To expand on my earlier question.
Years ago a standard fixture in auto repair shops was the waste-oil
heater.
It consisted of about 6 six-ft sections of sheet-metal stove pipe, joined
by U-bends so the straight pieces ran parallel, and horizontal one above the
other. The top one ended in a 90-deg elbow to a vertical exhaust stack. The
bottom one also had an elbow pointed down.
All this was supported by an angle-iron frame to hold it together.
Below the bottom opening to the elbow was a flat rock, iron skillet, or
anything else suitable. Waste oil was poured into a drum mounted off the
ground. A ball-valve was attached to the bottom of the drum, with a piece of
copper tubing leading down to the rock or skillet "firebox".
The fire was started with paper, then the oil valve was opened to drip
onto it. Within 30 minutes about half of the stovepipe "radiator" would be
cherry red. The rate of drip could be varied to regulate the heat.
These worked great, but they present to much fire hazard for me. I'm
sure any firefighter would faint if he saw one of these today.
I am thinking in terms of adding this sort of arrangement to my current
wood-burning stove. The firebox would be contained inside the current
55-gallon drum stove, which has proven to be safe.
Rex Burkheimer
Marketing Director, WM Automotive Warehouse
Fort Worth TX rex@wmautomotive.com
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
----- Original Message -----
From: Joe Flake <flake@a3115jmf.atl.hp.com>
To: "Rex Burkheimer" <rex@wmautomotive.com>
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: waste-oil heaters?
> Rex,
>
> You asked about burning waste engine oil...
>
> Sounds like a great topic for two generally opposed forces:
>
> 1) The enviornmentalists who don't want you to burn anything,
> especially something which might be laden with toxins.
>
> 2) The "survivorist" types who want to live off whatever is
> available.
>
> I remember seeing a waste oil burner at a VW repair shop
> many years ago. Was a very simple arrangement, with a supply
> up high, tubing with a valve leading into the fire. He got it
> started with wood/paper, then cracked the valve so that there
> was a steady drip. ISTR that he had a rim, or perhaps some
> VW cylinders, inside the barrel/burner where the oil dripped.
> Not high tech, probably not safe, probably not "environmentally
> correct", but definately quite warm!
>
> I'd suggest going to your local newsstand and getting a copy
> of Mother Earth News. I'll bet there are some ads there for
> this sort of thing.
>
> Joe
> flake@a3115jmf.atl.hp.com
>
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