WVO: Waste Vegetable Oil As An Outstanding Diesel Substitute
Posted by: Razel Kilmer / Category: BiofuelWaste vegetable oil, or WVO, is a biodiesel that can be used to run converted traditional diesel cars. Vegetable oil is a good fuel and is good for the environment as well. Folks who have converted cars usually obtain their oil from restaurants which is good for both parties.
There are a variety of kits on the market to convert diesel vehicles into biodiesel cars that run on vegetable oil. Prices can range from $150 – $4000. The most commonly converted cars are the Chevy Suburban and the Mercedes 300. Kits are designed to be self installed in a matter of a few weekends, but can also be installed by mechanics if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Waste oil will usually have particles in it that need to be filtered out before running your car on it. Any particles in the oil can cause clogs in the engine. During start up the car is run from the diesel tank until the vegetable oil is war enough to move smoothly through the engine. At shut off the car switches back to diesel so oil does not sit in the lines and clog them due to viscosity. Diesel is less viscous than vegetable oil and therefore runs through the lines easier when vegetable oil is cold.
People who have converted their cars to run on vegetable oil say they see no significant decrease in power during acceleration. There is also no difference in the fuel economy compared to regular diesel fuel. Vegetable oil leaves less carbon build up and residue in the engine too.
There is minimal extra maintenance on a converted car. The only difference is the exchange of the filter, which usually only costs $10. Even though the cost of the kit can be a bit high, people who convert their cars usually make back their investment in a year and a half.
Waste vegetable oil is usually obtained from restaurants after they have used it. This is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the restaurant and the driver. Restaurants are usually happy to give away their used oil because they usually have to pay a disposal fee. Any type of vegetable oil can be used in a biodiesel car but it has to be free of water, bacteria and particles before being put in the car.
The best places to get oil are Asian restaurants which usually use pure soy or canola oil which has a lower gel point and is easier to filter. A general rule of thumb is the better quality the restaurant, the better quality oil they will have. Fast food restaurants usually use hydrogenated oil, which can still be used, but is not ideal.
When biodiesel kits are installed the main diesel tank lines are left intact. If you can’t get vegetable oil you can still run your car on diesel. This transformation of a vehicle can be great for people who want to reduce their environmental impact and don’t mind putting in a little extra work to obtain and clean WVO. Emissions are lower, fossil fuel is not being consumed, and a waste product gets recycled. This can be a great step forward if you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
Did you find this article interesting? You can get more details on the benefits and advantages of using a WVO system today! When you install a WVO system, you will save on fuel consumption and help the environment at the same time!
