Used Drain Oil

[Junkman]

There are a lot of local shops that will take the waste oil, but they want you to take the empty containers back. For this reason, I stopped bringing them the oil. The local auto parts store takes the old oil, and then you toss the empty container into their dumpster, and you are done.

 

[carterbeauford]

what's with the burning guys? Oil is recyclable. Return it to your recycling center / household hazardous waste center.

never heard of such a thing around here.

 

[Dubbydoo]

ive got a 55 gallon drum and when its full I call safety kleen and they come pump it for me free of charge

 

[BellyUpFish]

To put it in a gallon jug or whatever, without a mess, I have replaced my drain plug with a Fumoto valve. Put a hose on it and you are golden. It works fantastically.

I'll be switching all my vehicles over to these during the next oil changes.. Looks like a sweet, mess free, setup..

It would take a while since both a milk jug and a motor oil jug are made from the same type of plastic, high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

It doesn't take that long.. I made a pretty good mess with oil in a milk jug and kitty litter jug.. Ate right through the bottom.

ive got a 55 gallon drum and when its full I call safety kleen and they come pump it for me free of charge

Are you a "customer?" I've been thinking about getting a drum and just filling it up. 55 gallons would take me forever, though..

 

[whyNick?]

My grandpa is a thrifty fellow. He used to heat his house with wood supplemented with 'logs' he made from tightly rolled newspaper. He'd stand the rolls on end in a 5 gallon bucket, pour in some motor oil, and let 'em soak. They were messy to handle but burned good.

 

[rslaback]

If you can afford the space you can get guys to haul it off for you. I have an auto program at my school and the kids end up making about 30 gallons a year. It's a mess for me to transport it in 5 gallon buckets,

I made an oil storage tank out of a fiberglass pressure tank and put it on a cart. I have a wall mounted funnel that the kids hang the drain pan above. When it gets a decent amount in it I post a craigslist ad and usually it is gone within the day.

I put a fuel transfer hose and nozzle on the bottom of the tank at the normal inlet/outlet. To pump it out we bolt the pressure cap back on top and pressurize the tank a bit and then pump it out like gas. The tank was free so I only have about $60 in it all.

 

[Paco Pena]

I save the empty 5L jugs and pour the used oil into them. Transport in a tote to Canadian Tire. I drop it off when I have 20 L or so.

Paco

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Do not let the oil sit in milk jugs too long. The oil will eventual eat through them.

That's a myth. Milk jugs, cooking oil containers, motor oil containers & gas cans are all made of HDPE...

Tommy

 

[wyb2]

That's a myth. Milk jugs, cooking oil containers, motor oil containers & gas cans are all made of HDPE...

Tommy

The oil dissolving the HDPE is a myth, but the fact that oil will slowly leak out of milk jugs is not. I have tried all different containers, the consumable product containers (milk, oj, spring water, etc) always seem to leak, most other things don't. I believe it has to do with how tight the seams are made at the bottom of the container, that's where it seems to leak from.

Fun fact: if you fill a milk jug with dirty oil, clean oil will leak out the bottom. You could use it as a filter if you are very, very patient.

 

[GreenNV]

I pour mine into a 5 gallon jerry can with a threaded spout welded on. I then take it to an auto parts store, i.e., Autozone, Wal-Mart, O'Reilly's for disposal. Some auto parts stores want you to register your name, amount, etc whereas others do not. I do not know why they have an ID policy. Many county landfills have facilities for collecting oil, antifreeze, etc. so you can also check with them.

 

[BellyUpFish]

That's a myth. Milk jugs, cooking oil containers, motor oil containers & gas cans are all made of HDPE...

Tommy

I don't know how much myth. I've seen it happen on both milk and kitty litter jugs.

 

[Anglia Guy]

I take mine to an oil change place like Jiffy. They take all I can give them. I used to pour it around the foundation of my house for years. It did well in keeping the termites away.

 

[LIGOOMBA]

I put it in a 55 gallon drum.I use it for my waste oil heater.

 

[finn]

The gallon of milk I bought last Monday leaked (seeped) out the bottom of the jug it came in while in the refrigerator. I don't think your problem is caused by the oil per se, it is the thin, porous milk jug, possibly compounded by low viscosity oil.

 

[owenst7]

I don't know how much myth. I've seen it happen on both milk and kitty litter jugs.

You are mistaking mechanical failure for chemical failure. Milk jugs are made of exactly the same material as gas cans, oil jugs, fuel cells, etc. HDPE is just about one of the most chemically inert materials known to man.

Milk jugs are very thin and poorly welded, and frequently leak water from the welds and/or creases if you reuse them. They very much are prone to leaking with oil (or any liquid), but not because they are dissolving.

 

[BellyUpFish]

You are mistaking mechanical failure for chemical failure. Milk jugs are made of exactly the same material as gas cans, oil jugs, fuel cells, etc. HDPE is just about one of the most chemically inert materials known to man.

Milk jugs are very thin and poorly welded, and frequently leak water from the welds and/or creases if you reuse them. They very much are prone to leaking with oil (or any liquid), but not because they are dissolving.

I can buy that..

The fact remains though, if you leave oil in a milk jug for very long, occasionally some of them will fail..

 

[owenst7]

I can buy that..

The fact remains though, if you leave oil in a milk jug for very long, occasionally some of them will fail..

Totally agree. I used to use milk jugs as a roofer for drinking water because they were cheap enough to throw away rather than washing off the mastic and contact adhesives. Even the better quality ones would either start leaking or bust open at a weld within a couple days. I will point out that despite being on a job site, I was actually being pretty careful with them, and they really weren't being handled any rougher than they are during the trip to the store and then to the consumer's home. HDPE is an excellent, durable material, but the actual milk jugs from that material however are barely thick enough to make it from the cow to the glass before falling apart. They only need to last about four weeks inside a fridge. Carting oil back and forth and being tossed around a garage is much more mechanical abuse than they are intended for.

The clear jugs used for soda, orange juice, lemonade, etc. are usually PETE I believe, which is a totally different material. The molecules are much more prone to cross-linking when exposed to UV radiation, which is why they get brittle and break down in sunlight like a lot of cheap polymers. I don't recall PETE being very oil/solvent resistant, which is probably another reason those containers tend to break down if you use them for oil.

 

[wrench409]

I had two jugs eaten through in just a few months...made quite the mess.

I buy distilled water in gallon jugs for my sleep apnea breathing machine. I had 5 of them in the closet. Three leaked and made a mess. Now I just buy two at a time.


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[Wangstang]

I buy distilled water in gallon jugs for my sleep apnea breathing machine. I had 5 of them in the closet. Three leaked and made a mess. Now I just buy two at a time.

You can purchase a heavy plastic container to use as a catch pan that will hold all 5 gallons.


Just a humorous side note....A friend worked as a manager for at a parts house in pretty large town in the NC mountains. This town is full of people who self identify as "tree huggers" and such. So, when the conversation would come up about what the parts house did with the used oil that was turned into the barrel, said friend had a ringer of a story ready.

He would spend a few minutes talking about how they collected oil from various shops all week and allowed individuals to bring the oil in as well, providing a free disposal service and how it really saved these shops and individuals time and money. He would then tell the audience that on Sunday night, he would transfer the oil into a large tank on a truck to haul it away to Tennessee, where he would go to various mountain tops with creeks and drain 50 gallons at a time into creeks at the tops of the mountains.

The immediate response was always which was quickly followed "Why would you do that?". He would quickly respond "What?... Oil comes from the ground and if you put in at the top of the stream on a mountain it gets spread all down the mountain through the creek and can seep back into the ground...you know...where it came from...."

The entire story was delivered time and time again without any hint that it was joke but it was always delivered when their was a mix of the "tree huggers" and car guys in the crowd. The car guys always end up bent over laughing because they knew he had to be joking. Meanwhile, the tree huggers look like their head is on the verge of exploding over the decision of what to do first, call the EPA, kill said friend or go try to save the wildlife in said creeks.

About time the tree huggers look like they have made the decision to kill said freind, he'd burst out laughing, and explain the real story about it all going to a recycling facility where it's filtered and repurposed...making it clear that the oil never ends up in a creek.

It was quite a spectacle to watch.

Wes

 

[Clik]

It's perfectly acceptable to strain used engine oil into older diesel trucks (I don't know about the new Low Sulphur mandated computer ****). Trucking companies have done this for years. In fact some diesels could be spec'ed with engine systems that required no oil changes because the crankcase oil was metered into the fuel system and you simply added oil more often. It's usually recomended to keep it below 20%. In winter you might make it less for obvious reasons.

It also makes a good wood preservative because of the oil and because it has heavy metals, just like pressure treated wood used to (I don't know about the new pressure treated EPA stuff). Just don't plant your veggie garden next to the treated wood. I wouldn't plant near a house anyway because of termite treatments, etc.

Ever wonder why barns were red? Same thing. Iron oxide mixed with milk was used to paint barns because the milk was available and bugs don't like the taste of metal. Tobacco barns were typically unpainted because tobacco farmers didn't have cows and a supply of milk.

 

[tshetter]

That's a myth. Milk jugs, cooking oil containers, motor oil containers & gas cans are all made of HDPE...

Tommy

I have had it happen. NOT a myth.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I have had it happen. NOT a myth.

I will 100% agree that milk containers leak, but saying petroleum products eat through HDPE is absolutely a myth. 55 gallon oil drums & milk cartons are both HDPE. Oil/gasoline/petroluem products do not degrade HDPE. HDPE is HDPE, period. It's physical/chemical properties do not differ from one application to another. The difference in containers is only in material thickness & manufacturing process. I would bet you had a seam failure, puncture or abrasion, not any chemical degradation of the material. Either that or the container you had your oil in wasn't HDPE...

How many "leaking" milk jugs do you see at the store? So, milk eats through HDPE, too?

Tommy

 

[fatboysoffroad]

I live a block off the main drag. I collect oil in a couple five gallon buckets then strap them to a two wheel cart and take them to the oil change place across the ally.

Easy-peesy lemon-squeezy!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[e-tek]

Fun fact: if you fill a milk jug with dirty oil, clean oil will leak out the bottom. You could use it as a filter if you are very, very patient.

That's a myth. Milk jugs, cooking oil containers, motor oil containers & gas cans are all made of HDPE...

Tommy

You two may want to look up "Myth" and "Fact"..... just sayin'

I'm at walmart once a week anyway...

Not something you really want to be known for....

ive got a 55 gallon drum and when its full I call safety kleen and they come pump it for me free of charge

Me too! Haven't had to empty it for nearly 3 years tho!

 

[BellyUpFish]

So, milk eats through HDPE, too?

Of course it does.. They've been using raw Egyptian Mau milk to "biodegrade" HDPE for eons..

 

[LS6 Tommy]

You two may want to look up "Myth" and "Fact"..... just sayin'

OK, I retract the word "myth" and substitute the phrase "common misconception"...

Tommy

 

[91FE]

This thread got me thinking... Can I recycle my used oil in my HHO tank or would it totally mess with my boiler? The couple of gallons I'd add would be pretty diluted in a 275 gallon tank...right?

 

[Dubbydoo]

I'll be switching all my vehicles over to these during the next oil changes.. Looks like a sweet, mess free, setup..



It doesn't take that long.. I made a pretty good mess with oil in a milk jug and kitty litter jug.. Ate right through the bottom.



Are you a "customer?" I've been thinking about getting a drum and just filling it up. 55 gallons would take me forever, though..

I had to setup an account but they dont charge for picking it up

 

[Steroblan]

If I didn't burn the oil for heat, I would waste electricity or propane to heat the shop so it is recycling and saving other energy too.

 

[ATC]

I dump my oil into 5-gal buckets with lids (old hydraulic oil and motor oil buckets). When 2 or 3 of them are full, I haul them down to AdvanceAuto on my way to work...

 

[Dahammer72]

I have 2 5 gallon Zep Purple Power containers with pour spouts that use to store it in until I get around to taking it somewhere to empty them. I usually take it to my local Walmart because it's no hassle. I just drive up to the exit of the service bay and hand it to one of their service guys whom empties it into their drain in the pit. But they won't take brake fluid or antifreeze, so when I have those I carry it all to Sears.

 

[turbodave]

I haul mine to the quick lube I worked at many years ago, still friends with the owners and they are happy to take it. The recycling service was paying them $1.25 a gallon last time I emptied my 3 5gal containers there. I bring a bucket full of filters in also, the same service that collects the oil takes filters too.

 

[unslow1]

My oil drain uses compressed air to empty so I use two 5 gal gas containers to take the oil to the Advance autoparts to dispose. My local Autozone will only take a couple gals at a time. The Advance auto has never said anything to me for bringing 10 gal at a time.

That's who I use. No questions asked and I get to keep my containers.

 

[onewheat]

I buy distilled water in gallon jugs for my sleep apnea breathing machine. I had 5 of them in the closet. Three leaked and made a mess. Now I just buy two at a time.

I buy distilled water for batteries and they always seem to leak too - I now pour them into windshield washer fluid jugs when I buy them. They are nice and thick. They also work great for old oil too if an empty 5 qt Mobil 1 jug isn't around.

Old oil goes to Auto Zone, Wal-Mart or Advance Auto Parts - they all take it with no problems up to 5 gallons officially but I have never been turned down for more. They will all throw away my old jugs or give them back - whatever I prefer.

 

[teamextreme]

I learned my lesson with milk jugs decades ago when I was young and didn't know any better. Even if they don't leak, the lids are cheezy and pop off. After I had the top pop off of one soaking my carpeted truck bed, I will never use a milk jug again. I switched for years to a 2 or 3 gallon Tide detergent bottle, which was super thick and worked well. Plus it was re-usable, so you don't have to worry about disposing of oily containers. Now I use an old 5 gallon jerry can, which is the best by far.

To the person who thinks it's acceptable to dump used oil in the trash, do us all a favor and grow a conscience. You buy that oil from a store and unless you're buying quarts from 7-11, they have a recycle tank. I've been dropping off oil at dozens of different locations over decades and I've never been given any grief. If you get grief, you're either doing something wrong, in which case get with the program, or you have an employee who is an ***, in which case contact the manager. If he's the problem, contact corporate.

 

[b-body-bob]

This thread reminded me, I need to make a run to Advance to dispose of a few gallons.

I was painting a bicycle this fall and made the mistake of dumping left over paint and thinner from cleaning the gun into a jug half full of oil. I thought it would blend in but the last time I checked, it still smells like thinner. Ooops.

 

[Bunchgrass]

This thread got me thinking... Can I recycle my used oil in my HHO tank or would it totally mess with my boiler? The couple of gallons I'd add would be pretty diluted in a 275 gallon tank...right?

HHO is really more like #1 diesel fuel or kerosene. The oil would probably mix into the 275 gallons but you'd want to be sure it was well-mixed before it got to your burner. I do know some HHO burners will not allow use of biodiesel ..... not sure why and too chicken to try it out.

Here some folks save their used oil and "try" to spray it on the county road (gravel) in front of their homes during the summer for dust control. Since they don't have the right equipment nor enough waste oil, it doesn't work very well.

We used to oil up our wooden tool handles with waste oil as well as keeping a bucket of sand saturated with oil to stick our shovels etc into to coat them.

 

[wyb2]

You two may want to look up "Myth" and "Fact"..... just sayin'

Well that's what I experienced, though I make no guarantees that it will work every time. I did say "clean" oil, not "good" oil, I wouldn't go putting it back in my car.

But yeah, I was surprised to find a translucent yellow oil all over the floor under my milk jug full of old oil that was blacker than tar.

 

[Gasgt1]

Friend has a waste oil burner.
He gave me a 30 gallon barrel to fill.
when it is full, he picks it up and brings me a fresh empty

Greg

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I usually keep a gallon or two around to put in the bar oiler on the chainsaw.
The rest I burn in the stove, a cup or two at a time.