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Biodiesel => Biodiesel equipment => Topic started by: Tony on October 10, 2018, 11:54:17 PM

Title: Piston air pump death
Post by: Tony on October 10, 2018, 11:54:17 PM

Those popular ones that look like this:

(https://www.oilybits.com/images/source/Piston_Pump_Cutaway.jpg)

Turns out that any biodiesel getting into them is rapidly fatal.

7 is a very thin EPDM value in the shape of a disc, well, afterwards, in the shape of a cabbage leaf.

And now the windings are all filled with bio as well, and several other rubber bits failed.

Oh well, it's done me for years, time to get a new one and mount it above the things it bubbles this time...

Title: Re: Piston air pump death
Post by: nigelb on October 11, 2018, 09:03:12 AM

Yep...great little pumps. Low mounted should have an inline NRV. Mine's mounted on a platform above my wash tank.

Title: Re: Piston air pump death
Post by: Tony on October 11, 2018, 11:24:57 AM

It always used to be above the tanks - until I moved house.  Then the existing pipe didn't reach to nearby shelving.  Did I bother adding a NRV or buying some more pipe?  Nope, of course not - so eventually the inevitable happened!

Title: Re: Piston air pump death
Post by: nigelb on October 13, 2018, 12:17:13 PM

I think we are all guilty of those "I'll sort that job out later" situations. Shame when it does go belly up...purely from a financial point of view.

Title: Re: Piston air pump death
Post by: Tony on October 15, 2018, 08:32:17 AM

Yes, I'm less than happy about that bit of it, that's for sure.