Tesco..........

[reb78]

I have managed to resist getting involved here, but.......

Why is no one suggesting running on used oil, which is free (mostly).

I'm not suggesting using as is but converting to bio diesel. I haven't bought real diesel for 3 years. (OK the odd litre or two when caught away from home.)

I started off buying Methanol and Caustic in not ridiculous quantities and process in my garage with a processor built from scrap which cost less than £10.

Nowadays I buy large quantities of Methanol, particularly, in order to keep costs down so my fuel costs in the region of 12p a litre.

I will supply chemicals, to anyone who will pick them up, for reasonable cost if you want to have a go.

Can you do a tech archive write up on your equipment and process for creating bio? Fuel pods are too expensive to buy and i'm worried about messing my truck up by doing something wrong in the process of making biodiesel.

[landroversforever]

Great Idea, if you dont mind Nick Cheers

[roguevogue]

I don't have time to write an article, all you need to know is available on Journey To Forever.

I bought all the chemicals for testing and such through ebay, I tested the first 3 or 4 batches of oil but they were consistent so now I assume all the oil needs the same amount. This only works if your oil comes from the same regular suppliers.

My processor is a steel connical vessel that I welded up from scrap sheet and an air con fan motor as a mixer. I water wash in a 200l barrel which circulates the water and oil with a used central heating pump. After washing I store in another barrel before pumping through a fuel filter.

Simples!

[TheRecklessEngineer]

Rogue -

Actually I do.

I drive a Volvo most of the time which is one of these fussy common rail electronic things. Runs lovely on my bio, but wouldn't like veg at all.

I think the point of this thread was for people who simply wanted some cheap fuel. Buying a load in Tesco and shoving it in a TDi is an acceptable way of achieving this. Making bio-diesel is much more complex and certainly isn't for the feint hearted.

[Aragorn]

Is it still easy to get hold of waste oil?

A few years ago companies had to pay to have it taken away, and were therefore grateful for you taking it off their hands, but from what i gather these days they often have a contract with some waste oil collector who will actually pay them for it.

As a result its surely getting more difficult to get the waste oil from your local takeaways etc for free?

[TheRecklessEngineer]

Yes, it is getting more difficult. I normally offer 10ppl, but I'm still struggling to get hold of enough.

You should also have a waster carriers licence (or exemption) from the EA, and issue waste disposal notices to say how much you have disposed of.

[roguevogue]

I have seen waste oil on ebay for over 50p litre!

I don't pay for oil, there seems to be no problem round these parts. I am luck enough to have very committed user who gives 100l a fortnight. Before I started collecting it he was burying it in his bin and sending it to landfill with all the rest of the rubbish.

My favourite place to ask is the pub, if food is a side line they will probably change the oil as a matter of course once a week, leaving good clean oil for us. I hear from a friend that nursing homes are a good supply too, his wife is a visiting health professional so he has access to all sorts of homes.

I think it's a shame that people are put off by the appearance that making bio is complex, realistically all you need to do is one GCSE level experiment, in my case at least, two or three times and then work with an average of the results. The fuel that I make is of a good reliable quality in more than sufficient quantity.