Used oil storage? How do you do it?

[Blk88GT]

I have a number of vehicles/toys that all require oil changes

I take my oil to the landfill once a year and dump it into their recycle tank. I usually end up taking 20 gallons or so.

I have always used a 30gal tank inside the shop that I pour into 5 gallon pails to transport, but would like to do something outside that makes things easier and less likely to cause a fire. Also, less mess when transferring to the smaller pails.

I was thinking of a horizontal 45 gallon drum on a stand with a shutoff valve on a raised platform. I'm not clear on how I'd do the filler for it, but something with a screen and a small hopper might do the trick.

I'd likely disguise it as a still

What have you guys got?

 

[Randy in Maine]

If I were your homeowner insurance carrier, I would suggest that any outside storage container have secondary containment so that when it gets hit by a snowplow or ice coming off the roof, it doesn't spill on the ground. Keep the precipitation off it also. Double wall tanks are another option.

Personally I just have 2 plastic 5 gallon containers, and keep them inside tucked away under a shelf withthe cap on it. Go to the recycling place more often if needed.

 

[Gary S]

I also use plastic 5 gallon containers with tight lids. I can go about two years between trips to the landfill recycle tanks.

 

[NineFingerFury]

I go to AutoZone or O'Reilly to recycle my oil as soon as I'm done changing it. It's free and they're both about 10 minutes away. Just pour it back into the old container from last time.

 

[mudhog]

I pour my old oil, ****** fluid etc. in a smudge pot that heats up the shop in winter, it is my recycle center. When I change the oil I use the 1 gal. plastic jugs, then after I fill up the vehicle I pour the old oil back into the plastic jugs if the smudge pot is full.

 

[CNGsaves]

Wouldn't see any harm in building yourself an outdoor horizontal 30 gallon used oil storage. If such a setup is good enough for clean oil, surely it's good enough for dirty oil.

My grandpa had this same setup (horizontal 30 gallon oil barrel on a rack) for his farm outside the chicken house (ie in the shade, and away from any runoff water from roof). He went through fair amount of oil for farm tractors and Galion road grader.

Kicker in today's economy, and skyrocketing price of oil, is that "dirty oil" is actually worth a pretty good amount per gallon. People bringing pure dirty oil right back to place they bought it, are just padding the profit margin of the store!!

Better solution is SELLING that dirty oil to shop that has oil burner for heat, or selling to oil distributor that routinely cleans bulk oil and redistributes. My city here in KS (ie has 500,000 metro population) has 2 oil distributor vendors that clean and filter used oil, then Re-Sells to businesses after putting additives back into the oil.

With nearly $100/barrel crude oil globally I'd be looking to MAKE MONEY on my used oil, rather than give it away.

 

[ShiftedSolutions]

I use 5 gallon pails with lids and keep them on a spill containment skid

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

I pour my old oil, ****** fluid etc. in a smudge pot that heats up the shop in winter, it is my recycle center. When I change the oil I use the 1 gal. plastic jugs, then after I fill up the vehicle I pour the old oil back into the plastic jugs if the smudge pot is full.

Can you just run straight oil in the smudge pot? Or do you mix with diesel? I have one for the yard garden, but I don't think I would bring it inside.
Right now I just have 5 gal. Race fuel jugs that I fill and take to the recycler. I would prefer to use it if I could.

 

[hookedontronics]

i have a 55gal drum, i save it for my buddy who burns waste oil in his shop during the winter

 

[24ModelTFord]

I just pour the used oil back into the containers that the new oil came in. I take it back the next time I go back to the store (which is Canadian Tire usually.) They want to charge me an environmental fee, they're getting it back.

 

[atfulldraw]

yep - pep boys will take it anytime.....

and so will my wal-mart.

 

[E.Marquez]

In other parts, i used the oil in a heater, here in Texas where Im at.. it's not worth the garage space to have a dedicated oil fired heater, so the oil gets stored in 5gal containers that I take down to the local Auto parts store and dump for free, or take it to my wifes work and dump it in the oil collection there.

I have 6 containers.... and I can go a few months before I have to load up a truck bed.... but that has to go to the shop.. Local auto parts places will only take 15-20 gal at a time ...and I collect that much in 6 -8 weeks...

 

[Blue XJ]

I buy oil in the 5+ quart jugs, I just pour the old oil in those once I fill the cars back up. My city has a 2 gallon max for dumping oil at the recycle center, but I usually end up with 3-4 gallons at a time and they don't say anything. They even collect the empty containers once you pour the oil out of them.

I used to take it back to the parts store, but they would dump the containers for you and then give you the containers back all covered in oil.

 

[aka Larry]

My lift drain hold 8 gallons so when that gets full I take it to the local O'Reilleys and empty it.

 

[GRX]

Two 5-gal containers sitting in a leak proof pan in a protected area outside.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

use it to start bonfires in the back 40 works great!!

 

[KPSquared]

55 gallon drum. When its full, pump into another drum on my truck and haul to local recycle depot.

 

[mudhog]

Can you just run straight oil in the smudge pot? Or do you mix with diesel? I have one for the yard garden, but I don't think I would bring it inside.
Right now I just have 5 gal. Race fuel jugs that I fill and take to the recycler. I would prefer to use it if I could.

It will burn with just oil, I squirt some charcoal lighter in it and then light a paper towel and throw it in. Leave the lid off until the oil starts burning and then adjust to your liking. I burn oil from vehicles, old oil from cooking, ****** fluid, hydraulic, etc. I got this from a old fab shop that had about 10 of them they used for heat inside for years. They were chunking them away and I asked if I could have one and they said take them all, I wish i did, I only took one and everybody around me wants one now. I drag it out for BBQs and everybody hangs around it when it does get cold, but It will heat up my shop too.

 

[Cryptic1911]

We don't have any big diesel trucks, so my rolling 8 gallon oil drain does fine for the cars. I just let it get full, then go to the dump and pour it into their tank

 

[Lippyp]

I just have an old metal jerrycan that the lining started to peel on and when it's full it goes to the dump and into their recycling tank.

 

[The Boss]

5 gal pails with tight lids here - buddy has a waste oil furnace at his shop so I give it to him.

 

[mrodgers]

Another I get the 5 quart jugs and just refill with the old here. I hadn't taken oil anywhere for years and years. I had 30 jugs or so on a shelf unit. I started taking them in to work since someone picks up the used oil drum for nothing now. Work use to pay someone to pick it up and I wouldn't have done it then. I was bringing them in 2 at a time (I just have a measly little Jetta.)

Found out one of the maintenance guys had a used oil furnace so I hauled all 25 jugs that I had left in and gave them to him. Now I only have 1 jug from a recent oil change.

 

[domain]

Do not use milk jugs. The oil will breakdown the plastic causing a crack. Do not ask how I know. Lol.

 

[Fueler]

While I have a company I can sell it to I get a better return by giving it to a couple of customers/friends that heat with oil.
I use a 55 gal drum for interim storage.

 

[AZ Pete]

Make you own waste oil heater?
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me4.html

 

[Lhorn]

Do not use milk jugs. The oil will breakdown the plastic causing a crack. Do not ask how I know. Lol.

It might long term, but I think it would be OK for a while.

I used to live in san Jose, ca and they picked up used oil and filters at the curbside when you put out your trash. Problem was it had to be in THEIR containers. The filters went into new heavy duty zip lock type bags and oil went into containers that looked exactly like milk jugs that were obviously reused many, many times. Only difference I can see between these jugs and a regular gallon milk jug is that their containers had screw on caps instead of snap on caps.

 

[e-tek]

45 gal plastic drum on a dolly. I pour everything into it and roll it under my lift to drain cars. Haven't had to empty it yet in 4 years!

 

[brownbagg]

i put my oil back in the container, then throw in the trash, as much hell the recycle give you on what type material they take, I let the landfill have it

 

[KPSquared]

i put my oil back in the container, then throw in the trash, as much hell the recycle give you on what type material they take, I let the landfill have it

Why not just pour it in the gutter?

 

[ZRX61]

At my old house I had 2 55gal drums & 2 or 3 13gal drums.. they were pretty much full. When I lost the house I left them behind... I saw them moved to the driveway shortly after that... where they sat for about 3 months, then they disappeared.

 

[Joe B.]

I just dig a little hole at the local public wetlands and just do the oil change over the hole. I never need a jug, I just fill the hole directly from the pan. Most of it soaks in right Away!

 

[mrodgers]

Do not use milk jugs. The oil will breakdown the plastic causing a crack. Do not ask how I know. Lol.

Polyethylene is pretty much polyethylene Why would a milk jug be any different than the oil container the oil was purchased in? Besides, how does an oil product break down an oil product? Plastic is oil.

 

[CNGsaves]

i put my oil back in the container, then throw in the trash, as much hell the recycle give you on what type material they take, I let the landfill have it

Hey you could also just . . . Brownbagg It . . . and pour it on your bread for lunch time treat !!

 

[RCPro87]

I just use old barrels and when winter comes, it goes in the heater. Stock about 300 gallons. Keep them lined up against the wall and they double as a decent base for a workbench.

 

[GRX]

Polyethylene is pretty much polyethylene Why would a milk jug be any different than the oil container the oil was purchased in? Besides, how does an oil product break down an oil product? Plastic is oil.

How does an oil product break down an oil product? Pour some gasoline on a piece of Styrofoam and report back here

But seriously, technically speaking, Polyethylene is not just Polyethylene. There is HDPE, LDPE, and PET, just to name a few. But yeah, milk jugs and oil bottles are both generally made from HDPE.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have a 30 gallon barrel. When it's full, I know a couple of people that have used oil burners.

 

[Blacklisted]

I pour my old oil, ****** fluid etc. in a smudge pot that heats up the shop in winter, it is my recycle center. When I change the oil I use the 1 gal. plastic jugs, then after I fill up the vehicle I pour the old oil back into the plastic jugs if the smudge pot is full.

Got any pics of this smudge pot? How do you use it to heat up your shop? We use smudge pots out in the desert and burn oil/diesel and they work great out doors but unless it's different than what we use I can't imagine how you are heating a shop with it and not getting smoked out.

Here is a pic of the smudge pot we use, they were used in the orchards here in California to keep the frost off the trees.

 

[Joe B.]

I have found that windshield washer fluid jugs are a good bit more sturdy than milk jugs and quite good for holding oil. I just put mine in a old milk crate and haul them to whatever auto parts store I happen to drive by next.

 

[expatriated]

when my 5 gallon bucket is full, i pour it down the kitchen sink.

 

[wyb2]

Polyethylene is pretty much polyethylene Why would a milk jug be any different than the oil container the oil was purchased in? Besides, how does an oil product break down an oil product? Plastic is oil.

How does an oil product break down an oil product? Pour some gasoline on a piece of Styrofoam and report back here

But seriously, technically speaking, Polyethylene is not just Polyethylene. There is HDPE, LDPE, and PET, just to name a few. But yeah, milk jugs and oil bottles are both generally made from HDPE.

OK had to say something as I have recent experience here. Oil, milk, OJ, and most other household liquid containers are HDPE, however i know for a fact milk and OJ containers WILL leak, while windshield washer and (obviously) oil containers don't. I think it has more to do with the how the seams are made than the type of plastic, as all of these (at least the ones i had) have seams across the bottom.

As a side observation, clean oil (at least in appearance) will leak out of these containers when full of dirty oil.