Nine Common Waste Oil Furnace FAQs

Have you heard about waste oil heating and now wonder what all of the buzz is about? What is a waste oil furnace and how can it benefit your business?

You’re not alone!

At Clean Energy Heating Systems, we field a lot of questions about waste oil furnaces and the benefits of waste oil heating. Chances are we’ve answered many of the questions you may have in mind, so we thought we’d share some of the most frequently asked questions that our customers have had before they buy our waste oil heaters.

Waste Oil Heating FAQs

What is waste oil?

Waste oil is used motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, hydraulic fluid or any combination of them. Our waste oil furnaces burn it to produce free heat for your facility.

Where can I get waste oil?

You can generate it yourself if your business uses equipment, vehicles or machinery that runs on petroleum products. If you don’t generate it yourself, you can get it from a waste oil broker—often for far less than what you’d buy for traditional #2 heating oil.

How expensive is a waste oil furnace?

It depends on the size, but a waste oil heater will typically cost you a few thousand dollars upfront. A more important consideration is your return on that investment. Generally, a business can recoup the cost of the furnace and installation quickly—sometimes in a matter of months! We have an online ROI calculator that you can use to estimate how quickly you’d recover what you invest in buying a waste oil burner.

Is a waste oil furnace dirty?

No. Clean Energy Heating Systems furnaces in particular burn very clean. Any impurities in the waste oil they use turn into ash. Our furnaces have vertical flue tubes, allowing ash to fall into the clean-out pan.

Does a waste oil furnace smell?

Waste oil heaters burn very clean and don’t smell any different than a regular furnace.

How much money can I save with a waste oil furnace?

That depends. Several things will determine your savings, including how much you spend for heat currently and how much waste oil you produce on your own. One of our customers, a car dealership, is saving $32,000 annually with its waste oil furnace. To dig into the numbers and estimate your savings, use our online ROI calculator.

How is it different than a traditional furnace?

All in all, it’s not that terribly different except that it is designed to burn used oil instead of traditional #2 heating oil.

What are the installation requirements?

Installing it is no more complex than installing a traditional oil-powered furnace. Like a regular furnace, it requires a chimney for ventilation to the outdoors, and it needs a tank to hold the waste oil that fuels it. Clean Energy Heating Systems waste oil furnaces are designed for flexible installation with vent ports in multiple locations so you can install it as it works best for your specific building layout. Also, with knockouts in the furnace chassis that allow you to easily hang the furnace, you don’t have to use up valuable floor space.

I’ve heard that waste oil furnaces don’t fire up consistently. Is this true?

In years past, waste oil heaters on the whole got a bad rap because burners weren’t as reliable as they are today. Our waste oil furnaces have digitally controlled burners that work every single time. With regularly scheduled maintenance, you can expect them to provide you with dependable, clean, inexpensive heat all season long.

If you have other questions about waste oil heating or Clean Energy Heating Systems furnaces, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line and let us know what’s on your mind!