How to Make Home Heating Oil From Waste Motor Oil

Refined oil, once used, burns at high temperatures making it an ideal heat source.

Waste oil comes from any motorized internal combustion engine. Issues with waste oil center on disposal. Most locations that offer oil changes on vehicles accept used motor oil for free or you can recycle the oil yourself. Turning used motor oil into home heating oil for a building is not a complex process. Oil furnaces burn oil to generate intense heat which heats large areas. Waste oil does not need to be converted at all to be used in place of standard heating oil. The furnace, however, requires conversion to accommodate the waste oil.

Instructions

1. Convert your current furnace to a waste-oil burner. Waste motor oil is thicker than standard burning oil. Converting your furnace requires the oil to be filtered and heated prior to injection into the furnace. Conversion kits will cost a few hundred dollars but save money by allowing you to use existing materials and fuel.

2. Build a waste-oil heater. MOTHER'S Waste Oil Heater boasts a do-it-yourself kit that allows you to use scrapped electric water heaters, some tools and time, and build your own waste-oil heater. The company states that the overall costs are as low as $36 and offers the plans online.

3. Purchase a waste-oil heater. Companies like Alternate Heating offer boilers and heaters that use alternate fuels including waste motor oil as a fuel source. While the most expensive option; purchasing a waste oil heater from an established business to replace your current heater, allows you the gaurantee of service associated with any new purchase.

Tips & Warnings

• Most waste-oil heaters can burn waste oil and alternate fuels as well as standard burning oil.

• Used motor oil releases intense heat when burning. Placing your used motor oil directly into a standard oil burner can damage the system and pose a fire hazard.

References

• University of Vermont: CONVERTING A HOME HEATING OIL FURNACE TO BURN WASTE MOTOR OIL/ WASTE VEGETABLE OIL/ BIODIESEL: PARTS/ TOOLS NEEDED WITH A FULL EXPLANATION/ DEMONSTRATION FOR A DIY PROJECT
• Journey to Forever: Roger Sander's Waste Oil Heater
• Associated Content: How to Convert an Oil Heater to Burn Waste Vegetable Oil WVO or Waste Motor Oil WMO
• Alternate Heating Systems

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish