Does Your Farm Generate Enough Used Oil to Heat a Shop?
The amount of oil your farm generates determines how much heating fuel it could replace. Used motor oil contains roughly 140,000 BTU per gallon. Clean Burn's smallest furnace, the CB-140, has a rated fuel input of 140,000 BTU per hour and consumes up to one gallon of oil per hour. Because some energy is lost during combustion and heat transfer, the amount of usable heat delivered to your shop will be lower than the rated input. Compare the furnace's hourly oil consumption with your annual used-oil supply to estimate how much of the heating season it could cover.
Tractors and other agricultural equipment generate more than crankcase oil. Clean Burn furnaces can also use qualifying automatic transmission fluid and hydraulic oil, subject to the manufacturer's fuel specifications. Our Clean Burn breakdown explains how these systems recover heat from used oil. Add up last year's collected gallons, including approved maintenance fluids, to assess whether a waste-oil heater makes economic sense.
Can Farmers Burn Used Oil for Heat Under EPA Rules?
Under the EPA's used oil rules, farmers averaging 25 gallons or less per month from farm vehicles or machinery over a calendar year are exempt from federal used-oil management requirements under 40 CFR Part 279. Larger operations may qualify for the space heater provision when all three conditions are met:
- Oil source: The heater burns only oil generated by the owner or operator, or oil received from household do-it-yourself oil changers.
- Heating capacity: The unit's maximum design capacity does not exceed 500,000 BTU per hour.
- Exhaust venting: Combustion gases are vented outdoors.
That means a qualifying farm can recover heat from its own used equipment oil, but accepting waste oil from another commercial operation requires a different regulatory review. Clean Burn furnaces are available with input ratings up to 500,000 BTU per hour. We also evaluate applicable Colorado and Wyoming requirements before installation.
Waste Oil Furnace vs. Boiler: Which Heater is Best For Your Farm Shop?
Waste-oil furnaces circulate heated air through machinery sheds and maintenance bays. Clean Burn models can be suspended from the ceiling or installed on an elevated platform, leaving floor space for tractors, combines, and other equipment.
Our waste oil boilers heat water for applications such as radiant floor systems or snow-melting equipment. Clean Burn offers models rated from 200,000 to 500,000 BTU per hour of input. A heated concrete slab can also provide more consistent warmth when large shop doors open frequently. The portable SunFire radiant heater warms people and objects directly. It runs on diesel or No. 2 fuel oil, unlike waste-oil furnaces and boilers.
Insulation, ceiling height, air leakage, and overhead door use all affect the heating load beyond square footage. When comparing heating solutions for farms, propane may suit operations that generate little used oil, while waste-oil systems are worth evaluating when enough approved fuel is collected on-site. Livestock barns and greenhouses require separate consideration of ventilation, humidity, and temperature control.
Choose Heating Solutions for Farms in Colorado & Eastern Wyoming
From Weld County to eastern Wyoming, winter equipment maintenance keeps farm shops busy. A waste-oil heater can keep those workspaces warm using approved oil collected on-site.
Since 1986, our Brighton team has served the region as an authorized Clean Burn distributor. Clean Burn backs its furnace heat exchangers with a 10-year or 15,000-hour warranty, whichever comes first, subject to warranty terms. Contact our team with your shop's square footage, last year's used-oil volume, and existing heating setup. We'll help determine which furnace or boiler fits your building and available fuel supply.