Waste Oil Heating, What's it all About?

Waste Oil vs. Used Oil
Confused about what to call it? Take your choice. In traditional shop language, it's waste oil. At the same time, it is not a hazardous waste and should not be perceived as such. It also is not waste in the sense that it has no value. To the generator, it has much value! Therefore, many, including manufacturers of recycling products, may refer to it as used oil. Whatever the label assigned, it's only WASTE OIL if you decide not to utilize it as a valuable fuel!

Examples of Waste Oils
Typical examples are lubrication products found in the maintenance and service facilities for automobiles, trucks, heavy equipment, fleets, etc. These could consist of any combination of engine oil, transmission fluids, hydraulic oils, and even gear lubes and other acceptable lubricants that have been used.

Disposal Options
Every generator of waste oil has options for its disposal. Shipping the oil offsite through the services of a hauler is one option. Some of the waste oil shipped offsite is re-refined. Some is processed to meet acceptable specifications of lubricant and remarketed. A large percentage of waste oil shipped offiste is burned in applications such as industrial kilns, power generating plants. etc.

Waste Oil Heaters, Furnaces & Boilers
A significant amount of generators now elect to NOT ship waste oils offsite. These oils are recycled through burning in heaters, furnaces and boilers. This EPA-Approved method of recycling allows the shop owner to utilize the BTUs of the waste oils for free shop heat or hot water. At the same time, the generator is protecting the company from the environmental risks associated with having waste oils hauled away. Cradle-to-grave liability is assigned to every generator, for every gallon of waste oil shipped from the site of generation ... forever. Wise business owners and managers elect to become users of waste oil instead of shippers.

Waste Oil Users
Any firm generating acceptable quantities of waste oil, and having a need for facility heating or process hot water, is a candidate for waste oil heating. This could include everything from large fleet shops, automobile, truck and heavy equipment dealers and service centers, fast lubes, greenhouses, agricultural facilities, and even small garages.

Regulations
The Federal EPA has designated typical waste oil as acceptable fuel, to be utilized as such in onsite recycling. A heater, furnace or boiler size limit of 500,000 BTU maximum input is required. Other than that, the facility is to recycle the waste oils generated onsite or dropped off at the site by those who change their own oils, and the combustion gases must be exhausted to the outside. States, counties or municipalities may have their own requirements, but usually follow Federal guidelines. In some instances, a permit to operate a waste oil heater, furnace or boiler may be necessary.