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**Peter Lindemann** · 01-31-2008, 06:06 PM

Bartlett

Aaron,

You should talk to the folks at Bartlett. They may know how to convert the furnace and source you the vegie oil to burn in it.

Peter

Bartlett Greasecar - Bartlett Greasecar Home - Experts in Diesel To Vegetable Oil Conversions

**Aaron** · 01-31-2008, 07:59 PM

oil furnace to bio fuel conversion resources

Thanks Peter!

It is nice that they are right here in town...I see them at almost all the festivals and other community get-togethers. I talked to someone from Bartlett this past summer and they do deliver filtered and de-watered cooking grease...and it was cheap too! As far as modifications to the furnace that they know of, I'll have to ask them.

I did find this for anyone that may be interested in using any time of vegetable oil product (filtered grease, biodiesel, etc...)... the problem seems to be the seals...IF they are a problem. Of about 1/4-1/5 of all messages I've seen of people using 100% biodiesel (B100)...have oil pump leaks. The reason is this type of fuel is a strong solvent and can eat normal seals. The seals need to be VITON.

There is 1 oil pump maker that uses VITON seals and is intended for any bio fuel all the way up to B100. Bio Fuel Pump

http://www.websterfuelpumps.com/ln4756.pdf

"The new Webster Bio Fuel Pump is now available. This Bio fuel pump is compatible with all Bio blends of B100 - B5, (soybean or animal fat) This unit can easily replace your standard M34D or A2VA residential pump.
General specifications are as follows...M34DM-3 Bio Pump, 3450 rpm., CW rotation, right hand nozzle port, 3 gph. @ 3450 rpm., 75-190 psi. range, internal cut-off. All components are specially designed to be compatible with Biodiesel. The M34DM-3 is able to maintain its 3 gallon fire size throughout the 100 to 150 psi pressure range."

Suntec, a very popular pump maker if not the most popular was supposed to be working on a pump with different types of seals for bio fuels but I'm not sure if you can get the pumps or viton seals for older pumps.

Also, use only copper tubing from the storage tank to the fuel pump and NOT any type of rubber tubing...the fuel will eat the lines.

Also, you need an oil filter coming right off the storage tank to have viton seals as well or it could leak there as well. I believe you can find them at one of the two parts dealers below.

Here are two great sources for oil furnace parts and both have some bio fuel parts:
Beckwith Heating Miller Furnace Nordyne furnace parts Riello Bock Williamson Beckett Burner Oil Boiler Parts Homeowner
Patriot Supply -

Once the seals are the type you need on the pump and filter and you only have copper tubing from the storage tank to the fuel pump, there are a few variables that need to be tuned together.

Nozzle flow rating, primary air pressure, oil pump pressure, high voltage ignition electrode spacing to the atomized spray, etc... for this info, you're going to have to search the net, look at this yahoo group:
altfuelfurnace : Alternative fuels furnace

Also the moderator of that group has this group, which is for builders building an oil burner for veggie oil:
AFFBuilders : AFFBuilders
"The Altfuelfurnace Builders group is strictly for members of altfuelfurnace who currently are building the altfuelfurnace siphon nozzle wvo/wmo gun-style oil burner along the same lines as my build_03 burner. This is the only topic allowed. If you are interested in wvo/wmo gun-style oil burners and the wide range of topics about burning waste veg oil/waste motor oil/ biodiesel in your current residential gun-style burner, then check out the Yahoo group altfuelfurnace: anyone can join."

With my old dinosaur burner...with what seems to be an upgraded oil pump and motor, the service tech guy who changed my nozzles and oil filter said that it is one of the best running ones he has seen and I have no doubt that it is partly because I added 7.5 ounces of RXP Generation II to 150 gallons of #2 fuel oil at first. I just filled up 200 gallons (220 gallon tank) and added 10 ounces...so far no crud has clogged the oil filter.

With some of the newer gun type oil burners like the Adams Interburner, Beckett ones, etc... you can save up to about 1/3rd on your oil usage compared to using an old burner.

Another thing for bio fuels is that they are a little thicker than petro diesel products so having them warmed helps to atomize them better. I have 2 thoughts to do this for my particular setup and anyone can probably do the same.

My exhaust for the furnace is only a few feet above the oil pump, so I could take some heat from that pipe and preheat the oil going to the pump by warming the lines coming out of the floor. Also, my hot water tank is right next to the oil filter coming from the oil storage tank. I could use some hot water heat to warm the tubing coming from the oil filter into the ground. Or I could do both. I have a very good infrared thermometer so I can see if there is a difference.

I have seen one person with good results and a lot of experience with using bio fuels in an oil furnace and he used a hot glue gun element on the tubing going to the nozzle to warm the oil before it is atomized..about a 15 watt unit. Anyway, this is very crucial expecially if using just cooking grease because it gels at the lowest temps of any bio fuel...of course depends on what kind of plant source it comes from.

Anyway...more to come!

**jason** · 02-13-2008, 06:08 AM

**Aaron** · 02-14-2008, 12:29 AM

For the Professional Serviceman - Guide to Oilheat

Thanks Jason!

This is a lot of great info. Yeah, all the info I have seen is that the oil gives more btu's of heat than anything else.

What I'm going to do is put on a new Beckett AFG burner and will change out the stock Suntec oil pump for a Weber biofuel pump that has VITON seals...good for any bio fuel and also change the oil filter to have viton seals as well.

I brewed a small 12oz batch of biodiesel from some old rancid cooking oil and it turned out great. I want to build at minimum a 55 gallon processor and preferably a 250gallon processor.

The old burner on my unit is very obsolete...no flame retention head, etc... but, I'll use the motor and pump to pump methanol/lye mix into the vegi oil and and from the final tank to my oil tank inlet...if it even has decent capacity for pumping that much volume in a short time.

Just found out one of the pioneers of vegi oil burners - Kagi oil burners is right here in Spokane Washington. kinda trippy!

Home of the Kagi Burner

http://www.kagiburner.com/

Sales and Service of Kagi Waste Oil Burners Waste Oil Furnaces HeatWave Furnaces Waste Oil Burner Parts and Service Parts for other Multi-fuel oil burners Sunfire Wedco Cleanburn Lanair

Waste Oil Burner & Furnace Bio-Diesel Waste Vegetable Oil W.V.O. Alternative Heating Heatwave Burning Waste Oil Boiler Bio-Diesel Waste Vegetable Oil W.V.O.
But theirs is only for non-residential use..still great resource and technology.

I printed this document last week:

For the Professional Serviceman - Guide to Oilheat
About 60 pages and lots of info about oil heat.

**Aaron** · 02-14-2008, 12:29 AM

For the Professional Serviceman - Guide to Oilheat

Thanks Jason!

This is a lot of great info. Yeah, all the info I have seen is that the oil gives more btu's of heat than anything else.

What I'm going to do is put on a new Beckett AFG burner and will change out the stock Suntec oil pump for a Weber biofuel pump that has VITON seals...good for any bio fuel and also change the oil filter to have viton seals as well.

I brewed a small 12oz batch of biodiesel from some old rancid cooking oil and it turned out great. I want to build at minimum a 55 gallon processor and preferably a 250gallon processor.

The old burner on my unit is very obsolete...no flame retention head, etc... but, I'll use the motor and pump to pump methanol/lye mix into the vegi oil and and from the final tank to my oil tank inlet...if it even has decent capacity for pumping that much volume in a short time.

Just found out one of the pioneers of vegi oil burners - Kagi oil burners is right here in Spokane Washington. kinda trippy!
Home page
Waste Oil Burner & Furnace Bio-Diesel Waste Vegetable Oil W.V.O. Alternative Heating Heatwave Burning Waste Oil Boiler Bio-Diesel Waste Vegetable Oil W.V.O.
But theirs is only for non-residential use..still great resource and technology.

I printed this document last week:

For the Professional Serviceman - Guide to Oilheat
About 60 pages and lots of info about oil heat. It is 35.7mb

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