Quick Question on Synthetic Motor Oil.

[isekii]

Doing my oil change this morning and was wondering if it's safe to use as heating oil.
We have about 280gallons in the tank and would dumping this in there be okay ?
it's 10w-30 weight if that matters.

 

[Twerpzilla]

No, heating oil is equivalent to diesal fuel, not motor oil. Beyound that, synthetic propably does not burn like organic oil.

 

[geno]

lol

 

[Vette73]

If you are talkign about heating oil like diesal, then no.

If talking about heaters that run off motor oil then yea you should be able to. I know most can;t burn Trans fluid, but oil (reg, syn, etc...) all burn about the same in them. But read the manual if you have a older type though just to be sure.

 

[isekii]

hm.. icic.
It's the heater that uses Heating Oil #2, whatever that is.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: geno
lol

what's so funny ?
Finding this out will save me a trip to Pepboys which is a 15min drive .
And with the leadfoot I have, I burn like 3 gallons

 

[Jejunum]

this is an interesting question. what kind of heaters are available that can use old oil?

 

[raanemaan]

Heating oil is different than motor oil. They do make heaters that use motor oil as fuel.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Jejunum
this is an interesting question. what kind of heaters are available that can use old oil?

Clean Burn

 

[Jejunum]

any links that detail how they work? how safe they are? how much they cost? and how can i generate 500 gallons of used oil a year? can you buy used oil (very cheaply i assume?)

how do these furnaces setup ? Can one integrate them into a central heating unit?

thanks!

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: Jejunum
any links that detail how they work? how safe they are? how much they cost? and how can i generate 500 gallons of used oil a year? can you buy used oil (very cheaply i assume?)

how do these furnaces setup ? Can one integrate them into a central heating unit?

thanks!

Just put up a sign outside, saying that you'll take used motor oil

 

[Twerpzilla]

#2 heating oil is kerosene, which is also diesel fuel. #1 heating oil/diesel has less sulpher in it so it burns cleaner.

 

[Biggerhammer]

Kerosne and diesel are quite different, IIRC. Kersone is sometimes added to #2 as an antifreeze, though.

 

[isekii]

Eli give me an insight~!

 

[Eli]

I wouldn't.

I mean, sure.. you could probably dump it in there, and it would mix in with no ill effects.. but used engine oil is hardly pure. I'd be worried it would clog some nozzle or jet up or something.

But I don't know how oil fired furnaces really work.

~4 quarts in 280 gallons isn't going to be that big of a deal, IMO.. but I would still be weary. Sounds like a good source of contamination.

Maybe you can find something on the net, for all I know it could be acceptable common practice.

This is an issue with your furnace, not necessarily the oil itself. I don't know anything about furnaces.

The oil should technically burn, but there's no point if it is damaging to your furnace.

A gallon in 280 gallons seems so insignificant to me, though. If you do decide to do it, I wouldn't worry *TOO* much..... the sheer volume of normal #2 heating fuel compared to engine oil should take care of any significant problems...

If you kill your furnace, don't look at me though.. lol

 

[Brutuskend]

I would be surprised if it would burn at all. Seems one of the things they would engineer into synthetic oil inability to burn. However, mixed with enough regular oil (if it WILL even MIX) I would imagine it wouldn't cause trouble.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I would be surprised if it would burn at all. Seems one of the things they would engineer into synthetic oil inability to burn. However, mixed with enough regular oil (if it WILL even MIX) I would imagine it wouldn't cause trouble.

It will burn. It's true that the fire point is much higher than conventional oil.. but, it'll burn.

Mixed 1:280.... you probably would barely even be able to tell that you put it in there. It would probably change the color slightly, is all.

I think you'll be OK.. I just know that it has to be detrimental to *something* though. Is there a filter that the fuel goes through before it is burned?

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I would be surprised if it would burn at all. Seems one of the things they would engineer into synthetic oil inability to burn. However, mixed with enough regular oil (if it WILL even MIX) I would imagine it wouldn't cause trouble.

It will burn. It's true that the fire point is much higher than conventional oil.. but, it'll burn.

Mixed 1:280.... you probably would barely even be able to tell that you put it in there. It would probably change the color slightly, is all.

I think you'll be OK.. I just know that it has to be detrimental to *something* though. Is there a filter that the fuel goes through before it is burned?

yes there is a filter. it looks like a car oil filter.

 

[Klixxer]

It works like this, the impurities in the tank will sink to the bottom of the tank after a while, so turn the furnace off for a few hours and it will be at the bottom, until you refill the tank that is, then you will spend your days constantly cleaning out the filter.

The furnace works like this, a small nozzle creates a spray of diesel (you can actually go down and buy some diesel and use that instead, i have done it in the past, you do need to adjust the pressure and the point of ignition if you are going to do it for a longer time or it will burn up your nozzle rapidly) which ignites, it doesn't take a genius to understand what would happen IF any impurities would reach the nozzle.

Only use diesel or heating oil in your furnace, using motor oil would be like using diesel in your gasoline car.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
I would be surprised if it would burn at all. Seems one of the things they would engineer into synthetic oil inability to burn. However, mixed with enough regular oil (if it WILL even MIX) I would imagine it wouldn't cause trouble.

It will burn. It's true that the fire point is much higher than conventional oil.. but, it'll burn.

Mixed 1:280.... you probably would barely even be able to tell that you put it in there. It would probably change the color slightly, is all.

I think you'll be OK.. I just know that it has to be detrimental to *something* though. Is there a filter that the fuel goes through before it is burned?

yes there is a filter. it looks like a car oil filter.

Heh. Probably basically is.

I'd imagine that it would take care of anything that could potentially clog the nozzle at least, and I doubt 1:280 is going to significantly effect the way the fuel oil burns...

I dunno, it's your call. Don't blame us if your furnace only lasts 25 years instead of 30, though.

 

[isekii]

yea im jsut gonna dump it at pep boys and let them handle it

 

[Turkish]

PM Eli. He should know

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: XietyCOM
PM Eli. He should know

Why does everyone think I shoud know this? LOL..

It's really a question about furnaces, not about oil.. at least, that's the way I look at it.

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: XietyCOM
PM Eli. He should know

Why does everyone think I shoud know this? LOL..

It's really a question about furnaces, not about oil.. at least, that's the way I look at it.

cause i have seen your name in every thread about oil?

 

[Jejunum]

oh duh, eli how could you have forgotten

post on bobistheoilguy.com forums, im sure someone would know out there...

edit: question about the furnace? is it a used oil furnace or what?