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FAQs

Butane Closed Loop Flow Model

ABOUT BHOGART (2)

WHY DO OTHER EXTRACTOR COMPANIES CHARGE SO MUCH MORE THAN BHOGART?

From day one we have been focused on providing the safest, cleanest, greenest extractors possible. Starting from the ground up with manufacturing, we have continually improved the efficiency of our processes. Experience, design, and respective volume allow us to drive down our costs and drive our value up.

DOES BHOGART CERTIFY THEIR EQUIPMENT?

BHOgart provides a full line of certified units available for 7 states. California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Certified systems start at 8k but include (and must use) a BHOgart gas booster and vacuum pump. With BHOGART® Certified extractor system Matrix any collection of Certified components make up a certified system. Create the Massive Certified factory of your dreams with modular Certified extractor system.

All units are tested for quality control before we put them on the floor for sale.

Remember, we build our un-certified systems to the the same standard but do not have the ASME manufacturing certification.

Also, we are having a custom built hydro-static pressure testing station installed very soon. We will be able to test up to 10,000 PSI safely. This will allow us to easily see where any failure points are. We conduct Hydrostatic Burst Testing on all new Vessel designs.

RECOVERY TANK SPECIFICATIONS (4)

BHOGART RECOVERY TANK EMPTY WEIGHT

The “empty” weight of the recovery tank refers to the weight when no solvent is present. The empty weight of the tank is very important, as it is needed to determine how full it is with solvent. The only way to measure the amount of solvent in your recovery tank is by comparing the filled weight with the empty weight.

ALWAYS WEIGH YOUR TANK BEFORE FILLING IT! As we continue to develop more options for the tanks, weight may vary slightly from unit to unit depending on customization. The following weights are only approximate and should not be used as a point of reference.

The traditional 1 lb BHOgart extraction system recovery tank weights approximately 9.5 lbs empty.

The 2 lb and 5 lb systems both use the same tank. The traditional version of this tank weighs approximately 29 lbs when empty, however in 2015 we switched our recovery tanks to a larger and more appropriate size.

The Standard 2 lb recovery tank weighs approximately 31 lbs when empty.

The Standard 5 lb recovery tank weighs roughly 37 lbs when empty.

The empty weight of the extra large recovery tank for the 8-10 lb Chopper Stopper is approximately 55 lbs.

HOW MUCH SOLVENT (BUTANE/PROPANE) DOES MY SYSTEM HOLD?

In 2016 we hope to give more accurate sizing for the tanks by providing the 80% liquid fill volume. We calculate this volume by measuring the tubes volume without the rounded heads on the top and bottom of the tank. Liquid propane has density of about 1.28lbs/L, while butane is about 1.33lbs/L. Due to the difference between these densities your solvent mixture will change how much solvent you can add into the system. once you have decided on the mixture plug the percentages into this equation to get the density of the mixture
(%1/100)(Propane(1.28)+(%2/100)(Butane(1.33))=ρtotal
simply multiply the tanks volume by ptotal and you get your tanks fill weight regardless of solvents used or the exact dimensions.

2lb 15.5L – The 10″ x 12″ 15.5L recovery tank holds 19 lbs of butane or 17 lbs of propane.
5lb ASME 30L The ASME 5lb extractor 30L tank holds 38 lbs of butane or 33 lbs of propane.
5lb 38.9L the 38.9L tank holds 48 lbs of butane or 42 lbs of propane.
8-10lb 42.3L The 42.3L 12″ x 24″ tank and the 10″ x 36″ tank hold 52 lbs of butane or 46 lbs of propane.
10lb 66.7L The massive 12″ X 36″ 66.7L tank holds 76 lbs of butane or 67 lbs of propane.

These figures are calculated at 80% fill volume which is considered safe for your pressure vessels. Never fill your pressure vessel beyond 80% fill volume!

AT WHAT PRESSURE DO THE RECOVERY TANK SAFETY VALVES OPEN AT?

The pressure safety values on all of the BHOgart recovery tanks are rated to open when the pressure exceeds 150 PSI. Once the pressure has dropped back below 150, the valve closes itself back up. If your pressure release valve is open, turn off your recovery pump and allow your recovery tank to cool. Cooling the solvent will lower the pressure and the valve will close.

WHICH PORT IS THE DIP TUBE ON MY RECOVERY TANK?

On all of the new BHOgart recovery tanks, the dip tube is on the central port. The dip tube is also sometimes referred to as the “straw,” and is used to pull the cold liquid solvent straight out of the bottom of the tank. This allows the gaseous form of the solvent to pressurize the liquid out of the tank more rapidly, resulting in a faster and cleaner extraction.

The other two valves on the tank can be used as recovery ports, or customized with pressure gauges and release valves.

If your recovery tank has a removable 4″ lid in the center then your dip tube will be across from the pressure release valve instead of the center.

KITS AND UPGRADES (1)

WHAT OTHER ITEMS DO I NEED TO RUN A BHOGART THAT DO NOT COME IN A BASIC BHOGART EXTRACTION KIT?

1. Recovery pump
We recommend the Appion G5 Twin as the cheapest most affordable option for solvent recovery pumps, however we offer a variety of oil-less pumps for solvent recovery which offer greater safety, efficiency, and quiet operation. We also sell Class One Division 1 recovery pumps for certified hydrocarbon recovery.

2. Vacuum pump
Any 5 cfm pump should suffice, however it is considered best practice to use an oil-less pump to avoid contaminating your extract with pump oil. For the larger systems, it is advisable to use at least 6-7 cfm to create a vacuum more quickly.

3. Ice bath
An ice bath is used to chill the recovery tank. Cold temperatures lower the vapor pressure, allowing the solvent to condense more easily. Salt can help lower your temperatures even faster by melting the ice faster and thus absorbing more energy. Alternatively, we now offer coil condensers and heat exchangers for use with more efficiently condensing and recollecting your solvent.

4. Warm water bath
The collection chamber is given a warm water bath. We recommend between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Any temperature above the boiling point of your solvent will work, however if the temperature gets too low the recovery process can take longer.

5. Water heater and thermometer
A heater and thermometer combo is needed to maintain accurate water temperatures.

6. Utility water pump
In order to circulate the water, you will need a water pump. Circulating the water keeps it at an even temperature throughout.

7. Solvent
The higher the purity of your solvent, the better. You may use cans with the included can-tapper, or you can hook the Bhogart system up to a tank of solvent. If your tank requires special fittings, we can provide them upon request. Make sure to distill all and any solvent that you add to the system.

8. Scale
A proper scale is required to measure the weight of your solvent tank. This is often called a “Refrigeration Scale.” Such a scale is accurate to the gram and very convenient. It is designed precisely for weighting heavy metal solvent recovery tanks. ALWAYS WEIGH YOUR TANK BEFORE FILLING IT! As we continue to develop additional tank configurations, tank weights may differ and should be tested individually.

9. Botanical plant material
You will need botanical plant material in order to extract. The higher the quality of the input material, the higher the quality of the material you will get out of the extraction.

SOLVENTS (6)

HOW MUCH SOLVENT DO I LOSE BETWEEN EACH RUN?

Depending on how you finish your extraction and how long you recover, you can control how much solvent you recover. Under normal running conditions, the BHOgart loses less than 300 ml each time from the leftover butane in the hoses. The bigger the extractor the more loss is inherent to the design. The main places where solvent is released is in the material/material columns the more of them you have the more solvent you end up loosing in the system. Another spot where hydrocarbons are released is in the product Honeypots, or the extract itself. Through using best practices in solvent recovery the amount of solvent released can be reduced significantly.

TL;DR

Typically a Solvent extractor system will recover 95% of the solvent used during extraction.

on average around 0.5lbs per continues extraction, or 1-2lbs per full batch cycle

WHY CAN’T I GET ALL OF THE SOLVENT OUT OF MY CAN USING THE CAN TAPPER?

It is important to first understand that the unit moves solvent using differential pressure. Solvent evacuates from the cans which are at a higher pressure (30 – 40 PSI) into the extractor which is at a low pressure (-29″ Hg). As the can empties, the pressure in the extraction unit increases until it equalizes with the can. The first portion of solvent in the can unloads as a result of the vapor pressure of the gaseous butane pushing out most of the liquid butane. The can-tapper needs to be tapped about an inch up from the bottom of the can so that only liquid solvent comes out of it. The remaining solvent in the can needs to be removed with a temperature exchange, such as using ice water to chill both the recovery tank and the collection chamber. The coldness will cause a pressure differential, condensing the solvent back into a liquid.

CAN I LOAD BY BHOGART WITH SOLVENT (BUTANE/PROPANE) STRAIGHT FROM AN LP TANK?

Yes. You can load solvent straight into any BHOgart system from an LP tank. If you need special connection pieces, these can be provided upon request at the time of purchase. Let us know if you have any questions about getting your solvent tank connected to your BHOgart.

ARE ANY OF THE BHOGART EXTRACTORS COMPATIBLE WITH CO2 AS A SOLVENT?

No, not at this time. You cannot run CO2 in any of the current BHOgart extractors for the simple reason that CO2 requires much greater pressures than butane/propane. The BHOgart is not designed for CO2 operating conditions which can be in excess of 200 Bar or about 3,000 PSI!

CAN I USE PROPANE IN MY EXTRACTOR?

Yes. All Bhogart extractors are designed to run with Propane and Butane. Bhogart extractors are all multi-solvent compatible. Our customers have had great success running our systems using only propane, as well as using a mixture of propane and butane.

Propane evaporates at an extremely low temperature of -40F which, when combined with its higher vapor pressure, makes for a quick and cold extraction.

Interestingly enough, a mixture of propane and butane will not distill out from each other at their respective boiling points – instead the solvents will bond with each other and form a unique boiling point depending on their ratios. Despite this bond, the propane will still boil off faster than the butane. To better understand vapor pressure as it pertains to gas combinations, reference the following link: [Click here]

Always remember to source the most clean and pure solvent you can find for your extractions.

CAN I LOAD CANS OF BUTANE INTO MY BHOGART EXTRACTION SYSTEM?

Yes. All BHOgart extraction kits come with a can-tapper which allows the use of almost any brand of canned butane or propane. We recommend loading the cans of solvent while the material tube is empty. This will allow you to distill the solvent by itself and remove toxic impurities like mystery oil. The cleaner your solvent is, the cleaner your extract will be.

If your BHOgart or any of your components are brand new, it is necessary to run and recover the solvent a few times through the system in order to ensure the removal of any manufacturing oils or contaminants.

PUMP SPECIFICATIONS (2)

DO THE REFRIGERATION RECOVERY PUMPS HAVE AN AUTOMATIC SAFETY PRESSURE KILL-SWITCH?

Be sure to check on your exact pumps brand and model for the correct information. The Appion G5 Twin, RefTec Diablo, CMEP-OL, and TR21 Recovery pump all have an automatic safety kill-switch at 500 PSI.

HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE TO PULL A FULL VACUUM ON MY BHOGART EXTRACTION SYSTEM?

The amount of time it takes to pull a full vacuum on the BHOgart varies depending on the CFM of the pump as well as the size of the extractor. If you have a 3-5 CFM pump, it shouldn’t take you more than 7-8 minutes to pull a full vacuum on a 1 lb BHOgart .

Using the same 3-5 CFM pumps, pulling a full vacuum on the 2 lb BHOgart unit may take roughly 10-12 minutes.

For the 5 lb and Shopper Stopper units, you’ll need to use a vacuum pump which is closer to 7 CFM. With the larger pump, it should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to pull a full vacuum on the 5 lb unit or the 8-10 lb Chopper Stopper unit.

EXTRACTION SYSTEM OPERATION (6)

CAN I RUN THE BHOGART PASSIVELY WITHOUT A RECOVERY PUMP?

Of course you can run the BHOgart passively without a recovery pump!

In fact, the first phase of extraction is fully passive. The process of passive recovery takes significantly longer. Our system relies on the recovery pump to move the solvent efficiently against pressure. Using temperature differentials between the collection base and the recovery tank you can passively recover. The process is limited by the rate your solvent can condense, and vapor pressure or blend (solvent ratios of butane/propane etc). The higher the temperature differential (i.e. the colder the recovery tank and the hotter the evaporation base) the faster the recovery process will occur.

IS IT SAFE TO RUN MY BHOGART INDOORS?

The answer is the same for all closed loop extraction systems, not just the BHOgart. No, you cannot run your closed loop BHOgart indoors. The cheapest and safest environment is a well-ventilated outdoor area. The only way to run a BHOgart of any other closed loop extractor safely indoors is to run it in a lab certified for explosive gases. Additionally, all of our extractors require a Class 1 Division 2 room that follows all applicable local fire, building, plumbing, and electrical codes.

DO I REALLY NEED A VACUUM PUMP OR CAN I JUST USE THE RECOVERY PUMP TO PULL THE VACUUM?

Yes, you need a vacuum pump to run any BHOgart extraction system. The vacuum pump is used to pull the initial vacuum on the BHOgart before each run. The pump is only needed for a short period of time, so only one pump is needed for multiple systems. The recovery pump cannot be used to pull the initial vacuum, as it is not designed to pull a full vacuum. It is vital that all of the oxygen in the system is completely vacuumed out to prevent fire.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE A FULL RECOVERY?

Recovery time depends on the temperature of the collection vessel. We recommend 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, though temperatures up through 110 are entirely safe… Just be sure not to burn your extract. Recovery time depends on the number of recovery pumps, the warmth of the collection chamber and how cold the recovery tank is. The colder the recovery tank, the faster you will recover all of your solvent into a liquid. Using condensing coils or a heat exchanger also speeds up the rate of solvent recovery. Normally, the system should recover within an hour to about an hour and a half, but if the system is not optimally configured this process can take longer.

WHAT IS THE GREY GRENADE-SHAPED METAL ATTACHMENT?

Our units used to come with a grey filter dryer which was used to attach to the input of the solvent recovery pump. It was used to mitigate the accumulation of moisture in the solvent.

Presently, we are offering more advanced filter dryers which are called, “Desiccant Tubes.” These tubes cover much more surface area and allow you to replace the desiccant inside. Similarly to the old grenades, the desiccant tubes can be dried over the course of a few hours in an oven at 300F-450F. Re-drying the desiccant in this manner allows for optimal moisture absorption, and is recommended after each use of the extractor.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY PUMP BREAKS DURING AN EXTRACTION?

Make sure the pump is off. Then passively recover all the working solvent back into your recovery tank. In order to passively recover, open the vapor recovery port on your recovery tank. Cover your recovery tank in ice and add some salt – make sure to cover as much surface area as possible. The purpose of this step is to chill the recovery tank as much as possible which maintains a lower pressure. Read the gauge on the collection base and compare it to the recovery gauge, the collection gauge should have a higher pressure than the recovery gauge (more than 15PSI). This differential pressure will suck the butane gas back into the recovery tank slowly recovering it. Open the valve on the recovery tank to start passively recovering. The process takes a long time, (often more than 12 hours). The colder you keep the recovery tank, the faster it will recover. Dry ice or adding salt to your ice will both speed up the process by reducing the vapor pressure in the recovery tank.

BOLT AND CLAMP SPECIFICATIONS (2)

WHY DOES BHOGART ONLY USE DOUBLE BOLT CLAMPS AND NOT THE HAND TIGHTENED BUTTERFLY CLAMPS?

The double bolt clamps feature a bolt on each side of the clamp. This allows the clamps to evenly distribute the pressure between two bolts instead of one. The butterfly clamps are more prone to failure and when they do fail they have nothing to hold them together. The double bolt clamps are also a lot more reliable with maintaining a seal. Tighten the bolts on both sides of the clamps evenly. Tighten them until they squeak a little, and you are good to go. The butterfly clamps tend to loosen up and tend to need to be re-tightened a few times during extraction.

HOW MUCH SHOULD THE BOLTS ON THE DOUBLE BOLT CLAMPS BE TIGHTENED DOWN?

The double bolt clamps should be evenly clamped down from both sides, switching from one to the other consistently. A washer should be in between the bolt and the clamp. Tighten the bolts down with a tool until you hear them squeak. The clamps should not need to be touching to be tight.

Torque Rating: 20 lbs

HOSE SPECIFICATIONS (1)

HOW TIGHT DO THE HOSE FITTINGS NEED TO BE?

The Nylon HVAC hoses have a gasket on the fitting and only need to be hand-tightened.

All the LP350 hoses need to be wrench-tightened to make a good metal on metal seal.

All Stainless Steel PTFE hoses need to be wrench-tightened to make a good metal on metal seal.

The metal on metal seals are the most common leak.