just looking to get started

[shmo]

i had it in my head that i was gonna build a drip style burner. like the mother's . for a couple reasons, i am hoping to burn oil and all other fluids that accumulate mixed. drip style seems less fussy, y/n? second, i don't like alot of roaring noise when i'm working. i found that i would rather work in the cold to some extent than listen to my torpedo heaters.

i scored a free fireplace and all the tin last night, and started thinking.... why not burn wasteoil in it?

then i started looking on craigslist for an electric water heater to make the mother's style, and stumbled into a couple cheap oil furnaces. that's when i sought out this furum to learn how to convert an existing oil furnace into a wasteoil furnace.

now i just want to hear the pros and cons.

MONEY IS a huge factor!! so much so that i hope someone gets back to me soon and talks me aout of the fireplace idea, so i can sell it at an auction this saturday

[Russ]

I think converting a furnace is a great idea.  Maybe thats because thats what I did... ha!  The furnaces are safe and they are inexpensive to get a hold of.  I didnt have the tools or know how to make the cartridge heater, but thankfully I had a friend who is an expert in that area and he built the block for me.  The rest of the system came together pretty easily and inexpensively.

Good luck with your build!

Russ

[shmo]

do you have a link to the "basics of converting"? i can't seem to find one. i don't know about changing to a block, or building a block.

does the oil have to be super filtered, with no gas or antifreeze etc. i don't know if i can demand pure oil from my sources.

drip style seems to me would take just about anything that comes into the burner, as long as the fuel line didn't get plugged.

[Russ]

We dont really have a basics of converting document.  Maybe in the future that will be something we have to work on.  Making the block was the difficult part for me because I dont have the tools to do the machining.  Yes, the oil should be well filtered.  I filter mine with a 5 gallon bucket strainer like the ones here:
http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.php?query=strainer+strainers

Then filter before the pump with a car filter.  Seems to do the job well for me.  Yes it should be well filtered, especially with a pressure system.  I believe that is one of the benefits of a siphon system, the system can tolerate dirty oil better.  I dont think small amounts of gas mixed in would cause a problem, but I think antifreeze can cause problems. 

Yes, a drip style would be less picky when it comes to dirty oil, the bad part is regulating the oil flow to get a consistent temp.

[doug]

SHMO,
I come down the same road you have. I started looking at the MEN drip style heaters. Then I came across the classy drip style heater that is pictured on the home page here. Then my interest turned to a Spike or Ozzirts style drip feed. Now I like the idea of having a heater I can controll with a thermostat. I'm going to convert a used fuel furnace into a usable waste oil heater. If this works well then I want to see if I can adapt  the burner to my outside corn boiler. It's a dream, but I hope I can get there.
doug

[shmo]

i think ultimately i want to convert a furnace.... but, from talking to people about this, my brother in law pulled a well pressure tank out of a garbage truck for me. ( in front of a lot  of people, and it was pretty gross. none of which would have bothered me, but it was pretty nice of him to swallow his pride for me) so i want to try making a drip like the roger sanders first. so far i have $6 into it.

this will also give me a chance to research oil furnaces that are good for converting. and i can wait to find a good deal. (like free)

does anybody own the roger sanders book? i would buy it if his advertising for the book was better. sure his stove is good, but does hte book tell me how to build it well? like trouble shooting, minimums, alterations, and most of all theories, or the logic behind it.

here's an example: the MEN furnace uses a coiled preheater. pretty simple, and seems likke it would work. is there anything in the book that explains why i would seek out any other system. (or why he ever did)