HHO, Hydrogen, and Alt Energy News

How many LPM do your HHO kits produce? (Liters Per Minute)

Nothing is advertised more, and lied about more often, than the LPM a kit can produce. I was just asked this the other day, so I thought an article was in order...

LPM refers to the Liters Per Minute an HHO generator can produce. It is currently measured by varying methods such as empty water bottles or gas flow meters. The problem arises from a total lack of standards in the industry and so it is fraught with unethical claims to help sell kits.

If you look at some of our competitors, they make it a point to post a high LPM rating for their kits, but if you read it carefully, they say "UP TO 3 LPM" or similar claims. Well talk about a loose definition! Up to? That means they could produce 1/2 LPM and still not technically be lying about it. SO look carefully- Buyer beware.

Another area for fraud, is an outright claim for a given LPM that seems high compared to what the efficiency ratings for comparable kits would produce. However, if you dig deeper, you will see that there is absolutely no proof or verification. No videos, no independent testing, no evidence but a wild claim to help sell kits. Again, buyer beware.

Lastly, there are the bait and switch LPM claims. These are the kinds that actually Do have a video or series of videos proving the amazing flow rates of their kits that defy logic. Why do I call them Bait and Switch? Because the videos are usually very well edited to not show the amp gauge, the voltmeter, and the generator system (all hoses), and the flow meter or bottle, all at the SAME time. Why is this important? You may not realize that a generator can be over clocked like a computer processor for a short time without damaging it. You can warm up a system, then pump 50 or 60 amps through it for a few minutes of video, and it seems to be the most amazing thing ever. But its a lie...

You can also have an amp meter showing say, 30 amps, and put 24 or even 48 volts into it for a short time, and make it seem like a heavy producer. How you ask? Easy... a typical hho generator on your car, will operate on 12-13 volts and 17 to 30 amps on average. That is about 220 - 360 watts of power (V x A = W). Now lets say you pump 24 volts in at 30 amps, and suddenly you are pumping 720 watts, which would double production (but overheat the unit in a short time). If you wanted to pump 48 volts in, you would be putting in 1440 watts of power at same amps. So technically, your "demo kit" would show 4 times the output of any other kit...

I wish everyone was honest, but we have been doing this longer than almost everyone. We were one of the first professional manufacturers and we have seen companies come and go. We've seen it all. SO that is why we don't even use the LPM measurement as a basis for our kits. If everyone played fairly, we would, but no one does, so we wont use that as a measurement.

We have established a record of what works and what doesn't. That's why we sell kits based on engine sizes, and the record of our customers results over the years, not a fictitious LPM rating. I urge you before you buy from such a site, ask them for video verification with all elements showing as I indicated. I bet you wont find ONE that will.

 

Liters Per Minute (LPM) Measurements for HHO generators

How Many Liters Per Minute?

When we first began 7 years ago, there were no standards for measuring HHO gas production from a generator (still are no standards today). There were various methods tried from plastic bottles in a bucket of water, to gas/air flow meters, to highly expensive hydrogen meters that no one could afford. One mfg used such a complicated method of measurement, that no one would ever be able to compare test results (he claimed his was absolutely the most efficient units on the market). Ridiculous. 

The upside down plastic bottle in a tank of water was and is most commonly used, but is not accurate and can have so many variables as to make it unreliable. One bottle may be ultra thin and light, another may be a heavier mil thickness, skewing the results. Since the measurement is based on timing, the start and stop times can be off by a few seconds either way, also skewing the results.

But the biggest problem in measuring the accurate production of HHO gas from a generator, is quite frankly, fraud and lying, not the measurement technique.

We used these types of gas/airflow meters instead of the bottles, as we felt they were more accurate. The argument in using these is that the heat and steam produced by an hho generator can also skew the results.

Our original kits were always tested after fully warmed up and broken in. But we found them inconsistent, and decided to not use them for hho generator systems.


How To Fake The Results

I cannot emphasize enough how MOST companies selling hho kits online, FAKE their results. That's why we quit even publishing them - whats the point if everyone is just lying about it? How do they Fake the numbers? Easy. They know you are not paying attention, so here is what most do:They Crank Up amperage/voltage Way higher than normal for short videos.They Don't show amp gauge/voltage meter at same time as gas production.They zoom in close to bubbles and turn up current out of sight of camera. They have NO PROOF and NO VIDEOS of production - so they just make up numbers.

How Can I Tell If They Are Accurate?

Best way to tell- Ask for PROOF. Not just a website claim that anyone can say. Ask to see a video of the kit working, with a visible amp gauge/voltage meter, visible at all times, while taking the measurement. If they can't or won't provide it, it is most likely FAKE. 

Remember, there are a lot of really bad kits out there, sold cheap for a quick buck. They don't care if you get results or not - just want your money. So, buyer beware! If they are willing to fake LPM claims, they are most likely willing to lie about their kits as well.