A little used cooking oil in the hopper....more btu's

[Czech]

I've done it for over 7 years, no issues. I have never measured btus with or without, but will say it keeps the dust down when transferring from a 20+ bushel crib via 5 gallon bucket (about a cup of added clean oil). I see absolutely NO safety issues in doing so.

 

[pete324rocket]

Yeah me either. Without trying it, getting the impression of a greasy mess is wrong. If someone could give an accurate determination of heat increase or not would be helpful. I know the pellets that are coated don't burn as fast. If that turns into 20 percent longer in the burnpot, that is like a 20 percent off pellets to me, and I'll take it.

 

[Czech]

Just google the btu content of canola oil, and then do some math with the volume. It will be insignificant in the small volumes I use I'm sure.

 

[jtakeman]

Biodiesel – Waste vegetable oil 120,000 Btu/gal

120,000 divided by 128= BTU/ounce 937.5

Average bag of pellets is approx 320,000 BTU's or 8000/pound

Say you add 2 ounces to a bag of pellets(1875)

320,000
+ 1875
_______
321875

This is rough and general.

321875 divide by 40=8047 BTU's/pound. So its like adding 47 BTU's per pound. So if your stove burned 3 pounds an hour you will see an extra 141 BTU's.

I must have way too much time on my hands! :red:

 

[Millsk]

A wooden match is 1 BTU. So that like burning 141 wooden matches an hour Might be cheaper to just add a box of matches every hour ;p

 

[Delta-T]

I wouldn't be so worried about the safety aspect...dealing with that volume of oil, but the long term impact of the altered acidity of the exhaust may have some impact on the pipe, or combustion chamber of the stove. higher combustion temps may trip safety devices as well. just be careful.

 

[WoodPorn]

I think the only thing I'd be worried about is the greasy, sooty exhaust building up in the pipe.

Oil by nauture does not burn all that clean, I'm not knockin you trying it...and kudos on the idea but I'm gonna refrain!

 

[cold front]

At that small amount seems to me it would be more of a lubricant than fuel.

 

[smoke show]

If a little is good, alot is better!

 

[Don2222]

Biodiesel – Waste vegetable oil 120,000 Btu/gal

120,000 divided by 128= BTU/ounce 937.5

Average bag of pellets is approx 320,000 BTU's or 8000/pound

Say you add 2 ounces to a bag of pellets(1875)

320,000
+ 1875
_______
321875

This is rough and general.

321875 divide by 40=8047 BTU's/pound. So its like adding 47 BTU's per pound. So if your stove burned 3 pounds an hour you will see an extra 141 BTU's.

I must have way too much time on my hands! :red:

Hi Jay

I would think that being in liquid form that the oil would add moisture so that is why there is not many more BTUs. If the pellets are 2% dryer it adds 200 to 300 more BTUs per lb. So maybe something dry would be better like TNT!! LOL

 

[jtakeman]

Biodiesel – Waste vegetable oil 120,000 Btu/gal

120,000 divided by 128= BTU/ounce 937.5

Average bag of pellets is approx 320,000 BTU's or 8000/pound

Say you add 2 ounces to a bag of pellets(1875)

320,000
+ 1875
_______
321875

This is rough and general.

321875 divide by 40=8047 BTU's/pound. So its like adding 47 BTU's per pound. So if your stove burned 3 pounds an hour you will see an extra 141 BTU's.

I must have way too much time on my hands! :red:

Hi Jay

I would think that being in liquid form that the oil would add moisture so that is why there is not many more BTUs. If the pellets are 2% dryer it adds 200 to 300 more BTUs per lb. So maybe something dry would be better like TNT!! LOL

Don's house with new super fuel! LOL

 

[nhredbird]

And a little propane injector would help as well.
But then it defeats the purpose of saving fuel.

 

[jtakeman]

I just recieved a little tidbit from a little birdie on the inside. Some of the mills are using soybean oil and veggie oil as a binder/die lube. This maybe where the funny smell of some pellets come from!

We also learned last season a mill was using corn at the end of the run to clean the dies. Only because we found corn in the pellet mix.

Just sharing what comes down the wire!

 

[pete324rocket]

Ha! Thats funny.

 

[MCPO]

Prior to my pellet stove I had been heating the house mainly with a Franco Belge oil stove (catylitic). It sure beat the pellet stove for clean burning and instant control of flame (heat output) . It also was very quiet and needed no electricity. Of course with the price of oil rising it was no longer a viable heat source.
Actually there was no significant savings from using it versus the oil furnace but the stove ambiance was nice, not as nice as a real fire but neither is the pellet stove.

Here is the oil stove: (broken link removed)