Converting a fuel oil furnace to burn waste oil? Possible?

[toprecycler]

Do you get much snow/ cold weather? Maybe steel / galvanized pipe in case you need to heat it to warm oil for it to flow? Can throw welding leads on both ends in worse case.

After seeing your sludge from the centerfuge, I’m thinking I should up my filtering game. I thought I’ve been doing ok, but I’ve noticed my furnace not wanting to kick out the btus lately and can’t get fire to roar like before. Maybe if I filter oil better, it will not clog the tips/ lines so bad.


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[allessence]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

After seeing your sludge from the centerfuge, I’m thinking I should up my filtering game. I thought I’ve been doing ok, but I’ve noticed my furnace not wanting to kick out the btus lately and can’t get fire to roar like before. Maybe if I filter oil better, it will not clog the tips/ lines so bad.

Hey Brian. It will get -# F but 0-30f pretty normal.

I'd run 3/4" lines, maybe even 1". This would be then filtered and centrifuge to the feeder tank.

As to your drip burner and not as many BTUs. The lines get
coked up. Probably just needs cleaning.

While having the waste oil burner setup like I have may not seem like a cheap solution like doing it on the down low.

Knowing what I know now I can mimic what I have and make several improvements

I have no regrets going the route I have. It's fantastic walking into the school and having it warm. Today was 6f and 65f inside.

I can not imagine having to pay 2.00 per gallon of propane, nor 3.99 gal for #2. 1200x 4.00 at 4800.00 for the season would kill me.

I've got maybe 6k in all the equipment, over the last 3 years and have spent maybe 800.00 on oil.

Time is worth something, but as I am dialing in the method and system that burden of time and energy goes down.


Are you using copper feeder tube?

[toprecycler]

Don’t judge my temporary setup too harshly.

Currently I have a metal 6 gallon bucket on top of the heater that I pour oil into. It has a 1/4” pipe welded in about 1” from the bottom. ( I originally made this bucket up to put water onto a brick/ tile saw when I was cutting fire brick up for maple syrup stove 10+ years ago)

I put a tee with another valve in so I can drain the bottom of the bucket if I get water into it, so I can purge it out quicker. It’s going thru a braided steel line to the pump, which is just sitting on top of the furnace too.

From pump, it goes to a filter, which is just a wire mess type, so I can clean it. I want to modify the bleed screw on top and bottom drain screw so I can install ball valves in these places. Will help in draining water at times, and then bleeding air out, for when I run out of oil, which I have done once or twice.

From the filter, it is a rubber line down to furnace inlet regulator.I had also installed a tee with ball valve here so I can pump lines clear here, if I get some bad oil with water in it.

Basically I’m learning short cuts to purge bad oil out when I get some by mistake. I guess you get what you pay for, and when I happily accept free oil, I get subpar oil with lots of other crap too. I’m learning this lesson the hard way.


The furnace is still on the pallet I received it on 2-1/2 years ago? Or this might be my 3rd winter heating with it. I am working more in the shop this winter so far, and I only turn it in when I am working in it.

I was about 25 degrees in shop and after 15 minutes it’s up to 35-40. But the fire isn’t burning as well as it usually is. Maybe oil is not as good, or tip/ lines coked up like you suggested. But it is warming the shop up. I’ve been running the shop around 50-60. Still working with a coat on, but helps a lot taking big chill off.

Maybe next summer, I will spend more time getting the shop better buttoned up/ insulated, and might try to keep it heated all the time, maybe at least to 40 degrees, and be able to turn it up warmer when I actually work in it.

I’m been hearing good things about geo thermal systems, and part of me is wanting to see if I can reverse engineer a system cheaply to keep my pole barn warm, without breaking the bank electric wise.

I’m trying to get my home hobby shop setup for someday when I might think about retirement, probably another 15 years, and am thinking about the actual cost of the overhead costs with heating and lights and such. When I go onto the fixed retirement income, I want to be able to tinker as much as I want, and still be able to enjoy it.






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[greywynd]

A trick an oil furnace guy told me about for outside tanks. Run as large a pipe from outdoors to in, say 2”, as that allows a volume to be inside prewarming before it gets to the furnace. Even for standard oil furnaces he would do that in places to help keep things from gelling up.


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[allessence]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

Don’t judge my temporary setup too harshly.

Currently I have a metal 6 gallon bucket on top of the heater that I pour oil into. It has a 1/4” pipe welded in about 1” from the bottom. ( I originally made this bucket up to put water onto a brick/ tile saw when I was cutting fire brick up for maple syrup stove 10+ years ago)

I put a tee with another valve in so I can drain the bottom of the bucket if I get water into it, so I can purge it out quicker. It’s going thru a braided steel line to the pump, which is just sitting on top of the furnace too.

From pump, it goes to a filter, which is just a wire mess type, so I can clean it. I want to modify the bleed screw on top and bottom drain screw so I can install ball valves in these places. Will help in draining water at times, and then bleeding air out, for when I run out of oil, which I have done once or twice.

From the filter, it is a rubber line down to furnace inlet regulator.I had also installed a tee with ball valve here so I can pump lines clear here, if I get some bad oil with water in it.

Basically I’m learning short cuts to purge bad oil out when I get some by mistake. I guess you get what you pay for, and when I happily accept free oil, I get subpar oil with lots of other crap too. I’m learning this lesson the hard way.


The furnace is still on the pallet I received it on 2-1/2 years ago? Or this might be my 3rd winter heating with it. I am working more in the shop this winter so far, and I only turn it in when I am working in it.

I was about 25 degrees in shop and after 15 minutes it’s up to 35-40. But the fire isn’t burning as well as it usually is. Maybe oil is not as good, or tip/ lines coked up like you suggested. But it is warming the shop up. I’ve been running the shop around 50-60. Still working with a coat on, but helps a lot taking big chill off.

Maybe next summer, I will spend more time getting the shop better buttoned up/ insulated, and might try to keep it heated all the time, maybe at least to 40 degrees, and be able to turn it up warmer when I actually work in it.

I’m been hearing good things about geo thermal systems, and part of me is wanting to see if I can reverse engineer a system cheaply to keep my pole barn warm, without breaking the bank electric wise.

I’m trying to get my home hobby shop setup for someday when I might think about retirement, probably another 15 years, and am thinking about the actual cost of the overhead costs with heating and lights and such. When I go onto the fixed retirement income, I want to be able to tinker as much as I want, and still be able to enjoy it.

so you running your unit, your kinda in the same boat as I am.

Your running a full on forced hot air furnace..

I just thought you were running a drip stove with a tube in it.

This changes things quite a bit for you..

Do you have a way to control the temperature of your heater at the nozzle?

Thats a nice unit.. CB???

I have 2 of these outside in the back. CB1800 with CB-525-S2 burner. I bought the tanks and 2 furnace bodies with 1 burner. Was a decent package deal when I was looking for more oil storage. Came with non regulated feeder pumps..

Do you have a real metering pump that came with the unit?

by the way.. It looks good to me..

and congrats on getting heat and things ready for retirement.

Makes perfect sense to me.. I figure if the school does not work out it will be a lovely place to hang out..

I have found that the oil burner and the temperature of the oil plays into how much heat comes out.. What I mean is, there is a temperature the burner is happiest at..

I also found that having the building about 50 to 60F helps a bunch when heating the space.. If the temperature starts off at 30F not a single thing with the oil burner is happy..

it does not like low temperature starts..

Seems to take a little time at that 50-60F range to make it happy again.

I have a metering pump that is adjustable so I can control the flame/burn..

I also installed a 1/2gallon per hour nozzle. This helps with the smaller burn chamber..

On the CB1800 that want a 1.3gph burn rate.

Let me know what model your furnace and burner are.. I bought the manual for my units so can copy it..

Originally Posted by greywynd

A trick an oil furnace guy told me about for outside tanks. Run as large a pipe from outdoors to in, say 2”, as that allows a volume to be inside prewarming before it gets to the furnace. Even for standard oil furnaces he would do that in places to help keep things from gelling up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

makes sense and good info..

In the Clean burn manual they say 3/4" copper is the largest size that want used for all tanks.. Inside, outside, buried.. But then a few pages later it mentions 1".. So there is that..

I'd have a hard time plumbing stuff at 2", but I do love the logic behind it and the industrial nature of it.

I'll be looking for Roth double oil tanks for storage so they have oil tank sized fittings.. Maybe 2" would be possible.

Orginally I was thinking there has to be a way to make auto tank selection possible.

What I mean is "not having to switch levers/hoses from tank to tank..

On a vacuum system you could just open the valve on the last tank and it would feed thru the other tanks in secession..

But having to have them vented changes that..

[toprecycler]

Can you have multiple tanks hooked together with pipe outlets at the bottom. I would have a valve on each one so you could close one off. I think at work we have 3 275 gallon fuel oil tanks hooked together. I might be wrong, they may pump oil from one to another.


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[toprecycler]

I know there is a heater tube inside the control box on the furnace blower unit.

I am just running the original standard pump. There is a pressure regulator that I usually keep around 5#, but lately it’s been up to 10-15# and the flame is not as hot as it normally. I should pull the burner out and check the tip again. But,I’ve been trying to get some side work projects done, so as long as the oil burner is working, I’m letting it go.

I do have a thermostat set up so I can set it and it will come on and off and keeps the shop warm. I also have another fan helping circulate the air. My shop is 30’x40’ with 10’ ceilings. 1” styrofoam insulation on inside ceiling, and outside of the walls. Three sides have yet to be sided. It’s only been since 1994 when my dad and I built the shop. There are some gaps still in the walls/ around doors, so I’m pretty happy at getting the shop to 60-70 degrees inside when it is 10-20 outside.


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[gimpyrobb]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

I’m been hearing good things about geo thermal systems, and part of me is wanting to see if I can reverse engineer a system cheaply to keep my pole barn warm, without breaking the bank electric wise.


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Good info here been thinking of doing something similar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUWjjjFgXdg&t=84s

[allessence]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

Can you have multiple tanks hooked together with pipe outlets at the bottom. I would have a valve on each one so you could close one off. I think at work we have 3 275 gallon fuel oil tanks hooked together. I might be wrong, they may pump oil from one to another.

If the oil is super clean one could suck off the bottom like in a #2 fuel oil tank.

Not really recommended for used oil though.. A syphon system was what I was thinking.. I might do something like this anyhow..


Venting is needed but time will tell what I come up with..

Originally Posted by toprecycler

I know there is a heater tube inside the control box on the furnace blower unit.

I am just running the original standard pump. There is a pressure regulator that I usually keep around 5#, but lately it’s been up to 10-15# and the flame is not as hot as it normally. I should pull the burner out and check the tip again. But,I’ve been trying to get some side work projects done, so as long as the oil burner is working, I’m letting it go.

I do have a thermostat set up so I can set it and it will come on and off and keeps the shop warm. I also have another fan helping circulate the air. My shop is 30’x40’ with 10’ ceilings. 1” styrofoam insulation on inside ceiling, and outside of the walls. Three sides have yet to be sided. It’s only been since 1994 when my dad and I built the shop. There are some gaps still in the walls/ around doors, so I’m pretty happy at getting the shop to 60-70 degrees inside when it is 10-20 outside.

That is awesome.. The manual i have for the CB reads.

Originally Posted by gimpyrobb

Good info here been thinking of doing something similar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUWjjjFgXdg&t=84s

I looked into this years ago.. There is definitely a way..

I wish I knew what I know now when I first started this project.

That information will come in handy next go around.. LOL..

[toprecycler]

Thanks for the picture of the book. I don’t think I have that manual. I will look into those settings.

Do you think you will still have much settlement out of the used oil after you filter and centerfudge it?


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