Gonna start water washing.

[BANDIT2]

I've never done it, in fact, I even stopped doing the 5% pre wash years ago, stopped meth recovery as well. I do glyc wash though and also bubble the raw bio overnight with a copper bubbling ring then just settle. This has served me well over the years even though the bio can take an age to clear (Koh) especially in the winter, I'm usually well in front with bio production so it's never been an issue. However, I've been caught out twice in the last 12 months with illness and not being well enough to make it but still using it so the wife can get to work. I've even had to buy Dino on a couple of occasions ( that was a shock at 22mpg!)
Water washing is a way to get better fuel and quicker so that's what I want to do.
I've been looking at misting nozzles and also bubble washing using a pond stone and I think the ceramic stone bubble washing is the easiest with my set up.
Couple of questions though..
I've seen stones with top and side air entery, the top entery ones would be easier to install, they are like Christmas puds in shape but sizes vary, any tips on what size to get?
What tube should I use to run from the stone and out of the top of my 205 drum? Special bio proof stuff?
On the wiki it says to add 10% water to the bio, this would be 18ltrs in my case, can this be just poured in via a bucket or would a watering can with a rose be preferable to avoid an emulsion?
My settling tank, soon to be wash tank has provision for an immersion element so drying shouldn't need to many mods to my drum.
TIA.

[dgs]

I'm so sick of this Forum logging me out! I've just typed a really comprehensive reply to Bandits post only to find I've been logged out whilst doing it and lost the bloody lot. I have to log in every 24 hours, bloody stupid!

[Keef]

I'm so sick of this Forum logging me out! I've just typed a really comprehensive reply to Bandits post only to find I've been logged out whilst doing it and lost the bloody lot. I have to log in every 24 hours, bloody stupid!

When you log in, do you use the screen attached? and if so do you tick the "always stay logged in" box?

[nigelb]

I use nylon pipe and a ceramic, cylindrical stone and a control valve.

I chuck in about 10lts of water for the post reaction wash. Never had an emulsion and its pump washed.

Plenty of folk pump washing instead of bubble washing. Not me though. Properly old school. Two days from post reaction wash to filtering the finished bio and putting it into storage.

[dgs]

I'm so sick of this Forum logging me out! I've just typed a really comprehensive reply to Bandits post only to find I've been logged out whilst doing it and lost the bloody lot. I have to log in every 24 hours, bloody stupid!

When you log in, do you use the screen attached? and if so do you tick the "always stay logged in" box?

I do indeed Keef, makes no difference.

[DavidA]

I use nylon pipe and a ceramic, cylindrical stone and a control valve.

I chuck in about 10lts of water for the post reaction wash. Never had an emulsion and its pump washed.

Plenty of folk pump washing instead of bubble washing. Not me though. Properly old school. Two days from post reaction wash to filtering the finished bio and putting it into storage.

Not quite sure what you are saying here, Nigel.

If you are bubble washing, where does the pump come in ?

Dave.

[BANDIT2]

I assumed he meant the 5% prewash carried out in the processor before moving the bio across to the wash tank for bubble washing?

[BANDIT2]

Another question guys.
Do the ceramic stones clog up with soap etc and, if so, can they be cleaned by, say, 150psi up the inlet? Or would it be advisable to get a couple for spares?

[nigelb]

Dgs...what bandit said in #6. Post reaction wash or prewash as some like to call it is 10lts venturied in and pumped around for 10-15mins. Brings the soap ppm's down loads before the transfer to the wash tank 

[nigelb]

Chris..the ceramic stones never block up. They sit in the water layer quite happily.

[DavidA]

Dgs...what bandit said in #6. Post reaction wash or prewash as some like to call it is 10lts venturied in and pumped around for 10-15mins. Brings the soap ppm's down loads before the transfer to the wash tank 

It was me who posed that question, not dgs.

Thanks for the response.

[nigelb]

So it was. Apologies all round me thinks ....didn't read the post properly.

Hope my methods and posts have cleared a few things up DavidA

[dgs]

Dgs...what bandit said in #6. Post reaction wash or prewash as some like to call it is 10lts venturied in and pumped around for 10-15mins. Brings the soap ppm's down loads before the transfer to the wash tank 

Indeed, I always do it(or at least my version) If all goes well soap is about spec level (around 70ppm) after doing this and before water washing.

[nigelb]

Wow! Down to 70ppm. That is very impressive.

When I conducted tests I went from 13000 to 1300ppm using the prewash/post reaction wash method. Catalyst used will have a direct coraltion to results. The top and bottom is its a no brainer.

[dgs]

Wow! Down to 70ppm. That is very impressive.

When I conducted tests I went from 13000 to 1300ppm using the prewash/post reaction wash method. Catalyst used will have a direct coraltion to results. The top and bottom is its a no brainer.

I went through a spell of getting the soap down to <66ppm after the pre-wash by settling and bubbling. The bubbler was 10" off the cone bottom so the wet glyc could still settle. It was as if the vibration of the bubbles were encouraging more glyc to fall.

I don't bother with that any more as the soap cut off level as to emulsion/no emulsion is roughly 500ppm and as using the method leaves the bio so low in soap its not worth the effort to switch the bubbler on and off so I just let it settle.

Over on the Facebook forum it seems some of the bubble and settle guys are having trouble with the present high r/h levels adding moisture to the bio and leaving it cloudy. I've been telling them about the benefits of drying air through silica gel.