If I mix used motor oil with kerosene could I use it as home heating fuel?

Question

A friend of mine told me that he takes his used motor oil (from car oil changes) and pours it into his home heating oil tank. He says he has been doing this for a couple of years. The only downfall is that he has to chande the filter about twice as much. I figure that it might better to mix the used oil 1 to 1 with kerosene.

Answer 1

Do the math. How much is a filter vs the cost of maybe 1.5 gallons of used motor oil? Don't use kerosene unless you want to visit ER/A&E.

Answer 2

You could, but It would not be a good idea.  Used motor oil contains a number of contaminants that you do not want in your house.

Answer 3

Motor oil has high "Heavy Metal" content which is released in burning.

Long term heavy metal exposure causes nerve and kidney damage.

However, If you must, Motor oil has much higher viscocity and burning point.  I would suggest a leaner mix for a kerosene heater.  Maybe 3 parts k to one part oil or 4 to 1

Answer 4

noooo

Answer 5

You're going to have emission issues, and it's going to be tough on some of the parts in the flash chamber. Home heating oil is pretty close to kerosene already, so I wouldn't sweat that part. You need to monitor the soot content in your chimney, however. The impurities in your used motor oil are going to adhere to stuff, and you risk a stack fire, which is WAY dangerous.

Answer 6

Burn some used oil outside in a safe place.

Note the residue.

EOM.

Answer 7

Used motor oil will smoke more and create a lot more soot in the chimney.  Yes mixing it with furnace oil or kerosene will reduce the effects but still it'll make more smoke etc.  The used oil has a lot of dirt in it so filtering first would be prudent as that dirt does not burn well and I would think could cause problems with the furnace burner.  

There are used oil burners (furnaces actually) available but many states etc are banning them as being environmentally bad (not proven with facts).  So see if burner can handle the thicker fluid flow.

Beauty of kerosene is it is quite a bit like furnace oil which is bunker 2 or winterized bunker 1.  Bunker if filtered becomes diesel fuel.  Yes kerosene can be burnt in a diesel motor but again it burns a little differently (not good for new 2007 engines).

Answer 8

Ask your local furnace guy, some people say stuff just to mess you up.

Answer 9

Check your local car dealers, many of them as well as Wal-mart burn used crankcase oil in their boilers.

Personally, it sounds like an accident looking for a place to happen.