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"  (Photograph by Andy Sacks/Getty Images) There are a lot of good reasons to run your everyday diesel vehicle on homegrown oils--energy independence and less particulate pollution among them--but like all DIY projects, biodiesel production can have a dark side if it&amp;#039;s not undertaken with the proper precautions. I&amp;#039;ve been making my own biodiesel for eight years now and have never experienced a fire, but as more people try their hands at fuel production, the news has become peppered with cautionary tales.  I am very fortunate that I live on a farm, and so my fuel operation is conducted in a stand-alone steel building, away from houses, with a concrete floor and powered vent hose attached to the mixing chamber. I also store the methanol in steel drums outside the structure, along with the finished biodiesel. Unfortunately, when it comes to making your own fuel, you can&amp;#039;t get around working with flammable liquids and a heat source--and for most people this process is going to happen in a garage, which could be attached to a home. And so the ordinary homeowner should be extra careful when it comes to making his or her own biodiesel. The biodiesel process starts out with some form of grease, such as new or used cooking oil or animal fats. This grease is primarily made up of triglycerides, which are glycerol molecules modified by fatty acids. In order to make biodiesel you have to add an alcohol, such as methanol, and a catalyst, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The process that results, called transesterification, causes the alcohol to combine with the triglycerides, forming biodiesel and glycerin as a byproduct. Like all chemical processes, this works best when heated.  The potential hazard is introduced when you move a chemical plant into your home environment. The grease is a form of fuel (some people run their vehicles on that alone) and so is biodiesel, the finished product. Both of these fuels need to be stored outside or in fire-resistant containers. The methanol is also flammable. I store mine in the 55-gallon drum it comes in; it&amp;#039;s steel and properly marked.  Mixing methanol and sodium hydroxide into hot grease produces combustible fumes, therefore you need to have proper ventilation. All it takes is a spark, which could come from an electrical flash from a switch, a plug pulled out of a socket, electric motor brushes, the pilot light of a water heater or an open flame, if that&amp;#039;s what you&amp;#039;re using to heat your grease. Here are some other tips to follow: Before you get started, check to see if you need a permit for the storage of flammable and combustible liquids. Then, if you&amp;#039;re hooking up an electric heating element, do not use small extension cords. Heating elements draw high current; you may even have to upgrade your electrical service. The motors used to transfer liquids from one drum or container to another should have totally enclosed housings, so that no liquid gets near them. Keep a spare bag of kitty litter around in case of a spill. And of course, make sure you have the proper types of fire extinguishers near at hand (I have three) and check with local fire, building and electrical inspectors to ensure that your proposal is safe for you, your family and the community. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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