Biodiesel Expansion

Biodiesel kits are a good way to start producing your own biodiesel immediately for home consumption. At the present time you have 2 options:

• Build your processor from scratch.
• Buying a biodiesel kit.

Buying a kit is a good idea. If your interested in producing your own biodiesel this can be a way to go. There are many good biodiesel kits out there now. In general if you’re going to be spending money, you can expect to pay anywhere from $150 USD to $10,000 USD. It all depends on your needs, the volume you want to produce, and your budget. They do make them cheaper, but I just don’t want to go there. If you can’t afford to invest $150, you should probably try to build your own.

One good reason for buying a biodiesel kit is that real engineers designed them, they have thought of things you wouldn’t…like safety features. One of the biggest safety features you want to look for is a "closed system" processor. What this means is when the chemical reaction takes place, no fumes escape. This is important because the fumes, if inhaled can be harmful.

Another reason, is the time factor. Buy a kit and it is delivered to your door. You assemble it, buy the ingredients, and you’re ready to go.

If you build one, there is first the education phase, then collecting all the parts, building the processor itself, going through the trial and error and "tweaking" it to get it to work properly, then constantly refining the processor to get it the way you want. All of these things take time, lots of it. True, it will cost a lot less, but you are trading your time for money.

Me, I’m just not that mechanical. I wish I was, but the truth is, I’m not. I know my limitations. The smart option for me and lot of others is to buy a finished biodiesel processor. My reason for doing so are…

• Easy. I part with some cash and I can have a kit delivered right to my door. All the pieces are there with instructions.
• Saves time. The time factor alone between learning how to build one, gathering all the materials, to building to building the processor , to redesign to get exactly what I want, from scratch and putting together is a lot of time. My time is worth money so it is worth-while to me.
• Professional engineers designed the units, they thought of things I wouldn’t. Paying for someone else’s experience makes good sense to me.
• Safer. I can buy a kit with the safety features I want already installed and ready to go.

Let’s talk about the kits; You can roughly divide them into 3 different categories.

• Low price range, ($150-$3,000)
• mid-price range, ($3,000-$5,000)
• high price range ($5,000-$10,000)

Low Price Range: ($150-$3,000) It is exactly what you can expect. It is a basic biodiesel processor that will get the job done. But don’t expect many frills. If you buy a Yugo, don’t expect a Mercedes. Having said that, there are some at the higher end of this range that aren’t bad. In fact, they are very nice.

One option in between building your own and buying a expensive kit is to buy a cheap one, then add the gizmos as you go, as you determine a need.

When looking in this range make sure you get one with a separate "wash" tank. If that are selling them separately or as an "add on," Look elsewhere. It should all the one unit at the upper end of this range.

Also be careful and ask lots of questions if the one you are considering has a plastic tank. How high can the biodiesel be heated? How do you heat it with plastic? I’m still not convinced that a plastic tank is way to do this. Go with a metal tank if possible.

Mid-Price Range: ($3,000-$5,000) Now we’re getting somewhere. In this price range, you should be able to get exactly what you want. You will also be able to get the extra gizmos and gadgets. Such as compete automation. Throw a switch and when you return, it’s done. It’s a nice feeling to toss a switch in the morning, then when you return in the evening all the fuel you need for a week (or month) is waiting to use.

High Price Range: ($5,000 to $10,000) There are some very, very nice processors in this range. This is the world of the "Home Professional" biodieseler. You will get complete automation, larger capacity, more efficient operations, etc. In truth, many of these units you could use for a commercial application.

For more information on all aspects of biodiesel kits, comparing them, looking at different models, all price ranges, etc. Visit the web site below.

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Biodiesel Fuel