The Underscore Archives

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 14:41:12 +0100 in
<C44517E7-0818-4CBB-A191-B1E80D5A4C01 at netsight.co.uk> , Matt Hamilton
<matth at netsight.co.uk> wrote:

> 
> On 2 Jul 2007, at 13:59, Fraser Stephens wrote:
> 
> > On 02/07/07, Matt Hamilton <matth at netsight.co.uk> wrote:
> >> I thought I'd post this here, as I remember quite a few people
> >> interested in running veg oil in diesel vehicles a while back.
> >> Basically the HMRC has simplified the tax, and have now said as of
> >> 30th June 2007 if you use/produce under 2,500 litres of biofuel per
> >> annum you are exempt from duty, which for a lot of people is about
> >> what they would use per annum for personal driving. More details  
> >> here:
> >
> > My flatmate uses used chip oil (now called McFuel?) that has been

Like the name ;)

> > filtered and taxed. I've been put off using it because I've seen the
> > state of the fuel filters that he replaces at alarmingly short
> > distances. 

To be fair, the fuel is darker, so used filters do look darker than
after being used with Derv, though it hasn't been problem free for me.
The symptoms of fuel filter blocking are fuel starvation and loss of
power, which I have had, I probably have to change filters twice a
year instead of once. However after the last 2000 miles on Dino Diesel
the power is still dropping so I'm sure that there is something more
serious wrong that is unrelated to Veg oil or fuel filters. I fact I
think that most of the apparent problems that Fraser has seen have
been red herrings compounded by the 'what changed last' principal of
troubleshooting.

> > My feeling is that the small amount saved on the fuel might
> > easily be negated by the cost of filters, the time taken to change

At a couple a pence difference there is little in it, financially, the
benefits are purely CO2.
With the relief of 47ppl on the price though, the economics change
significantly. :) It would be nice to be better off for my efforts,
individually as well as globally. 

> > them, and the possibly huge injector pump rebuild if really unlucky.

That would hurt.
I fear that the true problem may be more expensive than that :(
 
> Yes that is a worry.  Does he filter it first?  There are quite a few  
> decent looking filtration systems I've seen for waste veg oil.  Or  
> you can go for new veg oil, which at 50p/litre is still good value,  
> if not quite as green.

I don't filter it personally, but it is 5micron filtered by the
supplier. Fresh is a way of avoiding the particulate risks, though the
BioPower recipe has some worthwhile additives over fresh, plus the
green advantage of being a waste product not a food product.

Cheers, Ric.
-- 
Ric.

www.vorticity.org