I'd like to get to work now, but discovered after un boxing bhogart last night that no documentation or parts list was provided. I contacted bhogart and I'm waiting on an email with a manual attached.
PRESSURE TEST FIRST PLEASE!Here ya go
Extractor Operating Instructions
1) Always do Outside
2) Always do Outside
3) Review supplied facts on butane safety
4)Review supplied parts list to ensure all parts are present
Putting everything together
5)Place 3-4 coffee filters on base of extractor, inside the oil collection chamber, with supplied hose clamp. Rip filters to appropriate size
6) Fill the top tube with trim. A road cone or large funnel gets the job done pretty well.
7) Make sure all the gaskets, screen gaskets, and filters are in place and tighten all the tri clamps on the extractor.
8) Hang the manifold gauge set from the top tri clamp
9) Attach 3 60" hoses with the straight ends on the gauge set
10) the blue gauge goes to the top of the extractor
11) the middle line goes to the purge valve/ recovery tank
12) the red gauge on the manifold set goes to the red side of the recovery pump
13) Supplied purge valve goes on the end of the middle 60" line before the recovery tank
14) place a 12" hose with built in ball valve on the recovery tank. then connect it to the purge valve
15)Place the other 12" hose with ball valve and female to female coupler on the can tapper. the valve goes closest to the can tapper
16) Place the filter dryer on the blue side of the recovery pump
17) Place a 4th hose connecting the base of the extractor to the filter dryer on the blue side of the recovery pump
18) connect the 5th line to the purge port and vacuum pump
Operating instructions
Now that the extractor is filled with trim and all connected to the pump and recovery tank lets get started. Make sure the gauges on the recovery are wide open, straight up and down, on both sides. do not pay attention to these gauges.
1) open both sides of the manifold gauge set , blue and red wide open.
2) when there is no recovered butane in the recovery tank pull a vacuum on the extractor and recovery tank. On second and subsequent extractions there will be recovered butane in the recovery tank. So you need to burp off any uncompressible gas by simply cracking open the ball valve and releasing a little butane. If there is no butane in the recovery tank open both valves. If butane is in the recovery tank only open the valve to the extractor. Pull a full vacuum on the extractor -30 hg on the blue gauge on the manifold set.
3) Close valves isolating the extractor and recovery tank. Then shut off the vacuum pump.
4) Make the sure the extractor holds a full vacuum on the gauges and does not leak for a couple minutes.
5) Disconnect the vacuum pump and line from the purge valve
6)Use the supplied can tapper and hose with ball valve to load cans of butane into the system. (if using solvents from a tank see amended copy of instructions)
7) Close the valve on the can tapper so butane does not escape. Tap the canister of butane on the side, either the top or bottom. In the middle will simply crush the can.
8) before attaching can tapper to purge valve make sure all valves on extractor and recovery tank are closed and the unit is not leaking (-30 hg on the blue gauge )
9) Release a little butane through the hose to push the oxygen out of the line of the can tapper and During the connection to the purge port have a little butane flowing through the hose.
10) open the valve wide open on the can tapper
11) open the valve leading to the extractor and allow the butane to go into the extractor.
12) once can is completed close valve leading to extractor then valve on can tapper. Remove hose from purge port and take used can out of can tapper. The 1 Lb system uses roughly 4-5 cans of butane so when initially charging repeat steps 6-12 for each and every can of butane. The recovery tank valve has remained closed the whole time.
13) If you have recovered butane in the recovery tank, remember to burp tank, we usually top off the extractor with 1 can of butane to account for line loss and any butane in the extraction. Before opening the valve to use the recovery tank on the extractor add this can. then close the valve on the can tapper.
14) Have a ice bath with salt (Brine bath) to use on the recovery tank and some form of heat for the extractor. A heat gun, hot water, hot plate, etc this will turn the liquid butane into a gas faster
15) keep the recovery tank inverted in the ice bath, this will liquify the butane from a gas
16) once 4- 5 cans have been added or 1 can and the recovery tank turn on the recovery pump and start the extraction
17) The extractor can be run in two ways. One like a continuously recirculating shower or shower-recovery -shower -recovery.
18) when running like a continuous shower leave blue gauge wide open. Restrict red gauge to build 100 psi on red gauge. Make sure the gauge is pegged on your desired psi and not slowly crawling up
this creates a compression zone from the head of the pump to the manifold set recompressing the gas into a liquid.
19) Run the shower for 15-60 minutes depending upon your desired end product
20) when you want to recover you butane invert the recovery tank into the ice bath and if there was no butane in the system open the valve to the recovery tank. If it is already open leave it open. Open red valve all the way and close blue gauge ( Low side) on the gauge set. this forces the butane down the center line to the recovery tank.
21) Recover the butane until the blue gauge reads about 22 hg then close valve on the recovery tank and then shut off the recovery pump. The recovery pump does not like to run dry so it is recommended to stop at -22 hg
22) take the hose on the top of the extractor off and release whatever butane remains in the line. Canned butane has propane in it and has different pressure temperature relationships so it causes a little loss when disassembling the extractor. N butane will recover 100% Canned butane will get about 90% back due to the propane mixture.
23) Running the extractor as shower -recovery shower recovery mode: Simply open the red side valve (high side ) on the manifold set and close the blue side (low side) and invert the recovery tank in an ice bath. Make sure the valves to the tank are open and can tapper valve is closed. Recover the butane till the blue gauge (low side ) gets to zero. Turn the tank right side up again and open the blue gauge( low side ) wide open and then tighten the red gauge (high side ) back to 100 psi and watch for the gauge crawling up.
Helpful hints
If the extractor during recovery does not drop the low side (blue gauge ) on the manifold set simply add heat to the extractor base. You can tell the level of butane by the condensation line on the base. to much can be detrimental to the consistency of the extract. So use heat with caution.
If for some reason the extractor seems to be dry, does not produce an extraction , operates at a higher pressures than usual or does anything out of the ordinary let all the butane out of the entire system and pull a new vacuum on everything and start over.
The Blue gauge (low side ) operates normally between 25-50 psi . The red side when running in a continuous shower mode is restricted to about 100psi. the primary variables that control extracts consistency are pressure temperature , and time .
When operating as a shower-recovery shower recovery drop the psi on the blue gauge to 0 then reopen and dump back through.
Never Apply heat to the sight glass window
use alcohol and an abrasive sponge to clean the extractor and orings after every run
Vacuum purge your final product and get some killer wax. For the best results on wax stay between 120-140 under full vacuum for up to 15 hours .
For shatter or glass consistencies purge at 130-140 under full vacuum . Check out Bret Maverick on youtube for some great how to videos
the extractor is designed to recover the butane as a gas from the base of the extractor then recompress the gas back into a liquid to be blown back through the top. It can either be recompressed by restricting the red gauge (high side ) on the manifold or run as a shower -recovery shower - recovery. The ice bath causes the butane to liquify. Either way you go from gas to liquid gas to liquid etc. until you want to stop the extraction process
Adding heat to the base of the extractor causes the liquid butane to turn into gas. the more heat you apply the faster the liquid turns into a gas. The ice bath turns the gas into a liquid.
Im about to go to sleep and dont have time right now to answer every question. I will answer more tomorrow. You should be able to fit more than 3 cans in... You probably were having issues correctly inputting the solvent into the system with a can tapper. Was your appion on or not when putting the solvent in? The recovery tank being closed had nothing to do with tis issue. Were your red and blue sides of the manifold both open?
Your tank is only inverted during the recovery/icebath... For second showers etc.... Flip the tank over before opening up the red side of the manifold, otherwise you will not get much solvent out...
U will get it down soon after a few hiccups. Will get back at you tomorrow.
So I started this thread a while ago thinking I had the best extractor out. I was told at the time that I bought the extractor that I would also receive a clear lid for the use of a vacuum lid and I am still waiting. I complained and was told that I would receive one of the hot water sleeve tanks to go over my unit. I am still waiting with no answer. I am saddened by the lack of true customer service nowadays. I am going to give it a little time to see if they make it right. If bhogart does not I promise you all will here a lot about as I will make it a mission to make it known about them.
So I started this thread a while ago thinking I had the best extractor out. I was told at the time that I bought the extractor that I would also receive a clear lid for the use of a vacuum lid and I am still waiting. I complained and was told that I would receive one of the hot water sleeve tanks to go over my unit. I am still waiting with no answer. I am saddened by the lack of true customer service nowadays. I am going to give it a little time to see if they make it right. If bhogart does not I promise you all will here a lot about as I will make it a mission to make it known about them.
I am not mad..just let down. I am not hurting for by any means but I hate being promised something and not given it..I did however receive word from David that he is gonna get it out to me asap. So I guess time will tell. I bought a nice vac oven anyways so no worries there. I just know that back when I ordered this unit they were not very well known and I went to bat big time by starting blogs, youtube channels, and talking them up big time and all I expected in return was what I was promised as that was why I bought that day. I would have negotiated something else had I known it would have not been something they didnt have. Other than that I am happy with the extractor. I love the end product!