Thread: Oil burning shed heaters

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

As I have a heap of old sump and trans oil here I'm in the process of knocking this one up Mother Earth: Waste Oil Heater
It may be like a Land Rover though

Tony

Hi Tony,
I'd be very interested to hear how it works out. I looked at the Mother Earth design, and to me it looked as if it would be hard to make. Not in that any particular parts were hard, but there seems to be many fiddly pieces that would be very hard to make look tidy (for me anyway). I'm a great believer in making things rather "robust". They never break, but they can be a problem to work on without a sturdy overhead eyebolt.

A small but virtually invisible plug conceals an eyebolt anchorage in the ceiling above my heater. This is welded to a pair of 2" x 1" RHS strongbacks across 4 rafters, with a 1/2" thread, into which I can screw a standard 1 tonne eyebolt. Nothing in the heater weighs more than about 45- 50kgs, and the roof joists would only safely support 150kgs, but like I said, I like things to be "robust".

With the ME heater, looking at the flame in several YouTube clips, it always seems "lazy" with plenty of red smokey tongues, although that is possibly due to the loss of draft when the door was opened to film the flame.

Please keep us informed of your progress, I might try one in my shed as i have literally tonnes of oil in storage.



This used to be the stable, now it's "Sump Oil Central", the main tank holds 1800ltrs and I have 1000 ltr emergency tank on the other side of the rear wall in what used to be the wood shed. The header tank(s) from which the oil gravitates to the house holds a further 400 ltrs.

I forgot to add this last night.

For those who need a good sized storage tank at a very reasonable price, I would recommend that you approach a local fuel distributor about one of his used 1000ltr bulk containers, as they get all manner of products in them. I paid $130 for mine.

Because I have adequate storage at home, it now resides at a local garage where they fill it with old oil and when I want to take it home they lift it onto the tray with their forklift. Easy Peasey!

My motor driven transfer pump is in the foreground. It uses a new vertical shaft 3 HP lawn mower motor and a cheap Chinese vane type oil pump turning at about 100 RPM which takes 40 minutes to empty the tank. I really need a larger pump but it looks like I might just have to add a second pump which would make the plumbing rather untidy.

Originally Posted by ozzirt

You poor devil Brian, I love cold winters and hot dry summers. It gives the year some definition.

I grew up on the Western plains where it gets below zero in winter and would never live there again. I chucked in good jobs in Melbourne and Sydney when I could no longer tolerate the ****ty climate. I long ago formed the opinion that the habitable part of Australia lies between Gladstone and Grafton within 40 miles of the coast. Everywhere else is too hot in summer or too cold in winter or both.

Tasmania has "definition". Winter far too cold, summer too cold. Maybe Melbourne, summer far too hot, winter far too cold, often on the same day.

I know that I'm "different", but I have never been able to see what encourages people to move to the sub tropics. We visit friends (and a relative) in Brisbane and I'm never more pleased to get home. That warm stuffy weather just saps all desire to go and do things. I guess it's the humidity. I think that as far as climate goes I would live somewhere with a climate more like Coober Pedy.

I was at sea all my working life, and I never want to see salt water again. Ya' can't drink it, it kills the lawn, and it rots everything it gets within 10 miles of, it's only saving grace being, that salt water fish can live in it. I have no desire to catch them either, it's far cheaper and easier and more fun to buy exactly what you want at the local fish shop. You dont come home smelling like walrus breath ****ed off, and sunburnt,... then you've gotta clean the boat.

Yeah, been there and done that.

If you invest in them liquid storage crates,store them inside the shed.They break down reasonably quickly with UV exposure,seen a few stuffed ones that were used for irrigating illegal plants rotting in the bush and a few on the local tip in similar condition.
Andrew

those things also come in the black plastic like diesel jerries and theyve got better UV properties.

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

If you invest in them liquid storage crates,store them inside the shed.They break down reasonably quickly with UV exposure,seen a few stuffed ones that were used for irrigating illegal plants rotting in the bush and a few on the local tip in similar condition.
Andrew

Thanks for the heads up.

It is in a shed, and only a few months old as yet. Obviously there must be different grades, because we used these for carting water out to a ship for over five years, they were not stored under cover and until I left there had been no problems. To be safe though, I might just give it a couple of coats of black paint put it permanently into the shed as my emergency tank and use my steel tank for pickups. A 1000 litres of sump oil in the middle of the road wouldn't win me many friends. In the meantime I'll watch one being used locally as a header tank on a 12 ft stand in direct sunlight. If that splits,... I'll have to move quickly, unless of course I can find a Black one as talked about by Blknight.aus.

Andy, I see you are in Williams. The guys at West Arthur shire have a Demon oil burning heater in their Darkin depot. Perhaps they'd be happy to let you have a look for ideas? Also the Mt Barker speedway have one or two of them.
cheers
Steve