Waste Oil Heat vs. Heat Pump

Both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, waste oil heaters can help businesses save money and comply with government regulations applicable to the disposal of used petroleum products. They recycle your used motor oil, transmission fluid, and hydraulic fluid (thereby meeting stringent EPA requirements) while generating free waste oil heat for your business.

Like waste oil furnaces, heat pumps have also received a lot of attention for their cost-saving benefits. You might be wondering, “Which is better for my company, a waste oil heater or a heat pump?”

Here are some things to consider as you compare heat pumps with waste oil heaters.

How do they produce heat?

Heat pumps work by drawing heat from the cooler air around them. They absorb heat from a cooler space and move it to a warmer one, but they don’t conserve it in the process. Most of the energy used to do this comes from the external environment, so they generally use low levels of electricity. But that can also make them less efficient at heating larger spaces.

Waste oil heaters, on the other hand, emit hotter air and heat larger facilities more efficiently because they use an air swept heat exchanger. They don’t just blow hot air through the flue tubes, but also through the entire burner enclosure. By doing so, they heat air to a higher temperature before distributing it and can heat larger areas more quickly and effectively.

Can they stand up to the cold?

Because heat pumps take heat from the exterior air, some moisture could condense and become frozen on the pump’s heat exchanger.

When used where the outdoor air temperature regularly falls below freezing, heat pumps won’t perform as well. They have to work harder to produce hot air, and that increases the amount of electricity they use.

How much can they really save you?

Heat pumps may not deliver enough heat to serve your facility, requiring you to use a supplemental form of heat in addition to them. That could add to your overall energy costs.

With a well-maintained waste oil heater, one gallon of waste oil is comparable to 41.2 kWh (140,574 BTUs) of electricity. Best of all, your used oil is free.

Another thing to consider: heat pumps can be costly to install. Of course, buying a waste oil furnace is an investment, too; but most manufacturers, including we here at Clean Energy, offer flexible financing to enable the purchase of a waste oil heater.

If you have questions about the advantages of a waste oil heater over a heat pump for your business, please contact us. By learning more about your facility’s needs, we can give you all the details you’ll need to know to make an informed decision.