W80: keeping it mixed

JPhauler87

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I've read about PCB in transformer oil... Internet fallacy? Or something I'd need to verify before accepting.
 

The FNG

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These days, not so much. Pcbs were outlawed in like 1976 or earlier. It is still out there, but it is rare and it is treated like radioactive lead. So, if you can even get your hands on the stuff with pcbs in it... Anyway, our transformer oil at work, or any transformer oil older than 1980 for that matter, has been verified to be less than 1 ppm of pcbs. So that means it is safe. Nobody would give away anything with pcbs in it without taking a huge risk or liability.
 

JPhauler87

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Another 4-5k on the 12 valve, no issues.

Getting closer to possibly accepting that a fuge might be the way to go.

How long do you guys typically let them run for?

Acid, how much are you into your current setup for? Looks like I can get the PA setup with pump and motor for around $500... I know I've heard you throw around $150 for your current setup, but it looks like the bare fuge from them is $135...
 

AcIdBuRn02ZTS

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Well... I got the kit which had the valves and what not... it was 150ish... cant recall now. The pump was free (power steering pump I had in the garage).. as was the motor and belt to run them... the pullies were ~$12... hydrualic hose was ~$10 or so... drums were free...

Less then $200 in just the centrifuge setup for sure.

As far as time goes, I now let it run for ~20hrs total per 50 gallon batch which the return/pressure bleed line for the centrifuge is plumbed back into the inlet of the pump.. not the drum... so nothing bypasses the 'fuge. How I do it now.. when I get off work, I'll kick the pump on... a few hours later, I'll clean the 'fuge out... then let it run a couple more hours... then clean it again before calling it a night. I get off around 430... clean it out the first time around 7... then clean it out again around 10. Now if I have time to mess with it on the weekends, it could be done in a day or so... this route though takes about 4 days and about 20 minutes out of each day for cleaning the 'fuge... but the oil is coming out much cleaner then my previous attempts at settling/filtering.

I definately don't regret going the centrifuge route.
-Chris
 
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Josh Carmack

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Acidburn is running a fuge setup that I more or less suggested, (I think) if you are frugal it can be done for 5 bucks over the fuge cost. That will require scavenging and CL finds etc.

In the beginning I ran a power steering pump from the bottom of a 5 gal bucket with a 1200 watt water heater element suspended in the bucket. The pump was driven from a washing machine motor I scavenged.
That steering pump powered one 55GPH fuge that was draped over the side of the bucket. I very quickly upgraded that to a steel 55gal drum. Recently it has been adapted to a two drum fuge system. In the beginning my cost were.
Fuge 135 plus shipping
ball valve and fittings 20.00
Hose free
Motor and pump free
Bucket free
55gal drum free.

Counting valves various pipe and fittings, hydraulic hoses, suction hoses, tires, trailer, banjo couplers, tanks, various hardware and parts, I have less than 1100.00 in TOTAL for everything I use to collect, transport, and process used oil.

My WMO processing inventory Includes

8ft trailer with 6000lb axle $100.00
2 100gal pressure tanks $Free
1 500gal pressure tank, $100.00
2 55GPH fuges $270.00
1 1/2HP washing machine drive motor $Free
Power steering pump and corresponding drive pulley from alternator of same vehicle $Free
3/8 Hydraulic hose $30.00
Various fittings and valves for EVERYTHING $150-200
5 275Gal IBC "totes" $50.00
40' of 1.5" suction line $65.00
Various pipe $50.00
10 55gal drums $Free
4 30gal drums $Free
3 bulk fuel filter housings and filters $165.00

Those figures are totally from memory, I have kept no records, but I know I have saved 3 to 4 times that in fuel cost just by doing rough estimates.
 

Josh Carmack

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To actually answer the question you asked though, I run 40 to 50 gal batches as hot as I can get them through two fuges at least 8 hours.
 

JPhauler87

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Fuge ordered. Went with the kit with the pump to save time. Really need to get it running ASAP. Won't take long to pay for itself in fuel costs, several months in filter costs.

Hopefully here before the weekend. Excited!
 

Josh Carmack

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Don't toss the filters altogether , use them for finishing, it's a lot easier to change a filter on the side of your processing rig than it is on the side of the highway. I triple filter for safety after fuging, before a filter would only last 50 gallons or so, after adding the second fuge and longer run times the finishing filters do not need replacing til about 500 gallons. They are actually still flowing good when I change them, I just arbitrarily decided that once they reach 60PSI back pressure I rotate the two newest ones one position down the line, and add a new one in front. When ever I get around to the time to finish it, a friend and I have already built him a motor driven fuge, and we will build me one as well, much larger capacity and belt driven instead of oil driven so it can be gravity fed, and at an speed we chose.
 

JPhauler87

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Looks like Acid has his bypass looping back around into the suction for the pump. This works out well? Saw a lot of setups that dump it back into the drum, but it seems to me your setup would be better to ensure everything is actually getting cleaned in one "pass".
 

AcIdBuRn02ZTS

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No problems so far... seems to be working great and have over 100hrs of run time this way.

Sent from a pay phone... using Tapatalk v2.0
 

A48WillyzGuy

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I'm sure Acid will reply soon enough, but we are running this setup together at his house. We haven't had any problems since returning the bypass back into the feed line. It did alter the feed line pressure (increased about 30psi, I think) but has been running great since adjusting that back to where it was.

I didn't like the idea of potentially missing some junk that could be bypassing the 'fuge the entire time.

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Josh Carmack

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The cleaned oil will always be mixing with dirty oil in our current setups, doesn't mater where you put the return line. To partially rectify this, I mix and heat in a primary drum, and then run through the fuges into the processing drum, while the return is dumping into the mixing tank. This way ALL oil in the processing tank has passed through a fuge at least once. Once the mixing tank is empty I switch suction and return over to the process drum and continue the 8 hr run.

Once you are in a loop of the same drum, doesn't matter where the return line is, you are still always mixing "cleaner" oil with dirtier. IMHO it is better to have the return sloshing around in the drum so it keeps it mixed well, and the entire batch gradually gets cleaner. This is the biggest caveat to the oil driven fuges, and is THE reason among several other that Mr HB and I decided to build our own single pass fuges from torque converters. I will try to get over there tomorrow and take some pictures. Our systems are going to be very similar to the types that you would buy.
 

A48WillyzGuy

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Huh. I just realized that Acid posted a minute before I did. Guess I need to type faster. Lol

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AcIdBuRn02ZTS

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^

Thats cause U = Slow. :)

We did see a pressure rise but it wasnt an issue.. we just didnt have to close the bypass valve as far to build the same amount of pressure as we did before... either way, its working great thus far and nothing can bypass the 'fuge.

I talked to several others on here before doing it this way and they had great luck with it as well.

-Chris
 

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