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BHO Safety aka "Please don't immolate or blow your self up!"

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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Hi ya'll! Have ya'll been watching the folks blowing themselves and their homes up using butane extraction techniques, thus leading you to believe that such an attempt is suicidal?

Thank Gawd (Great Spirit) that paying attention to details reduces the odds to limits that you might embrace, after being thus enlightened. May we discuss, before you give up all BHO extraction attempts in difference to your family and home?

Clearly Butane is inflammable and can be explosive, if confined in a small space and supplied with about 1.86 to 8.41 percent butane to atmospheric air content and an ignition source.

In addition, ignition sources come from a number of different unexpected sources, so let's discuss that issue.

For starters, I never personally do a butane extraction indoors or any confined space! None at all, zero, zip, forget about it! It is important to keep it below explosive limits!

I do it all outdoors, with a non sparking plastic fan blowing, not sucking, the butane evaporation away! Butane loves self abuse and will clump together and pool, being that it is heavier than air.

I use three fans to keep any free butane dispersed below ignition limits of 1.86% and from it pooling and accumulating in low spots like through my basement window to my basement, chock full of ignition sources.

The central point is that concentration of the butane boiling off can be kept diluted below combustion limits, by blowing the accumulating vapors away using a fan.

Secondly, let's talk about stupid ignition sources. Despite previous discussions, I have literally grabbed the hands of cigarette smokers poised to light a cigarette while extracting. What can I say about addicts whom go on automatic pilot and forget where they are? Leave your cigarettes and lighter elsewhere

Lose the lighter and cigarettes (bong?) if you are an addict! Once the pin is pulled on a 5 second grenade, it is not your friend!

All pretty simple, but lets talk about subtleties! How about sparks?

Starting simple, dragging your feet on concrete, if you have gravel in your shoes can create a spark.

Wearing plastic clothing, especially socks, can also build up and discharge a static electricity spark.

Unless it is an explosion proof fan, always blow, instead of suck the vapors away, not only for efficiency reasons, but because the sparks from an electric motor slip ring can ignite the vapors.

Always use plastic or other spark proof blades, because a grain of sand can spark when hitting a steel blade, and be propelled into the concentrated vapors.

Always keep a fully charged and recently inspected fire extinguisher on hand. Shit sometimes happens and less shit is better, as I see it!

Never had to use one at home, though I have in industry, but they can't be beaten when they are called for!

If you get inadvertently sprayed with butane, stop, and go change clothes. Immolating as I sees it, is highly overrated!

Keep a blanket on hand, and if you do get unexpectedly ignited, immediately wrap yourself in it to extinguish the flames.

The good news is that none of the above has ever happened to me, but then I do pay close attention and try my very best to avoid it.

Ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
 

budbasket

Member
What about a 2 car garage with 1/3rd open so not to let neighbors view whats going on inside but with a 16 in axial fan blowing from the back towards the front? Will the butane pool downwards and be blown out of the garage or will it have a chance to accumulate? I only do 300ml extractions at a time with never really more than an oz of material. Usually i end up with around 3-3.5gs when using bud, don't take too much time to scrape everything and get exact measurements, its all for me anyways. Also I don't do a 2nd run, well with butane, but rather qwiso the leftovers and then use that oil in my cooking. Any tips on how much qwiso to butter? I got around an eigth left over right now and was either going to make a batch of brownies or coffee cake today. Sorry this post went from bho safety to cooking questions i can move it to cooking forums if necessary, feeling enlightened on my day off so far -basket
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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What about a 2 car garage with 1/3rd open so not to let neighbors view whats going on inside but with a 16 in axial fan blowing from the back towards the front? Will the butane pool downwards and be blown out of the garage or will it have a chance to accumulate? I only do 300ml extractions at a time with never really more than an oz of material. Usually i end up with around 3-3.5gs when using bud, don't take too much time to scrape everything and get exact measurements, its all for me anyways. Also I don't do a 2nd run, well with butane, but rather qwiso the leftovers and then use that oil in my cooking. Any tips on how much qwiso to butter? I got around an eigth left over right now and was either going to make a batch of brownies or coffee cake today. Sorry this post went from bho safety to cooking questions i can move it to cooking forums if necessary, feeling enlightened on my day off so far -basket


Good question and the answer is that I don't know without looking at the setup.

Walls to guide exhaust and makeup air are not a bad thing, but it comes down to CFM in relation to area and volume of butane, or "surface feet" air movement to calculate dilution.

Ignition sources are also a key issue. Any furnaces, or hot water tanks in the garage?

Can un-dispersed butane pool or accumulate at a lower elevation, like the crawl space or basement? Any ignition sources there?

I deeply understand privacy, and use a popup canopy in the rear courtyard to shield my operation from the second story windows of adjoining neighbors and besides a fan to keep fumes away from my kitchen doorway and basement window, I cut a hole though the bottom of the gate from the courtyard, and installed a centrifugal blower to constantly evacuate the courtyard at ground level when I am extracting.

In my simple minded dotage, I have come to realize that sometimes shit happens, but not very often to the observant and prepared, as opposed to the oblivious and uncaring.

Best to look around up front and first eliminate obvious sources of disaster, and then prepare yourself for the very worst, if you are going to handle inflammables.

Without them civilization would be without fire in the pre stone age, and it is by our controlling their capabilities, in concert with paying close attention when using them, that we have tamed them to our bidding.

On the one side they nourish our very own evolution and on the other side, you must pay attention when using them, to remain in the gene pool.

After minimizing my liability, I often set off my worst nightmare by igniting a boiling pot of solvent, just to see what really happens.

Not all that exciting with ethanol, but more so with Isopropyl and Methanol, and even more exciting with butane.

I never do that in an area that I am not confident will survive the possible air burst concussion and flames, so may I suggest that you use that as your standard when you select your extraction location and ventilation?

What is the very worst thing could happen, and how can you gracefully walk away from it without blowing anything up, or burning it down?
 

budbasket

Member
The only sources of ignition are electrical outlets in the walls and the only point I have concern about is the chance of butane drifting backwards(even though I have a fan pushing towards a semi-open door, and since butane is heavier than air I've just figured it goes down and out) then down through small spaces between the garage foundation and then leaking into ceiling of basement. Like I said before I only run 1 can at a time so not too actual quantity to build up vs people blowing through cases at a time. Garage has decent ceilings 16-20ft. Could I just measure the cubic space and figure out how high the maximum % concentration in my available area could reach? Thanks again for the help
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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ICMag Donor
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The only sources of ignition are electrical outlets in the walls and the only point I have concern about is the chance of butane drifting backwards(even though I have a fan pushing towards a semi-open door, and since butane is heavier than air I've just figured it goes down and out) then down through small spaces between the garage foundation and then leaking into ceiling of basement. Like I said before I only run 1 can at a time so not too actual quantity to build up vs people blowing through cases at a time. Garage has decent ceilings 16-20ft. Could I just measure the cubic space and figure out how high the maximum % concentration in my available area could reach? Thanks again for the help

No spark from an electrical outlet, unless you plug in or unplug a load.

Too many varibles to answer without looking, but in general, if you are close to the door opening and blowing the butane away as it boils off, discharge from a 300ml can won't build to explosive levels.
 

jump117

Well-known member
Veteran
You reminded me of an episode two years ago after which I had feared for some time to work with butane.
Quote from another site -

Posted 02 February 2009 - 06:13 AM
Hey!
I made a lot of BHO runs but today was the last one.
Today I made it just to illustrate what I know that QuickAmber extraction is quite complete and the residue doesn’t cost a labour it requires to get.
I always redissolved my bho to filter it and it doesn’t matter if evap.bowl is stretched or not . This time because of small quantity I used inox evap.bowl instead of usual soup-plate and small extractor DIY1/2”.
The can wasn’t full and it took a short time. After butane was over and dripping stopped I’ve touched the bowl with gun nozzle for a last drop as I always did
…SPARK!
For my good luck it’s -19C outside and there was no fireball but until the spark was visible I’ve thought
“SHIT!..finally it happened! What for !? Was it really worthwhile?! What’s wrong? Metal! Shit!...”.
I’m not mystic at all but it was The SIGN.

And i said,
"no, no, no, no, i don't butane it no more,

:laughing:
 

BudGood

"Be shapeless, formless, like water..."
Veteran
^^^ Sounds like someone who shouldn't be using butane in the first place... :laughing:

Great thread! I usually extract right by the front door, with it opened, and a large fan inside the house blowing outside. I also turn on the ceiling fans, just to make sure it doesn't have a chance to pool at all. I've done this literally hundreds of times safely, with no problems whatsoever. (Keep in mind, I'm a med patient in CO, not worried about someone walking up and seeing what I'm doing...)

In summer, it works even better to do it by the front door, as I turn on the swamp cooler, & it pressurizes the whole house. I close all the windows and doors except the one I'm extracting in front of, the pressure from the swamper pushes out everything QUICKLY (tested the air moving capabilities before I shot any tane with a burning joint, the smoke will give you a general idea of how fast the air is moving).

After I shoot the tane and 95% drips out (between 1-3.5 cans, depending on what size extractor I'm using), I take the tube and set it off in another pyrex dish, off to the side, so it can drip out whatevers left. I then take the dish with the butane, and place it into a waiting double boiler, still right by the front door, wide open. The butane is boiled off almost immediately at this point, during this whole time I'm extremely careful until the lions share of the butane is gone.

Once it's mostly gone, I'll leave it in the double boiler to purge, and leave the door open and fan on (or swamper on, depending on the season) for a while, just to make sure any residual is completely out of the house. No one smokes, walks or even farts while I'm shooting BHO, don't want any ignition sources, even the remotely possible ones like static. I don't close the door until 99% of the butane is gone, and only small bubbles of butane is all thats left.

This won't work for everyone, obviously, but it works well for me. Never liked extracting outside, always seems to be a bit of dirt or something that gets into the oil... YMMV.

:wave:
 

Mr. Bongjangles

Head Brewer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Be sure to purge well too :D

Be sure to purge well too :D

Kvxgx.gif
 

Hashmasta-Kut

honey oil addict
Veteran
After I shoot the tane and 95% drips out (between 1-3.5 cans, depending on what size extractor I'm using), I take the tube and set it off in another pyrex dish, off to the side, so it can drip out whatevers left.

This won't work for everyone, obviously, but it works well for me. Never liked extracting outside, always seems to be a bit of dirt or something that gets into the oil... YMMV.

:wave:

i alway shoot outside on my porch and my house is surrounded by large trees, basically forest. its a covered porch, i never get any contaminants outside. i wonder know why you would.

when i am done running the tane i take the tube and cut off the zip tie immediately and empty the weed out right away, it makes the tube stay super clean. i am not sure why you leave it to drip, just thought i would share that it can be emptied immediately, and its nice for a clean tube afterwords, no sticky.
 

jump117

Well-known member
Veteran
i never get any contaminants outside. i wonder know why you would.

It depends on the ecology of the environment,
on the twelfth floor of an apartment building in the city, I use the outdoor fire escape,
there is a magnificent three-dimensional natural ventilation, but there is always some kind of dust.
namely the need to remove the debris flown into BHO forced me to dissolve it in ethanol for the first time.
 

Trichgnomes

Member
i alway shoot outside on my porch and my house is surrounded by large trees, basically forest. its a covered porch, i never get any contaminants outside. i wonder know why you would.

when i am done running the tane i take the tube and cut off the zip tie immediately and empty the weed out right away, it makes the tube stay super clean. i am not sure why you leave it to drip, just thought i would share that it can be emptied immediately, and its nice for a clean tube afterwords, no sticky.

This is basically exactly what I do. The overhang blocks any contaminants. I always clean my glass tubes right away, as I agree, it makes the tube stay super clean.

GW- What is your opinion of performing an extraction with a closed system( i.e. proprietary SS system or DIY system a la foaf, yourself, or DK) in a specialty designed spark free room, with a vent-hood suitable for solvents being used, as well as using all standard lab precautions.
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
This is basically exactly what I do. The overhang blocks any contaminants. I always clean my glass tubes right away, as I agree, it makes the tube stay super clean.

GW- What is your opinion of performing an extraction with a closed system( i.e. proprietary SS system or DIY system a la foaf, yourself, or DK) in a specialty designed spark free room, with a vent-hood suitable for solvents being used, as well as using all standard lab precautions.

I still run my butane extraction and recycle system outside under a pop-up cannopy with fans blowing, just in case something goes wrong.

If I had a suitable ventilation hood and spark free exhaust enclosure, I would have no problem running it indoors.
 

AGBeer

Active member
I know a cat that dodged the flaming bullet when doing his BHO run (indoors no less) even AFTER I iterated, and reiterated the fact that it should be done OUTSIDE.

He was using an electric hot plate to help evap the butane and had several successful runs. The one time that the 'heating light' (you know the little orange light that pops on to let you know its bringing the temp up again?) Yup, thats all it took to make a nice big *WOOSH*

I think he got the point then...
 

Duckmang

Member
I do my extraction process in a detached garage / workshop. I rarely release enough butane to warrant any concern. That said, it does take a healthy dose of common sense to keep it safe.
 

BudGood

"Be shapeless, formless, like water..."
Veteran
i alway shoot outside on my porch and my house is surrounded by large trees, basically forest. its a covered porch, i never get any contaminants outside. i wonder know why you would.

when i am done running the tane i take the tube and cut off the zip tie immediately and empty the weed out right away, it makes the tube stay super clean. i am not sure why you leave it to drip, just thought i would share that it can be emptied immediately, and its nice for a clean tube afterwords, no sticky.

Because I live in a windy desert environment, theres always dust blowing around outside to some degree. I've refined my technique down to a t, for my area. YMMV.

The reason why I leave it to drip? Because I'm not gonna let it sit there waiting for the last 5% to drip out (on a okief xl or similar, after doing 3-3.5 cans), it will drip out a couple of grams after the lions share of the butane runs through. It takes way too long, I'd rather just set it off to the side while I'm getting the main part evap'd. It really does drip out quite a bit: ask my buddy, he found out the hard way after he semi-ruined the finish on his table, thought it was done running out (his lady just about killed him). :)

Not really concerned about the tube being hard to clean, it's not hard to dump it out and use a bit of alcohol to clean it out. (remember, I use stainless extractors)

:wave:
 
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