Homemade waste oil heaters are often inefficient

Although building your own waste oil heater can save you some money upfront, many operate inefficiently. Just about any type of used oil furnace can burn hot on the inside, but many DIY heaters have difficulty transferring that heat to the outside area that actually needs to be heated.

DIY waste oil furnaces can cause pollution

Waste oil heaters are a green alternative to traditional heating systems, but only when they’re built right. Some DIY waste oil furnaces may produce a flame that’s smokeless, but most don’t include the proper filtering system to get rid of harmful toxins and reduce carbon emissions.

That pollution can be hazardous to you and your other employees. And when waste oil isn’t handled properly, that puts you at risk of violating your cradle-to-grave liability.

Homemade used oil heaters can be unsafe

A lot of people who make homemade used oil heaters put them in their garages, which are often in close proximity to their homes. Many of those homemade units emit foul odors and fumes that can cause nausea and poor air quality, which can be especially unsafe for elderly people and/or small children.

Not only that, but DIY heaters can also be more prone to overheating, starting fires, and, in some cases, even explosions.

Homemade heaters need to be cleaned more frequently

Commercial grade furnaces have much longer cleaning intervals than homemade furnaces. For example, Clean Burn waste oil heaters only need to be cleaned every 1,000 hours of operation—the longest in the industry. Homemade heating systems will need to be cleaned much sooner than that.

Insurance companies may not approve homemade heaters

Before you start working on your homemade heater, keep in mind that your insurance company may not approve it. If you’re gung-ho about your homemade unit, make sure you reach out to your insurer ahead of time and make them aware of your plans.

If you ever experience a fire in your house or business workspace due to your homemade heater and damage is done, it may not be covered by your insurance company. Most companies are quite strict about sticking to safety measures and building codes in regards to heating equipment.

As a result, many insurers won’t approve the use of a homemade waste oil heater unless it meets local building codes and can pass a standard safety inspection.

They’re not cost-efficient in the long-run

Building your own waste oil heater will be less expensive up-front. But over time, it’s actually not cost-efficient in the long run. Commercial grade heaters operate more efficiently and help you cut costs on heating much better than DIY heaters.

To see how much you can save with a commercial-grade heater, check out our waste oil savings calculator.

Learn more about Clean Burn waste oil heaters

If you’re interested in learning more about Clean Burn waste oil heaters, reach out to us today at Interstate Energy. We are proud to offer the industry’s best and most durable used oil boilers and furnaces.

Contact us today to learn more about our commercial waste oil heating systems.