Legality of using a waste oil burner in one's home

[naplis]

Hello all, and thanks for this forum.

My question has to do with whether or not it is legal and/or a likely violation of local fire codes to have a commercially-manufactured waste oil burner in the home as a primary (or secondary) heat source. Note: I do not produce a drop of waste oil myself but would get it elsewhere and transport it to my home in small quantities.

My research so far leans in the direction of "you can't do it, it's illegal" and some waste oil burner vendors won't sell me one. Others are happy to, however.

To make matters a little more confusing, my home owner's insurance has already approved me to install a waste oil burner, adding only a nominal premium increase to cover the second oil tank. And the local fire department simply wants to see my plans before they approve.

So I'm pretty confused. Are there any hard-and-fast rules to this? Is it jurisdiction by jurisdiction?  I'm in New Jersey and would appreciate any learned guidance.

Thanks.

NB

[Backwoods]

Howdy,

I did a quick search and found this from the Lanair folks

Is a Waste Oil Heater Legal in my area?

In most cases, burning your used oil in a Lanair Waste Oil Fired Heater is perfectly legal, however, there are some scenarios where this may not be the case.

* The EPA regulations in the America allow the on-site burning of waste oil.
* NFPA #21: Oil burning equipment, allows waste oil heaters.
* California and New York City outlaw burning of used oil.
* Check with local fire department and ensure you inform them that units are U.L. listed.
* No waste oil boilers are allowed in Massachusetts.
* New Jersey requires a Permit.

* Note: International customers should check their local regulations.

If you have specific questions in regards to this, please call us and ask a sales Representative.



Sounds like if you get a permit, you will be good to go,

Frank

[naplis]

So I live in the one state in the Union which requires a permit!  Thanks for the information, Frank. Much appreciated.

Now if I could just find in the NJ DOE's website how to obtain that permit...

Thanks,

NB

[tightwad nik]

F**K UM, just do it, you have to get a permit for that and the other.... what happens to the money you pay for your permit, do they plant trees to offset the carbon footprint, or help to save the world...... thats the reasoning behind my F**K UM attitude

[Cmdr. Ron]

Now, NIK,
 You know they don't like it when you display that bad attitude about their throttle-hold on citizens.

• One of my slow-downs (aren't there always?) on this massive project was how to handle the insurance companies who happily take money to insure open fireplaces, but refuse non-furnace oil heat.
  Ding!  Incorporate it into a superinsulated outdoor high-mass wood-fired heater.  Plans sold intermittently for 30 years by TMEN called it a H.A.H.S.A. (Heating And Heat Storage Apparatus).
  Not "trendy" enough, less efficient mass-produced units are now "outside boilers".
  Not enough time before winter, just put a dripper in the livingroom and burn waste oil collected for my truck.
  Lacking enough accessible experience & information dragged it into another year.

Then I found this forum . . .
Ready.  Set.  GO!

[dmj]

Might be an interesting angle for US.
My understanding is that the UK regulator (Env. Agency boooo) lost a case in the high court which ruled that use of the oil in question to HEAT gave it a purpose and it was no longer a Waste product