Terpenation at Terpene Station

[Kcar]

I am finding I am losing quite a bit of butane in the hose from the tank to the terp and then the hose from the appion to the tank when done a run and disconnecting everything.
With the blue hose from the appion is there a reason it does not push all the butane into the tank when done? I leave it running for about 5 min after I close the recovery valve on the terp.
With the red hose from the tank to the terp, after the last flood and column dump can I turn off the valve on the tank and then reopen valve 4, will this suck out all the butane left in that hose? I was concerned that some material would somehow get pushed into that hose during the final recovery down to-22.

I was having the same problem. My solution is:When I'm almost done with my last recovery, I close the valve to the recovery tank
and turn off the appion. Then pull up on the on the safety valve and vent off some off the pressure (Propane).
Then finish the recovery with 15-20 psi in the tank instead of 50. When I unhook the lines, there is no wasteage.

 

[hounddogg]

Do I want to have the valves on the recovery tank open when I pull a vacuum on the system prior to doing my first cycle? The instructions say to open all valves except 4, the butane supply valve. I assumed that meant to open the valves on the Appion and recovery tank too. After reading some of the more recent posts out sounds like I should have positive pressure on the tank, not negative.

 

[Momerath]

Do I want to have the valves on the recovery tank open when I pull a vacuum on the system prior to doing my first cycle? The instructions say to open all valves except 4, the butane supply valve. I assumed that meant to open the valves on the Appion and recovery tank too. After reading some of the more recent posts out sounds like I should have positive pressure on the tank, not negative.

You don't want to pull a vac on the open recovery tank with butane already loaded into it, you will suck butane through your vac pump and that's no bueno. If you are talking about before you do your initial butane fill (either can tapping or from a lp5 tank), then YES pump everything down including the EMPTY recovery tank.

When I go to do a live run, I open every valve in the system EXCEPT #4 and the Blue (vapor) port on my recovery tank. I then vac down the whole system, close the vacuum valve, turn on appion (both valves having been opened before initial vac down), and then open blue vapor port. You are now ready to rock and roll

 

[Momerath]

I am finding I am losing quite a bit of butane in the hose from the tank to the terp and then the hose from the appion to the tank when done a run and disconnecting everything.
With the blue hose from the appion is there a reason it does not push all the butane into the tank when done? I leave it running for about 5 min after I close the recovery valve on the terp.
With the red hose from the tank to the terp, after the last flood and column dump can I turn off the valve on the tank and then reopen valve 4, will this suck out all the butane left in that hose? I was concerned that some material would somehow get pushed into that hose during the final recovery down to-22.

I too lose some from the blue hose, even after a lengthy recovery time. I usually just blow it out at the end, by disconnecting the black recovery hose from the terp, and the blue hose from the tank, and run the pump until there are no more visible solvent vapors exhausting.
As far as the red hose goes, I just close off the liquid port on my tank, and slowly open valve #4 during the final recovery when I hit about 0 inHg and it purges the hose without getting any material in the hose or recovery pot. By the time the system gets down to -22", there's no more tane in the red hose.

 

[RegisPhilburn1]

Has anybody else noticed that when pulling a vacuum on the system, the hose from the appion to the tank isnt evacuated of air?

To remedy it i connect the vapor hose to the tank first, then slighlty open the gas valve on the tank to push the air out and replace it with butane, and while barely hissing connect it to the Appion and then vac the system down. I leave the liquid valve on the tank closed, and the #4 valve open to pull the air out of that line too when vacing down the system initially.

 

[Kcar]

Why wouldn't it be? If you draw down vac on the system using the yellow
center line, and both of the gauge set valves are open, all should be vac'd.

 

[RegisPhilburn1]

Why wouldn't it be? If you draw down vac on the system using the yellow
center line, and both of the gauge set valves are open, all should be vac'd.

Are you using a manifold? mkIII or bhogart? On my mkIII i can vac down the system to -29 with the out side on the appion open to atmosphere. I dont think its supposed to let air flow backwards at all. But maybe im doing something wrong.

 

[Kcar]

Sorry, thought this was the BHOgart thread! Duh!

 

[Rickys bong]

icdog, one thing you can do to get liquid out of the tank is to make sure the pump and hoses are higher than the tank so the liquid can drain.

If you are connected from the appion outlet to the liquid port on the tank, tank pressure is preventing the pump from emptying the line. If it has nothing to suck, it can't push the liquid out of the line.

Close the Appion outlet valve and warm the hose with a hot wet cloth. Start at the highest point. If the tank isn't too hot the heat will cause some of the liquid to vaporize and push the remainder into the tank. I don't know the system so I can't help on the other point.

Just think about the pressure differentials in the system to see how liquid can be pushed back and forth.

RB

 

[icdog]

When I go to do a live run, I open every valve in the system EXCEPT #4 and the Blue (vapor) port on my recovery tank. I then vac down the whole system, close the vacuum valve, turn on appion (both valves having been opened before initial vac down), and then open blue vapor port. You are now ready to rock and roll

Thanks I'll try opening valve 4 when pressure hits 0.
I open all valves when pulling the initial vac, this pulls the atmosphere from the recovery hose and the flood valve 4 hose as well. The valves on the tank itself are closed though when I'm doing this.

Regis I'm not clear on what you wrote. You connect the hose which goes from the appion to the tank and open the tank valve until some butane almost blows out and then connect it to the appion? Works ok? Any chance of liquid butane coming out of that valve and messing with the appion somehow?

Rickys, my tank is below the appion and the terp, so far it hasn't made a difference.
Can the appion not push the remaining butane out of the hose into the tank when recovery is almost done? It can't go against the pressure in the tank? I've burped my tank and its only around 10 psi of pressure.

 

[hounddogg]

Momerath: Thanks buddy. I had a feeling I was doing something wrong.

 

[icdog]

Has anybody looked at a waterproof dog heating pad for the column? They seem reasonably priced.

 

[icdog]

That guy that was promoting other recovery pumps said:
The Inficon Vortex, Cps cr700, Nrp gs3700 are way better and safer.

I looked up the inficon and the nrp, hvac reviews weren't great compared to the g5

 

[Kcar]

Any ideas where to source 10" Viton sanitary triclamp gaskets?

 

[RegisPhilburn1]

Brewerygaskets.com will custom make them for you. The limited availability of 10" TC parts is part of the reason I went with 12".

 

[A6 Grower]

Are normal propane tanks the same as refrigeration recovery tanks? Saw a 100# or maybe 75# at the hardware store for $75. I was hoping i could just switch the tops, but im thinking the tank isn't ok for butane?? I would just need a longer dip tube if it is ok correct??

Some how my G5 is still running and its coming up on 1 YEAR this February. It gets used 3-5 days a week for 6-9 hour days. I have noticed its stopped holding pressure but barely leaks, i noticed when i could smell dank buds coming out of the appion when doing the first pass where the machine is running dry under full vac, until it starts pumping vapor i can smell bud. Once its starts pumping and gets pressure it stops leaking and is just fine. Im almost contemplating running the vac pump until i feel butane at the top of the column then switch to the G5 to save it on the hard vacuum it doesn't like.

Ive also noticed that if i open both valves on the G5 half way i can vacuum down the machine and out hose leading to the tank, i vacuum down the pump to around 25 then open the valves close the recovery house valve on the terp and let the rest of the machine vac down to -29.

I also clear out my G5 at the end of every run, to do this i just take the recovery hose off and let it pump air for 5 seconds, close the vapor valve on the tank, close the out on the g5 then turn off and let the air out that is in the hose and machine. Seems to be fine, i periodically let air out of my tank, A little air in the tank isn't bad, it actually helps with pressure when you run low temps so your floods don't take 5 minutes.

 

[icdog]

Had a mishap today. Started the flood and wondered why after a minute the vent tube didn't get cold, turns out I forgot to close the ball valve. Took about an hour to recover and start over.
Anybody have any idea how full the 6" pot would be flooding for a minute?

 

[high life 45]

Seems like and open question...depends on your temps and how full your tank is.

You should have seen a frost line or could have felt for cooler temps on your recovery pot, right?

 

[furrywall11]

I'm wondering something similar since I just got a 50lb recovery tank- I want to do a bigger initial shower and I need to avoid filling my extraction pot to point where the appion could start to suck liquid -- that would be terrible.... I'm thinking I'm just going to figure 300mls per can and eyeball the volume of the extraction pot...

 

[17-52-99]

How much can you guys process on a typical day?