This past fall, DeBoer's Auto installed a waste oil heater to replace our propane heating system.  The waste oil heater does what it is called.  We take the used oil, transmission fluid, gear oil, power steering fluid, ect and burn it for heat.  DeBoer's Auto is a strong advocate of environmental protection and energy conservation. Our multi-oil heating systems, storage tanks and recycling centers - which meet all EPA requirements for used-oil recycling - eliminate extra handling and transportation of used oils and, consequently, help avoid the possibility of used oils entering our water supplies.  We estimate that the unit will pay for itself in about 18 months of use at which time it will reduce our overhead and be able to pass the savings on to our customers.

Used-oil furnaces and boilers turn a waste product into a valuable fuel, thus conserving natural energy supplies. Here are some interesting facts.

• Used oil possesses nearly twice the energy value of coal and more energy than #2 fuel oil.
• One gallon of used oil can generate 18 kilowatt hours of electricity.
• Two gallons of used oil can provide electricity to run the average household for approximately 24 hours or... cook 48 meals in a microwave ... blow-dry your hair 216 times ... vacuum your house for 15 months ... or keep your TV on for 180 hours.

USED OIL DISPOSITION

What happens to your vehicle's used motor oil after it's collected? Good question.
Consider the following chart:

The disturbing news is that over 200 million of the 1.3 billion gallons of used oil generated in the U.S. yearly are not collected, but rather dumped illegally or accidentally into sewers, streams, drains, landfills and backyards:

• 200 million gallons is the equivalent of nearly 20 Exxon Valdez spills each year.
• One gallon of used oil can contaminate up to one million gallons of fresh drinking water.
• One quart of used oil can create a two-acre slick on surface water.
• 40% of the pollution in U.S. waterways is from used motor oil.

Sources:
American Petroleum Institute (API)
National Oil Recyclers Association(NORA)