Vegetable oil a good fish-safe lubrication?

[Daniel Morrow]

You might have read one of my previous posts saying I put my penguin
bio-wheel power filter in my big tank. Well the first time I tried it it
wouldn't do anything. So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the impeller
wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked the
impeller assembly in vegetable oil (Crisco brand vegetable oil, only
ingredient was soybean oil) and kept moving the impeller and it lossened up
and began moving freely around the rod/stem. Then I put the impeller into
the power filter and it works so good now I must say that impeller moves
more water than when I bought it I am pretty sure. At the very least the
impeller works great if not better than before. I am pretty sure vegetable
oil is totally safe for tropical fish within reason - any experts (netmax or
Elaine, marine biologists?) know whether it is absolutely safe within
reason? Thanks, later all!

[NetMax]

"Daniel Morrow" > wrote in message
...
> You might have read one of my previous posts saying I put my penguin
> bio-wheel power filter in my big tank. Well the first time I tried it
> it
> wouldn't do anything. So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
> seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the
> impeller
> wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked
> the
> impeller assembly in vegetable oil (Crisco brand vegetable oil, only
> ingredient was soybean oil) and kept moving the impeller and it
> lossened up
> and began moving freely around the rod/stem. Then I put the impeller
> into
> the power filter and it works so good now I must say that impeller
> moves
> more water than when I bought it I am pretty sure. At the very least
> the
> impeller works great if not better than before. I am pretty sure
> vegetable
> oil is totally safe for tropical fish within reason - any experts
> (netmax or
> Elaine, marine biologists?) know whether it is absolutely safe within
> reason? Thanks, later all!


jmo, but I think you did good. There is such a thing as food-grade
grease and oils (used on machines which process & package food), but they
are not readily available. I imagine that they are something like
vegetable oil with some type of a stabilizer to keep them from going
rancid. As long as you wiped everything down to minimize the quantity, I
don't see a problem. I would even wipe down the axle of the biowheel (if
you haven't already) since it's no longer seized.

Next time you might want to try fish-oil ;~)
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Logic316]

Daniel Morrow wrote:
> You might have read one of my previous posts saying I put my penguin
> bio-wheel power filter in my big tank. Well the first time I tried it it
> wouldn't do anything. So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
> seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the impeller
> wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked the
> impeller assembly in vegetable oil (Crisco brand vegetable oil, only
> ingredient was soybean oil) and kept moving the impeller and it lossened up
> and began moving freely around the rod/stem.


You might get away with it if the oil gets washed out, but I would
*never* ever use a cooking oil as a mechanical lubricant. I've done it
before with very bad results. Unlike WD-40, motor oil, and other
mineral-based oils, they can slowly harden like a varnish and then
gunk-up and completely clog a motor. I would try using pure mineral oil
which you can buy at any pharmacy. It's petroleum-based like motor oil,
but it has no toxic additives so you can even drink it (it's usually
prescribed to treat constipation). There is also such a thing as
"food-grade" silicone spray, certified non-toxic by the FDA to be OK to
use on food processing equipment. You can also use Jojoba oil, which is
an excellent natural and non-toxic plant oil often used to lubricate
fine machinery such as wris****ches.

- Logic316



"Why *not* go to war just for oil?"
-- Ann Coulter

[NetMax]

"Logic316" > wrote in message
...
> Daniel Morrow wrote:
>> You might have read one of my previous posts saying I put my penguin
>> bio-wheel power filter in my big tank. Well the first time I tried it
>> it
>> wouldn't do anything. So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
>> seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the
>> impeller
>> wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked
>> the
>> impeller assembly in vegetable oil (Crisco brand vegetable oil, only
>> ingredient was soybean oil) and kept moving the impeller and it
>> lossened up
>> and began moving freely around the rod/stem.
>
>
> You might get away with it if the oil gets washed out, but I would
> *never* ever use a cooking oil as a mechanical lubricant. I've done it
> before with very bad results. Unlike WD-40, motor oil, and other
> mineral-based oils, they can slowly harden like a varnish and then
> gunk-up and completely clog a motor. I would try using pure mineral oil
> which you can buy at any pharmacy. It's petroleum-based like motor oil,
> but it has no toxic additives so you can even drink it (it's usually
> prescribed to treat constipation). There is also such a thing as
> "food-grade" silicone spray, certified non-toxic by the FDA to be OK to
> use on food processing equipment. You can also use Jojoba oil, which is
> an excellent natural and non-toxic plant oil often used to lubricate
> fine machinery such as wris****ches.
>
> - Logic316
>

That was interesting, *saved*.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Daniel Morrow]

"Logic316" > wrote in message
...
> Daniel Morrow wrote:
> > You might have read one of my previous posts saying I put my penguin
> > bio-wheel power filter in my big tank. Well the first time I tried it it
> > wouldn't do anything. So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
> > seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the
impeller
> > wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked
the
> > impeller assembly in vegetable oil (Crisco brand vegetable oil, only
> > ingredient was soybean oil) and kept moving the impeller and it lossened
up
> > and began moving freely around the rod/stem.
>
>
> You might get away with it if the oil gets washed out, but I would
> *never* ever use a cooking oil as a mechanical lubricant. I've done it
> before with very bad results. Unlike WD-40, motor oil, and other
> mineral-based oils, they can slowly harden like a varnish and then
> gunk-up and completely clog a motor. I would try using pure mineral oil
> which you can buy at any pharmacy. It's petroleum-based like motor oil,
> but it has no toxic additives so you can even drink it (it's usually
> prescribed to treat constipation). There is also such a thing as
> "food-grade" silicone spray, certified non-toxic by the FDA to be OK to
> use on food processing equipment. You can also use Jojoba oil, which is
> an excellent natural and non-toxic plant oil often used to lubricate
> fine machinery such as wris****ches.
>
> - Logic316
>
>
>
> "Why *not* go to war just for oil?"
> -- Ann Coulter

I don't know about Ann coulter (;-) just joking around!) but thanks for the
information, I will use those alternatives in the future. I did rinse off
the impeller assembly after the lubricating too netmax - Thanks to netmax as
well for his information. I am wary of petroleum products even if they're
edible as I have had the experience in the distant past of them eating
plastic, but maybe edible petroleum products don't do that, I just don't
know. Common sense told me I could definitely lubricate this impeller
assembly and with this vegetable oil and use it without harming organisms
like my fish and plants. I have known about vegetable oil hardening in the
past when I was really young and trimming our dog's hair with oster clippers
I lubricated the clippers with vegetable oil as I was sorely lacking
appropriate oil and funds (12-13 years old, school, no job in site until 16
when I could legally get a work permit, etc.), the vegetable oil would dry
up fast (after days or a week or two) and the clippers would seize and I
would have to put more on and really jimmy it into working again - that
isn't exactly describing a varnish condition but I believe you for sure
logic316. I will probably use the edible silicone sprays in the future for
these things. Thanks, later!

[Logic316]

Daniel Morrow wrote:
> I am wary of petroleum products even if they're
> edible as I have had the experience in the distant past of them eating
> plastic, but maybe edible petroleum products don't do that, I just don't
> know.

I know what you mean. That depends on the plastic, but I'm pretty sure
most plastics manufactured these days are resistant to solvents and
pharmaceutical mineral oil (which comes in plastic bottles) is too heavy
and stable to dissolve the poorer-quality plastics anyway. You would
have to use a thin and volatile petroleum distillate like WD-40 or
gasoline for damage to occur to them, I think.


> Common sense told me I could definitely lubricate this impeller
> assembly and with this vegetable oil and use it without harming organisms
> like my fish and plants. I have known about vegetable oil hardening in the
> past when I was really young and trimming our dog's hair with oster clippers
> I lubricated the clippers with vegetable oil as I was sorely lacking
> appropriate oil

I found that out the hard way when I was 11 and lubricated my grandma's
old pedal-operated sewing machine with olive oil. It worked great for a
week or so, then completely seized up. I had to soak the whole thing in
gasoline to free it up again :-/

- Logic316



"The difference between death and taxes is death
doesn't get worse every time Congress meets."
-- Will Rogers

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

Daniel Morrow wrote:

> So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
> seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the impeller
> wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked the
> impeller assembly in vegetable oil

The seizing was probably due to a dried bio-film, so lubrication may not
have been required. In small quantities vegetable oil is certainly not
dangerous to fish, in fact if you read the ingredient list of food
flakes you'll find it there. However, better long term greesing is
achieved with vaselline (petroleum jelly, the purest form you can buy in
a pharmacy), which is safe for fish and even for humans. I use it for
example on the O-rings of canister filters.

[NetMax]

"Dr Engelbert Buxbaum" > wrote in message
...
> Daniel Morrow wrote:
>
>> So I checked the impeller and sure enough it had
>> seized (froze) because I hadn't used it for a long time and so the
>> impeller
>> wheel wouldn't move around the rod connected to the end caps. I soaked
>> the
>> impeller assembly in vegetable oil
>
> The seizing was probably due to a dried bio-film, so lubrication may not
> have been required. In small quantities vegetable oil is certainly not
> dangerous to fish, in fact if you read the ingredient list of food
> flakes you'll find it there. However, better long term greesing is
> achieved with vaselline (petroleum jelly, the purest form you can buy in
> a pharmacy), which is safe for fish and even for humans. I use it for
> example on the O-rings of canister filters.


Careful, petroleum jelly (oil based) degrades rubber gaskets (though not all
gaskets are rubber, so ymmv).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Logic316]

NetMax wrote:

>>However, better long term greesing is
>>achieved with vaselline (petroleum jelly, the purest form you can buy in
>>a pharmacy), which is safe for fish and even for humans. I use it for
>>example on the O-rings of canister filters.
> Careful, petroleum jelly (oil based) degrades rubber gaskets (though not all
> gaskets are rubber, so ymmv).

The best flexible gaskets are made of neoprene, which is resistant to
oil and other solvents which can degrade natural rubber. Say, I found an
item on the web called "Synthetic Polymer Food Grade Grease" which has
the same thickness and non-toxicity as petroleum jelly, but has no
petroleum in it. So in theory, it shouldn't hurt gaskets made of natural
rubber: http://www.pecuniary.com/synthetics/grease/FGgrease.html

- Logic316



"Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't."

[Alpha]

"Logic316" > wrote in message
...
> NetMax wrote:
>
>>>However, better long term greesing is
>>>achieved with vaselline (petroleum jelly, the purest form you can buy in
>>>a pharmacy), which is safe for fish and even for humans. I use it for
>>>example on the O-rings of canister filters.
>> Careful, petroleum jelly (oil based) degrades rubber gaskets (though not
>> all gaskets are rubber, so ymmv).
>
> The best flexible gaskets are made of neoprene, which is resistant to oil
> and other solvents which can degrade natural rubber. Say, I found an item
> on the web called "Synthetic Polymer Food Grade Grease" which has the same
> thickness and non-toxicity as petroleum jelly, but has no petroleum in it.
> So in theory, it shouldn't hurt gaskets made of natural rubber:
> http://www.pecuniary.com/synthetics/grease/FGgrease.html
..

You may have found a product, but the horrible online store does not even
have any of those stock numbers.

[Logic316]

Alpha wrote:

>>The best flexible gaskets are made of neoprene, which is resistant to oil
>>and other solvents which can degrade natural rubber. Say, I found an item
>>on the web called "Synthetic Polymer Food Grade Grease" which has the same
>>thickness and non-toxicity as petroleum jelly, but has no petroleum in it.
>>So in theory, it shouldn't hurt gaskets made of natural rubber:
>>http://www.pecuniary.com/synthetics/grease/FGgrease.html
>
> .
>
> You may have found a product, but the horrible online store does not even
> have any of those stock numbers.


The stuff can be ordered from here:
https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/gxc.aspx

- Logic316



"Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't."