Waste Oil Burners - any good?

[BLiNK Motorsport]

With winter approaching our thoughts are turning to heating the workshop over the cold dark days.

 

We have managed for two years without but SteveD keeps sending us pictures of himself working naked in his workshop - 'enough is enough' cried Reechard - we need a heater! (Not to keep warm but to stop Steve sending the vial pictures of his naked body you see!)

 

Trouble is we know nothing about them so we are after some advice; we know you need a licence to burn waste oil etc but the idea seems fairly sound. 

 

What we need to know is; are they any good?

 

We are looking at this which seems reasonable value for money but would it be powerful enough to heat 2,600 sq.feet:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waste-Oil-Heater-Hiton-HP-125-30-kW-125-000-Btu-workshop-universal-oil-heater-/271264527300?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item3f28a033c4#ht_1101wt_1170

 

 

Are they easy to fit?

 

Would a WSCC member like to advise and maybe fit?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(P.S. My own solution is Richard just needs more blubber like me then he wouldn't need this!)

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Thought this was a dig at XE's for a minute     

[Wile E. Coyote]

We have managed for two years without but SteveD keeps sending us pictures of himself working naked in his workshop - 'enough is enough' cried Reechard - we need a heater! (Not to keep warm but to stop Steve sending the vial pictures of his naked body you see!)

 

I admire your optimism, but there is a risk that you'll just spur him on and cause the photographs to become more disturbing?

 

Have you looked at any of the online radiator calculators to see what they come up with for the space you're looking at heating?  Won't be perfect obviously, but might give you an idea if you're within the right order of magnitude with that one?

[1313]

[lloydox]

We had one in our last workshop there very easy to fit the hardest part is cutting a hole in the roof for the chimney

They are very dirty and you have to clear and clean the pan at the bottom every morning before lighting it

but once lit it does take the edge off the cold weather and gets rid of the waste oil :-)

[GDH]

Having worked in my fair share of cold buildings with space heaters . I have some thoughts / comments

 If the building has gone cold overnight the heater has to compete with all the cold surfaces of the building it will take a couple of hours  to push back the cold...   The heater you are looking at appears to be a convection heater. This will mean all the heat will gently rise into the roof where it has to warm up the roof and fill the roof spaces  before it works its way down to the floor.   High up in the building will be really warm !   I would strongly suggest getting some fans to blow the warm air in the roof space back down to the floor where you would be working whatever heating system you adopt.  I know this is done in all large buildings ventilation systems .

 

I have seen waste oil burners with forced draught  hot air that can directed at the work area .  You can put a fans above the convection type heater to achieve the same effect.

 

Is 30 Kw big enough ?  I doubt it because 30 kw is what is used to heat a well insulated detached 3 bed house . A 50 X 50 ft  workshop will need a bigger heater  to be able to warm the building quickly on a cold morning and to recover from  the main door being opened. It will take the chill off .

 

As the waste oil is free It may be better to have a 30 Kw heater running 24 hrs a day so the building does not freeze down. This might even give the floor slab a chance of warming a little . The warm structure will help with temperature recovery when main door is opened.  This depends on how much concrete walling you have to act as a storage heater.  As an after thought do you store lube oils ? ... they should be kept above 10 C  to prevent the additive pack precipitating out and ending up on the bottom the the container.

[Leftfield]

If you need a price for recirc fans and a speed controller let me know.

Have a look here for the benefits, make a huge difference.

http://www.rg-cloud.com/RGUK/techspecs/CESFSUK_RevE.pdf

[s2rrr]

Fraser, my mate has one of these in the garage in Timperley and its been working for about 18 months I guess. Fairly easy installation burns waste oil and heats the place very well. Initial cost a bit high nearer the 2k but free heat and gets rid of oil etc which I believe can be sold on. I reckon he considers it a vast improvement worth the money. They do have to faff about sometimes to get it lit and clean out the burner line of cr*p but when all said and done you are burning carbon loaded oil. Another friend is considering one for his own domestic garage as he has a source of waste oil.

 

I would invest in one.

 

Bob  

[alexander72]

I sell my waste oil but have a wood burner for my workshop..... 

[FILFAN]

You could map my xe when the head goes on and use the exhaust to heat the place for a few hours.