Biodiesel & alternative fuel help, news, views and discussions
Loading
Generic Content

Regional Forums » USACanadaAfricaEuropeChinaIndiaIndonesiaPakistanCentral/South AmericaAustralia/NZ | Algae | Alternative Energy
Biodiesel » FAQProductionCold WeatherAdvanced MethodsBusinessBioHeatVehiclesMarine | Classifieds » VehiclesEquipmentJobsOil

Re: Appleseed biodiesel processor - your opinions

General Biodiesel

Visit our Biodiesel Blogs: General Biodiesel | Biodiesel Methods | Biodiesel Business.

Got a question? Visit our discussion Forums: FAQ & Info, Biodiesel Production, Biodiesel in the Press, BioHeat for home and office, Cold Weather Biodiesel, Strategy and Action.

Upload your Biodeisel photos, files, YouTube videos to our Files area or add some terms to our Wiki.

Appleseed biodiesel processor - your opinions

  • rated by 0 users
  • This post has 75 Replies |
  • 5 Followers
  • What old300D says is true.  To add, the NT pump seems to have less quality issues, the same flow rate but costs a bit more.  NT = Northern Tool.

    Andrew 79 Rabbit B100 homebrew 03 Dodge 2500 B100 homebrew

  • Hello Pancakepimp

    Pancakepimp:
    Does anyone have any issues with the 1" clear water pump that is used for the stirring?  I recently have built a appleseed processor and while I was metering it with water the pump failed on me in two ways. One it didn't have enough power to push the water up which it remained about half 3/4 of the way to the top( I did have a little bit of water previous to turning it on) and it didn't budge.  The second issue I had, which was more worry-some, was after it had been running for about 2 minutes it had started to smoke a little bit.  
    The Harbour Freight Clear Water pump which is the recommended pump for the Appleseed Reactor does not have thermal or over load protection and has a history of catching fire.  It is totally inappropriate for this use.  The Northern Tools Pump also does not have thermal or overload protection.

    "Cheap Crap" pretty well sums up both pumps. 

  • It is true what Billy Bob says - these are cheap crap pumps.  HF much more so than NT, but true, they both fall into that category.

    Perhaps Mr. Bob has a good suggestion for which reasonably priced pump or mixing device you should use?

    It is possible to find much safer pumps on the market, for 5-10 X the price.  Those would be better.  Adding thermal protection to the NT would clearly be an improvement.

    However, I have used one NT pump for over 2 years without a problem.  Others report the same.

    Life includes risks.  Making BD includes more risk than most things a person would do at home.  I suggest that you make informed choices about how much risk you are comfortable with and make efforts to reduce those risks. 

    Be careful and be safe.

    Andrew 79 Rabbit B100 homebrew 03 Dodge 2500 B100 homebrew

  • I went ahead and purchased a new pump that has a 898 gph rating along with a thermal protection up to 95 degrees.  I tried it out tonight and it worked like a charm.  I just thought I would pass this along to anyone that would find this of substance, Harbor Freight is having a nationwide sale and this coupon is for 15% off of your total purchase, which saved me a few bucks today( and not to mention giving me a free screwdriver set Big Smile). http://www.harborfreightusa.com//TV/coupon2.html  

  • Hello PCP

    If it is the pump shown below, it says;

  • "Thermal protection: 95° max. water temperature/Auto reset"  Which makes me think that the max temp of the liquid it should pump is 95 deg.
  • That is indeed the pump I purchased.  I looked through the manual and it said nothing of the max water temperature ( even though it said it on the website) which is kind of strange.  I went ahead and ran 2 carboys full of hot water( 125 degrees right before I put them into the pump) and it did not shut off.  

  • As far as I know girl mark is the only person still promoting making biodiesel with the cheap H.F. pump.  

    For the life of me I don't understand why.    There has been a warning on the box for years now not to use it for any type of fuel.

    She could help the biodiesel community alot and make things safer if she would stop suggesting using the H.F. pump on the C.B.T.

    I am starting to think the C.B.T.  is just a troll post !  You know, meant to get people to argue.

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • stephend:

    As far as I know girl mark is the only person still promoting making biodiesel with the cheap H.F. pump.  

    For the life of me I don't understand why.    There has been a warning on the box for years now not to use it for any type of fuel.

    She could help the biodiesel community alot and make things safer if she would stop suggesting using the H.F. pump on the C.B.T.

    I am starting to think the C.B.T.  is just a troll post !  You know, meant to get people to argue.

    Because a lot of people use them, including me.  From the sound of things, one would think there is an epidemic, but I doubt 0.1% of all HF pumps cause real problems -- the HF pump is the most prolific in Appleseed systems and that's why you hear more pump issues.  Like you said, don't leave the processor alone -- I usually have quite a bit to attend to in the workspace, so leaving it alone is never a problem for me.  And my pumps do not get excessively hot.

     

    This comment has been crossposted at AT&T:  611 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA -- Room 641A.

    '05 Liberty, '01 Beetle, '83 240D

  • Hi old300d,

    You have nothing to back up your .1 % claim.  Also can you verify any of your claims at all ?

    There are many reports of the H.F. pump burning up.  That and the warning on the box.

    Common sense.    Why do you and others like girl mark defend their use ?  So you won't be wrong ?

    Time is not on your side in this matter.

    Thanks, Steve

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • stephend:

    Hi old300D,

    Don't want to enter the world of deleted, edited , moved around posts ?  Then don't protest girl mark suggesting using the H.F. pump to make biodiesel.

    Stay in your safe zone.   You said you were a B.S.E.E.   I expect more from you.

    Thanks, Steve

     

    Good thing I don't aspire to live up to your expectations.  I will not pile on to bash GM, she has a history of integrity and service, unlike many.  I've always used the HF pump; I understand the limits and risks, so don't lecture me and stick to the subject.

     

    This comment has been crossposted at AT&T:  611 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA -- Room 641A.

    '05 Liberty, '01 Beetle, '83 240D

  • She is suggesting people use the H.F. pump to make biodiesel.  So are you. 

    Suggesting using the H.F. pump to make biodiesel on a biodiesel forum is trolling.  Just trying to start trouble. 

    We don't need that.  This is BiodieselNow,  not Biodieselyesterday.   We now know using the H.F. pump to make biodiesel is a bad idea and it is bad to suggest it to newbees.

    You need to stop doing it.  Are you doing it to try and defend girl marks honor ? 

    Stop it ! ! !   There have been too many fires already  ! ! !

    Hello !  BiodieselNow ! 

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • stephend:

    She is suggesting people use the H.F. pump to make biodiesel.  So are you. 

    Suggesting using the H.F. pump to make biodiesel on a biodiesel forum is trolling.  Just trying to start trouble. 

    We don't need that.  This is BiodieselNow,  not Biodieselyesterday.   We now know using the H.F. pump to make biodiesel is a bad idea and it is bad to suggest it to newbees.

    You need to stop doing it.  Are you doing it to try and defend girl marks honor ? 

    Stop it ! ! !   There have been too many fires already  ! ! !

    Hello !  BiodieselNow ! 

    Talk about trolling, master of projection.

     

    This comment has been crossposted at AT&T:  611 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA -- Room 641A.

    '05 Liberty, '01 Beetle, '83 240D

  • Hello Steve

    Why would anyone be concerned about using a pump on their Biodiesel processor that does not have thermal or overload protection on the motor and has a history of catching fire?

    Surely everyone sits in front of their washing machine with a fire extinguisher in hand while washing their clothes for when it's motors catch fire.

  • Hi Billy Bob,

    Life is full of distractions.  Sometimes it is hard to focus.  

    Making high conversion biodiesel using a H.F. pump can take several hours sometimes.

    Several hours watching a processor ?   I would rather just get the job done and use the C.P.P.

    Surely we don't think people will start watching their H.F. pumps.   If they build a biodiesel setup using a pump with a big warning right on the side of the box and it catches on fire it is their own fault !

    The seal blowing out and the pump spraying biodiesel all over is the problem that scared me the most.   I did not see that coming !     They can fail in other ways we may have not seen yet ?

    When setting a pump up for a biodiesel setup you should do current tests to make sure you are not overloading the pump motor.    You can modify the pump to use less current if it is using too much.

    If you don't do these tests then it may be easy to overload the motor depending on the setup.

    You would want to use a motor with an overload switch either way.  The load on the motor changes with the temp of the oil.   The pump should be setup to not overload when the oil is the thickest.

    Working in industry I have seen many burnt out motors.  Not cheap ones either.   Motors burn out.   Like light bulbs some sooner than others.

     

    Thanks, Steve

    P.S.  the brothers gotta rapp.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJilX-bVHLM

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • As far as washing machines go.  I would guess most of the new ones are computer controlled and monitor the current going to the motors.

    TV's have many shut down circuits in them.  Some TV's have little fans in them.  They also have circuits that monitor the current going through these fans.

    If there is no current then the fan is not working and the TV will go into shutdown mode.   If the fan uses too much current the TV will also go into shutdown mode.   These fans cool down the TV and you don't want it on with the fans not working right.

    I have seen TV's where the inside looked like someone took a torch to it.  TV's can burn up but it is rare.  They have alot of protection circuits in them.

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • I have been rolling with biodiesel for a almost a year now without using a pump to make biodiesel.

    There are ways to make biodiesel without using cheap garden pumps, that is for sure.

    I have also used air powered mixers to make biodiesel.   Works great !

    http://www.jiffymixer.com/products.htm

    Keep in mind that if you can process near 150F then just a few mins stir mixing is all that is needed, you let the heat do the work.

    Greengirl Labs Florida USA Home of the Canoe Paddle Processor  http://biodieselpictures.com/viewtopic.php?t=160

  • Page 4 of 4 (76 items) 1234