Another element bites the dust

[Tony]

From processing lots of sludgy whites:



Once the gunk builds up it overheats and that's that.  There was a lot of this gunk around it in the bottom of the processor too, which I've hooked out as it blocks the pump if it breaks free.

I'm thinking having an eductor pointed at the element may help keep it clean?

[Julian]

I'm still on the same element I started with nearly 8 years and 160+ batches ago.

I've only looked at it once and it was only slightly crudded up.  Do you do much to filter your feed stock?

[julianf]

I'm on my original element also.  Mine is in an inline, which is a pain for many things, but, im sure, is good for keeping the element cool.

[Soft top]

I used to get that when I was using oil from Chinese restaurants. I stopped it by glyc washing the oil overnight. If I put in 25 litres of gyc into 200 litres of oil the next morning I would drain out about 35 litres of brown sludge. It then processed as normal and nothing stuck on heater.

[Tony]

The oil is course filtered before storage, nothing particularly excessive, it is possible there are particulates in suspension in the thicker oil that sneak through.  Glyc washing chinese oil sounds like a good plan to me, indeed the worst of it I take the hot glyc from a batch and dump into a drum with the nasty oil and stir it all up, this seems to help keep it pump-able.