Homemade Waste Oil Furnace

My 1st attempt at heating my shop with waste oil. Burns about 1 gallon per hour. Runs on 110 volt. No air compressor is needed. Overall it works fairly well but requires tinkering to keep the oil supply and flame going and burning clean.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Waste
• oil
• furnace
• burner

[peckerwood57]

I used to buy Golden West oil in the late late '60's-early '70's for 25c a quart, to mix with gas for my motorcycle. I'm sure it was reclaimed oil. You might as well be burning it, and putting to use. Similar to people burning french fry oil in their diesels.

[2stroketurbo]

back then was a bit different. Waste oil had no use and was dumped, usually in streams. Nowadays it's better.... I did a little research. 75% of used waste oil collected is used as ' industrial fuel '

[EyEr0n]

If you put in a preheater tank and use a air atomizing nozzle instead you dont need to do all that work to get it started.

[zapwatt]

@2stroketurbo I just assumed but perhaps I should not.

[2stroketurbo]

My shop generates 500 gallons of waste oil per year. It's a lot of work to dispose of that much oil. Although I could pay 50.cents per gallon to haul it away. To heat with natural gas would be very expensive as I have a backup Gas furnace and know 1st hand. I assumed auto parts stores collect it then pay to have it hauled away where it is burned for heat in a waste oil furnace someplace. I don't think waste oil is remade into new oil. is it?

[2stroketurbo]

It does not care. It burns all fuels. Even brake fluid and thinner.

[zapwatt]

@TriHerald Although I agree this is pretty cool & possibly cleaner or at least as clean as a regular oil (Diesel1) furnace, I must disagree about this being the most "environmentally sound" method of "disposing" of used oil. Most auto parts stores accept used motor oil for recycling & to recycle used motor oil not only gives it a second life (possibly more) it slows down the consumption of virgin petroleum and in the big scheme of things, that is using less oil. Less oil=environmentally sound.