as you put in.

There are also ways of running diesel engines on cooking oil directly.  For
example, both approaches are discussed at http://goo.gl/SbH6l

But heating oil is not quite the same as diesel, and I know some furnaces
don't even like to be run on diesel fuel.  Typically it smokes much more,
which can lead to clogged nozzles and chimney fires (not to mention the
smell).  Might work OK for you, but it seems like a significant risk to me.

A better approach might be to build a used oil heater, and use it to heat
the shop or similar area.
Here's an assortment of plans
http://goo.gl/nEJpz

If it will cleanly burn old crankcase oil, then cooking oil should be no
problem.

-- Randall  

[email-masked]