Hi all, I have just made a 90L batch of bd on Saturday and proceeded to wash yesterday with the weed spray method. This morning the bd on top was very cloudy/milky with a orange tinge to it, and I drained off the same amount of water I sprayed in , this was milk colour with soap bubbles on the surface. Is this normal for the first wash? I have searched emulsion and cannot find exactly the answer. All I have done this arvo was transfer bd back into processor and turn up the heat for a few hours.
Your response is much appreciated. Thanks.

Hello Mark
What you describe is normal.
Time for the second wash.

Thanks Tilly, I will try that tomorrow, what do you think about using warm water for the washes?

Hello Mark

I think warm water costs more than tap temperature water

Just want to check if I am still on the right track, I have now washed bio 4times on the last 2 I stirred the mix, yesterday I drained of almost clear water. So I decanted back into processor and turned up heat to 55 C ,once warm I started to pump through filter and spray back onto side of drum. After 2 hours of this bio is still cloudy. I turned off pump and cranked up the heater and the bio started to pop as if it was boiling water off. I will let it cool till Monday what do you suggest, heat back up tomorrow and then let cool or more washing? Thanks once again.

Hi mark,

You're almost there.

It sounds like you need to pump dry for a few more hours. You can never "over dry" so I'd recommend heating to 40-50 degrees and drying for 5 hours so you can see exactly what dried biodiesel is supposed to look like. You can then reduce the dry time, or stop drying when you can see that the bio is dry - but if you need to know what dried bio is supposed to look like.

I have a 1 foot (1inch diameter) section of tubing that runs from the bottom of my tank to the pump. When I first start drying, the bio in this looks like orange juice and is not tranparent. Once the biodiesel is dry it looks like apple jiuce - I can put my fingers on the other side of this tube and can see them clearly. Thats how I know my biodiesel is dry.

Hope that helps.

Bio is all dried and looks perfect now even when cooled, thanks for all the help , I have put 40L into my landcruiser running approx 45per cent bio.
What I do need to sort out before next batch is getting a decent pump , I have been using old 12v petrol pumps and 2 have already died. There was a post the other day and wfd bought a pump from bunnings any suggestions please.

I've been running a QB80 I got off e-bay 12 months ago and it's still going strong. Cheaper then the Bunnings ones by half.

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Maverick
Canberra

Hi Maverick, I have searched ebay for QB80 pump no sign of it, is it a 240v diesel, petrol or water pump not sure what the bunnings one is also. Is it the bio that wrecks the diaphragm in the pumps? Thanks

try this (link)

shiner

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Diagonally parked in a parallel universe

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