Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about burning your waste oil? Find the answer here.

How much used oil must I generate per year to make buying a used-oil furnace or boiler a practical decision?

The average minimum volume of used oil you must generate annually is 400 gallons. You can also burn #2 fuel oil if you run short of used oil.

Doesn’t a used-oil furnace produce black, sooty smoke and pollute the air?

Absolutely not. A Clean Burn furnace burns as cleanly as a #2 fuel-oil furnace. In fact, a Clean Burn furnace is designed to burn #2 fuel oil in addition to used oil.

Won’t various viscosities of crankcase or transmission oil affect the combustion efficiency of my furnace?

No. Our state-of-the-art burners are designed to accommodate a range of oil viscosities, from 10w to 50w, and even heavier oils.

How often will I have to clean the ash from inside the furnace?

Expect to clean your Clean Burn furnace every 1000 hours of operation, on average. Cleaning your furnace is a safe and easy procedure, which takes only about 30 minutes.

Are Clean Burn furnaces backed by any kind of warranty?

Yes. We provide a 10-year limited warranty on the combustion chamber and heat exchanger, and a one-year warranty on all burner parts. Clean Burn’s warranty is one of the most comprehensive in the industry.

What’s the average length of time for payback on a used-oil furnace? And, will I ever really enjoy FREE heat?

Depending on average temperatures in your region, you’ll enjoy an 18 to 24 month ROI. And, yes, free heat is your reward for a smart business decision.

What is “cradle-to-grave” liability and how can it affect the way I dispose of used oil?

The federal government holds you directly and irrevocably responsible for pollution management, clean-up and disposal control of used oil. Simply put, the liability for used oil exists until it is burned (i.e. recycled).

Isn’t it more convenient and less troublesome for me to contract with a hauler or refiner to transport my used oil?

It may be easy for you to pay a hauler to pick up and dispose of your used oil. But in doing so, you are giving away valuable fuel which could be used for free heat generated by your Clean Burn Heating System.

Is there any way to duct a used-oil furnace?

Yes, Clean Burn furnaces can be ducted, and are UL approved for this application.

Who can I rely on for after-sale service and parts support?

That’s easy. Yankee Service Company. Our distributors are the most knowledgeable, trained and reliable you’ll find in the industry.

 

Waste Oil or Used Oil?

As the pioneer in used oil combustion technologies for heat recovery, Clean Burn works closely with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help establish important technical criteria and operating parameters. The goal of this collaboration is to provide an environmentally acceptable means of disposing, or recycling motor oils and petroleum based fluids from vehicle engines and other sources.

In these issues, the EPA represents the environmental part of the equation. Clean Burn represents the interests of its customers.

The EPA deals with a wide range of environmental issues, including hazardous wastes. In EPA terminology, the term “waste” is linked with hazardous waste, such as highly toxic chemicals that are sometimes disposed of through high temperature incineration.

Incineration is a completely different technology than is provided by Clean Burn in its used-oil furnaces and boilers for heat recovery.

Therefore, based on EPA official terminology and to distinguish between used motor oils (that can be safely and cleanly burned for heat recovery by Clean Burn furnaces) and hazardous waste toxic chemicals (that require high temperature incineration), Clean Burn uses the term “used oil” rather than “waste oil”.

To make the issue more complex, the generally accepted term in the market place seems to be “waste oil” when referring to Clean Burn furnaces and similar equipment.

In this website we use the terms interchangeably, because people searching for our type of equipment generally use the term “waste oil” when searching for a link. At the same time, we recognize the EPA’s distinction when it comes to use of the term “waste oil,” and that from the EPA’s point of view, waste oil refers to hazardous waste requiring incineration, which is outside the scope of Clean Burn equipment.

Waste oil or used oil? Call it what you want. But just remember, Clean Burn is Engineered Like No Other Used-Oil Furnace.