by Kyle Tabone Betts

Created on: December 17, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

Due to certain global factors, mainly the recurring economic crisis, the fluctuating strength of the US Dollar ($), the effects of supply and demand, and the Arab Spring, the world has seen a major price hike in crude oil.  Consequently, the price of gasoline skyrocketed in a matter of months. The past few weeks have seen a decrease in crude oil’s price but the same cannot be said for gasoline. The influences of distribution, taxes and commodity traders prevented gasoline from seeing a similar price decline.

As the prices of gasoline keep drilling holes in people’s financially-challenged pockets, alternatives are being sought – the most popular of which is homemade biodiesel. With the possibility of producing biodiesel for less than $1 per gallon, beating the high price of gasoline becomes feasible. As an added bonus, your diesel engine will run in a smoother, more efficient way while causing less harm to the environment.

The idea of producing your own homemade biodiesel may be enticing, but there are a few caveats you have to watch out for prior to embarking on such a venture.

- First: Running a diesel engine on homemade biodiesel has the potential of voiding your vehicle’s or machinery’s warranty.

- Second: Producing biodiesel of fuel grade quality, especially in large quantities, can take some time. It also requires a safe, well ventilated location in which to produce and careful handling of ingredients due to the dangers associated with them.

- Third: The environment plays an important role in the quality of biodiesel produced; high humidity, for example, is liable to producing low-quality biodiesel.

- Fourth: Chances are you are not a chemist, requiring you to create a number of sample batches before getting the hang of the procedure and moving on to full production.

- Fifth: Due to the dangers associated with lye and methanol, the latter of which is highly toxic, a safe and well ventilated location is needed in which to produce the biodiesel. Equally important is the utilization of safety equipment – namely rubber gloves, dust masks and goggles. Moreover, children and pets must be kept away from the work-area.

Once all these factors are taken into consideration, production on your homemade biodiesel can start, marking the beginning of your venture to beat the high price of gasoline.

The procedure listed in this article is mostly aimed at amateurs who are intent on trying their hand at producing their own homemade

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