Installing Our Waste Oil Heater | Living Off-Grid 

Ok, let’s talk about your ladder technique. For starters, your climbing angle should be 70 degrees. You can determine this by placing the balls of your feet just inside the beam of the ladder. With your arms fully extended, if your ladder is at the correct angle, your hands should fall in between the beams. Also extend the ladder 5 -7 rungs above the eaves. This allows you to grab the ladder without bending down. Also, step on the ladder , on the rung above the roof line, then descend. Retired firefighter, 33 years. I’ve climbed a few ladders in my career. Good luck.

If you add ceiling fans it might help recirculate the hot air up high and reduce your T-stat controlled fuel oil burn rate

waste oil is such an amazing heat, been using oil heat for a foundry to melt bronze for years. I highly recommend filtering the oil that goes in the tank with something simple like a paint filter or something. It will last much longer if you can get the chunky crap or dirt that ends up in the oil catch pans between changes. the most energy use is at startup when the glow plugs are cranking hot leaving it on low uses way less power than if it has to turn on and off through the day when controlled by a thermostat.

Nice heater, I've been around several older waste oil heaters and the most common issue has been filtration and contamination. You will likely need between 500-1000 gallons per winter. Storage of that much waste oil can be difficult as well as handling cold waste oil in the winter from outside storage. Also any oil should be suspected of having crud and non combustibles in it. Good luck, enjoy the heat.

YOU DID GOOD WITH THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CHIMNEY PIPES, THE CRIMPED END ALWAYS GOES DOWN, NEVER UP! I WAS A CHIMNEY SWEEP FOR 38 YEARS, I DID 1 CUSTOMER WHO OWNED ANA FRAME HOME,, WHEN I WENT IN HE HAD ABOUT 35 FT. OF PIPES GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE PEAK OF THE A-FRAME, HE ASKED ME WHY THE OUTSIDE OF THE PIPES WERE ALL COVERED WITH CREOSOTE, I HA D ONE SIMPLE ANSWER, THAT HE HAD ALL HIS PIPES UPSIDE DOWN, WITH THE CRIMPED END FACING UPWARDS, INSTEAD OF DOWN WARD!

Appreciate the schooling on your waste oil heater. So much better for the environment to burn the waste oil. I do suggest an appropriate fire extinguisher easily accessible should it be needed. Instead of pouring the waste oil into the tank, perhaps a small pump to eliminate and spillage. Great episode!

What a neat furnace, it makes a nice addition to the garage/apartment. Thank you for sharing, you two are a fun couple to watch.

Same with cooking oil. I will reuse it 2 or 3 times, by filter it threw nylon stockings

Riley is correct 💯: a water container won't burn. This is why keeping a door wet blocks a fire from entering a room.

Once again another great video!! Just a thought for your roof going escapades is to fabricate two brackets and permanently mount them on the eve or facia just wide enough to capture the ladder to tie off to. This would help keep you safe as we would all hate to see a flying Riley!!

Hint from an old construction worker with a poor back, having a balloon tired hand truck around is used an amazing amount.

Courtney: Riley is as pure as the driven snow… Plus? Possesses a big heart. Never give him up

I used a waste oil heater for 17 years to heat my auto shop. Once yearly cleaning of the delivery system and clean the ash out of the burner pot. It was great and I had to collect oil from other shops since it ran a lot during our open hours. Had EPA test it and they were happy with how little emissions it was putting in the air.

Since you are concerned (rightly) about climbing the ladder up and down for roof access, had you given any thought to putting one of those pull-down attic ladders in the ceiling somewhere? I'm sure you could figure out a way to seal and waterproof the external cover, and it would give you easy, quick access to the roof. Mount your shackle next to the roof opening, and you have a convenient place to connect your safety harness to.

Before you start down the ladder, take one end of yellow rope. Tie to ladder as close to edge of roof as possible. Throw other end of yellow rope over roof peak and down the other side of building. Cinch to solid anchor on other side of building. Be sure it is nice and tight. This will steady the ladder and reduce stress significantly.

Heat is always nice! Today in the Antelope Valley we have rain snow and hail!

Jazz sax as the background music. Epic. I don't know anything about how to filter used oil without making more waste product, but it should be like filtering debris from water, like a gravity filter. I remember reading that the PT boat crews in the Pacific during WW2 would filter their fuel through a chamois to keep from clogging their fuel lines with debris. Maybe a fine wire mesh basket with a 200 or 400 mesh count?

What a great idea for a big problem. You two work so well together. Thanks

I guess the reason or one of the reasons I love this channel is my life is a lot like Riley's, Great Ideas and disasters now and then, lots of energy and positive attitude, Messy that's me too. Of course the energy element has diminished as I hit 80 YO>>>>>>>>>>

Hubby would have loved watching this one. He loved watching you hecpassed away January 13th 2022. You two should be so proud

When you guys started the shop build I told my wife they need a waste oil heater. Never seen this brand but have seen many oil heaters. Everybody always loves them. Huge shop at 80 degrees in the dead of winter. For cheap.. Keep up the great videos!

Getting the feet back securely in the ground is SUCH a good feeling! Waste oil heater is a great idea! I worked for a company that did this, and they fed the furnace from a 275 gallon oil tank. Don't know if there are any issues with settling of sediment in the tank.

Hi great job , here in Dublin Ireland a big main vw dealer installed a waste oil heater at a cost of 10k they only were able to run it for a couple of weeks before the local county council closed it down due to emission levels being very high and it's never been used since

Thankyou for helping me to shop for a shop heater. Collection of the waste oil, I will look to neighbors, and possibly industry to obtain the oil to operate the energy logic heater. It also appears to be able to work with solar as a power source. Wow, just another piece for the puzzle I have ahead of me. Thanks again, God bless you.

You two kids will make wonderful parents.

I know it just temporary, but for final install, put your thermostat a fair distance from the furnace to get the "true" temperature of the space your heating.

HOLY SMOKES! This would be a game changer for us. The cost of our propane shop heaters is killing us this Winter.

I would recommend you rig a "tie off" system for your ladder. I've used c-clamps and rope or a rope up over the roof; I've also tie the ladder to the gutter hangers.. Anything that will keep the ladder from sliding away as you make the move from roof to ladder. I've lost ladders three times because I didn't tie them. Have your "assistant" stand under the ladder, the way firemen do it. Then If you fall you won't fall on top of your assistant.

Good day everyone. I hope you have a secondary Escape Route in case of a fire as that is just below your steps for exiting your building.

Super cool!!! Guys need a shop ceiling fan that has a reverse. It will push down all the heat that rises to ceiling.

Coming down is always stressful. Couple bits of advice, don't have anything on you coming down you don't need. You don't need the backpack to come down, use the green rope to lower it. For the actual tie off rope, throw it down as well. If you get too stressed to come down and need to cool off before attempting you always have that green rope to bring your tie off back up to you. I have had times I've throw power tools 30ft down just so I could navigate out of the brush and back down a utility pole. No Makita's were harmed doing that at least 50 times :) Edit: Couple other things. Tie a stainless steel carabiner to both ends of that green rope. In the event you need something, that carabiner can turn minutes into seconds. Another consideration, Klein has TONS of different pouches both for your belt and for general hanging from trucks poles etc. Grab you a 1 gallon pouch (without the snaps so they don't open and it fall) that you can clip on the rope when you need to raise something.

PS: I worked in Radio and TV for 25 years, your production is great...

The part of the cup that isn't touching the water burns/melts. The water keeps the part it is touching cool enough. Liquid water can not be hotter than 212 F, and that is not hot enough to catch fire for most everything, but when the water is gone, so is the protection.

Wish y’all posted more often! I’m stuck working a job I hate to pay for something I need and until I get it taken care of I’m left living vicariously through you two!! Pls more vidsss

Riley, I've done a few roofs and used those anchors before. I figured out a better solution was to use a "throw bag" over the roof to the other side, haul up and over my safety line and find a tie off point. A tree, vehicle or some other secure anchor point. The only down side is you need a LONG safety line to do it, but that way you're not going up a ladder without protection.

I am not sure about a paper cup, but you can 100% boil water in a plastic bottle over an open flame. I have done this when my coffee pot broke and microwaves don't belong on camping trips. works great! just hang the bottle high enough that the flames are barley touching but not all the time. it will deform a little but it will not catch fire or fully melt. the power of water cooling!

Warm , fuzzy and messy smiles 😁

at the end of each season you can run some diesel through it to help clean it out. they are a dirty fuel and have to be cleaned.. the ash produced is caustic and will corrode your chamber (probably will void any warranty) if you don't clean it as they recommend. you might want to also get an extra preheater ( the guts of the burner) if they sell them separately, because its easier than trying to rebuild ( o-ring part kit) when its cold and you need heat.. good vid... enjoy!!

That heater is so HOT! Thanks for sharing

Awesome. good info. Thanks for sharing your journey

i have been around alot of waste oil heaters, be very mindful of where you get your waste oil , if you get any from small shops or other sources they may have antifreeze/crud in it!! it will trash a filter,pump in short order!! just a FYI, i have 1 in my shop & love it... thanks for sharing & be safe

There are so many people in the mid west that use these oil burners to heat their shops and barns. Love free heat. When I lived in Northern Idaho (Mullan), we cut dead Tamarack and red fir for our air tight stove. Firewood heats many times. When you split it, when you load it, when you stack it, etc.

Hey I’m in Spokane and I have a an old lubester full of used motor oil. It’s yours for the taking if u need it. I would say 30 ish gallons of Oil only not the lubester…. I enjoy following your projects!

Any type of heat in the winter is good heat. Nice job

a big tip is do a bar on the top off the roof that why you can climb up the sid our anther why hoock in then you hav 4 place the you move the hoock =)

Okay guys I have just finished binge watching almost all of your back catalogue and first things first I love your story and your gumption, and your videos have a very professional look always which is just as well since you are professional RU-vidrs ! FYI you can get a set of pallet toes for the kubota ( well I can in Europe) and they would be a handy addition for you in any further construction. Another thing I would suggest is ignore the bloody minded comments having read many of them most people are nice and mean well but some prats just can't help but be offensive. Best of luck with the future and I for one really enjoy your work. I am a builder and have been for over 40 years so I know that there is no great mystery to building most of it is common sense and a bit of understanding about materials and the environment you are working in.

Few years a few years back I had a friend that bought a centrifugal device that helps remove metal from his oil and was using it in his pixel pickup truck which ended up costing him thousands of dollars in repairs. But undaunted he decided to get a furnace that burnt used oil to heat his home and come up with this genius idea of producing electricity using a steam powered motor. He only had one problem had to go around bothering everybody he knew for their waist oil. He finally sold all of it to a fella in Missouri I keep telling him if he wanted crude oil I have a piece of property where it leaks up in the creek he was welcome to all of it he wanted. I don't own the mineral rights on that property but if it comes to the surface it's mine. I estimated it's about four barrels a year just like a nasty spring when the water table gets high enough it puts enough pressure to push a little oil up. It's a lot of places like that around these parts in Texas. Foul smelling stuff. Oh yeah did you like my country twang.lol

I love your calibrated eye ball comment when you were installing the chimney flue!

Curtney is right with the plastic watertank since it might be not full all the time. But you can put a metal plate between as a heat defection and heat dissapation shield and rockwool behind as a thermal insulation. Same goes for your wood on the stairs and al other arround the heater. You also might take into account a overfill or spilled oil or defect oil intake system making a larger fire in that spot directly below open wood.also natural stone or brickstonewalls.. you know they did arround fireplaces in the old days where buildings where made not out of cheap sticks^^

To stabilize a ladder safely you want to be under the ladder holding the sides of it with you hands and your feet tightly against the sides standing on a step. That way if the party on it falls you won't be under them. Also doing it puts all your body weight on it keeping it from slipping as they transition from the roof to the ladder. This was the way I was taught in the fire department. I used a waste oil heater in my auto shop and it was great. No problem with disposing with the waste oils. The EPA came and tested it and gave it a thumbs up.

From a retired HVAC professional, your single wall flue looks great! You two always do a very good job.

In eastern Europe CCCP the truck exhaust pipe goes through the fuel tank and keeps fuel in liquid form.. Tap into heater run to a tank outside melt snow and melt water runs back inside to food grade tank for future use!!

This is very interesting. thank you for testing these out for others to learn from it. Love & Light

Well, what I know about waste Oil Burners & storage of waste oil is to use Marvel Mystery Oil as a stabilizer, it will keep your waste oil from turning into jelly during really cold winters. I had a friend that use to screen his waste oil to get the chunks out of it. Just some information for you guy's, good luck... One other thing; look into maintenance & the burner nozzles. Make sure you have spares on hand. They do wear out.

I would have left those anchor points on the roof just in case you need to go up there in the future to fix or replace a part of your chimney or roof panel. Anyway I love your channel and got hooked! I ABSOLUTELY want to do what you two are doing!

Another version of your Idaho weather, down here in Florida is, if you don't like the rain just walk across the street and you'll have sunshine

Good job again guy’s. It probly wouldn’t take much finesse to add/adapt a water heating circuit to ur new oil heating system for some extra storage of energy. I have also wondered how much angle you can apply to ur chimney setup, 45 degrees?, and maybe make use of extra internally trapped heat before it exits. Finally a thought on oil storage, whatever you use, tote, IBC, 1200ltr fuel tank, paint it ‘’’black’ to absorb as much heat during ur summer months as possible, this will also help purify and settle the oil to some degree.

Awesome! Get yourselves a couple of decent sized properly rated fire extinguishers, top and bottom of the stairs! When the furnaces operating properly, the combustion of the waste oil becomes very efficient and as you've seen produces a whole lot less pollution. Have you decided where you're going to put the tank to hold the waste oil? I haven't the clue on what you would need up in Idaho but I'm guessing a 500 gallon tank should do. Mounted on legs to keep it off the ground or, if you want store it inside. You're better off filtering it to remove any thick contaminants or sludge. It's going to be totally awesome once you hook it up to your phone when you're away and keeping it on low might be worth it in the long run

Riley...your filmed transition off the roof and onto the ladder is EXACTLY why I hated painting the dormer on the 2&1/2 stories tall farm house I was raised in as a kid...as getting on&off that roof did NOT include any type of safety harness AT ALL. Two younger brothers were suppose to keep their weight on the bottom rung of the ladder ...but instead thought it was hilarious to wiggle the ladder WHILE I tried to get off the roof and back on the ladder. My fear of heights is what I have lived with ever since having that harrowing roof to ladder experience. Your video made me feel the same way!

Perfectly logical way to provide heat to your home hopefully you’ll be able to secure a local source of used oil for free.. free heat is the best heat

Skvělé, tohle by naše evropská unie nedovolila, díky za další porádní video, zdravím z české republiky

As I’m getting ready to comment, I hear a voice say “you need to get some safety glasses” lol. Safety first!!! My uncle just bought his dream retirement property up near you guys and he fell off a ladder the week before he was headed up there to start building! Safety first!!!!

Since you now have a dedicated point on the roof for future safety strap connection, I would put eye bolts into the fascia on either side of the ladder access point then you can put a strap across to hold the top of the ladder securely.

That thermostat is very close to the heater. The rest of the shop will be considerably cooler. Probably should figure out how to filter the waste oil. Also, my buddy in Alaska found out quickly that these "waste oil heaters" quickly turn into diesel heaters since only a trucking company would have enough waste oil. Good luck!

This is very exciting to know you can use the oil from car, truck, lawnmowers, etc. Thanks for the update!

Never forget : combustion, whatever it is, needs a supply of air. Appliances placed indoors must have an outside air supply. This goes for everything, including your wood stove. Poor combustion causes clogging of the flue and ends in a chimney fire. Do not underestimate this risk ! Best regards from France.

I suggest you look for more sources for your waste oil. You won't generate enough on your own. Nice job with the install, as always.

Not free, just full utilization. Nice.

just a thing, if you ever go on the roof again, keep the clip for attaching yourself on there, and just tie down the rope beside the building, so that if you go up again, its safer.

Very unique waste oil furnace. 1/2 gallon per hour seems like a lot as the 10 gallon onboard tank provides 20 hours of runtime. A smart Wi-Fi setback thermostat could keep the shop at 50 degrees and when planning to use the shop you could remotely raise it to 65

for securing yourself on the roof you could make a rope mounted on the ground on both sides of the building (going over it) where this roop has a couple of fixed loops in it on the roof part so you can secure yourself on that. Just an idea.

That's awesome, especially with fuel prices at the moment and uncertainty about supplies.

So stoked for you guys!! Enjoy! You’ve earned it! Thanks for the videos and taking us along!

That is awesome! No more cold shop. Just think what you can get accomplished during the winter.

I know a few people running waste oil furnaces and they really work well. Lots of people bring them their used oil as a “convenience”. Excellent description for your stove pipe relating it to a Dr Seuss book, I can definitely picture it now. Enjoy the heat!

Let the projects commence!

ACHK!!!! My Eyes. That hoodie is BRIGHT!!!

Love it ! they will sell a lot of heaters cause of your video. This reminds me of a Quebec heaters they were famous in Canada.

As a former roofer just tie off the ladder either to the 4 wheeler on the other side or install anchor points on the building good job funny how the legs won't move during transition lol

Smart addition to your homestead guys...! Like the fact that you're recycling something to be used again what otherwise would be waste...! 👍👍

I retired from a trucking company in rushville indiana that used a waste oil heater to heat a (4) bay shop for semi trucks hooked to (53') trailers and it worked just fine. be most careful to not use contaminated oil you will be cleaning the filters quite often

Transmission shops have a lot of waste trans fluid and most places have to pay to get rid of it. You can also run it in a diesel up to about 50/50 mix

Your videos are just to short!! That heater looks to be ideal for that large open expanse of the shop. The external oil tank will be a terrific addition later on. Bailey and Boone were having fun waiting for dinner ... What a hoot they are to watch.

You're partially right on the cup of water in the fire once the temperature of the water needs the temperature of the fire heating it the couple melt or break whatever it's made out of you can heat water in a baggie but you got to stop it just before the water equals the temperature or instantly it'll bust

I would refer to captain Ron's comment about ladder safety and add that whenever you are footing a ladder for the person climbing to wear eye protection and a helmet. Our natural tendency is to look up there by exposing our eyes to something falling from the bottom of the shoes. Waste oil heaters are my favorite when properly installed they are good for the users and the environment

GREAT to c you take jackets off in shop.... Great heater....every one WARM now... Love ya......

Another good job but you guys always do a good job I like your new heater I think you’re going to stay warm God bless

Most guys can relate to Riley so much is hilarious lol.

Love waste oil heaters and you will too. My auto mechanic had one in his shop and home and used every bit of oil he pulled out of cars and trucks. He even had local farmers drop off their used oil. One caution is that in cold climates, it is sometimes difficult burning cold waste oil. Good luck and great job. Keep those videos coming!

My mechanic/buddy has a waste oil burner in his shop and it works great. I take him my oil every time I change the oil in one of our vehicles.

Courtney, suggestion, when footing the ladder stand between the ladder and the building, looking at the ladder reach out and grab the beams (sides) of the ladder then move your feet into the ladder and lean back with your body parallel to the ladder arms extended straight out. That puts max amount of pressure on the foot of the ladder so it doesn't kick out. This comes from 33 years experience in the Fire Service😁 And I love the site and the way you two work together! Awesome couple!

That is a great furnace and I like Hao clean it burns great you two never miss a video thank you for sharing and your time was really great 👍.

Awesome info on the waste oil heater. I will be wanting one for my new shop since it gets cold, CA high desert cold aka 30's in the morning not North Idaho cold.

I was like that's what happened to the Spark and then it was the NEW one. . . Oh my. 🤣

Riley - "I do not like heights." Couldn't hardly tell by that heavy breathing while you were getting off the roof!

Love what You are doing .I know what you are talking about transition from roof to ladder scares hell out of me ,I don't think I could do your roof . You are a brave Man.

I've always wanted a waste oil heater that's great I'm so glad I watched this you guys I want one for my garage bad now hahaha so cool I mean hot 🔥 lol

The reason you have blue smoke from your wood stove is that you are burning wet wood. When you burn really seasoned wood with a secondary burn stove you only white steam and later only invisible vapor heat that flutters which is just heat and no gases. My chimney literally has no creosote at all. Try putting the wood inside an air conditioned environment in the summer months which really dries the wood to five percent or less moisture( My wood tested range is 2 to 4 percent moisture content. ). The wood really burns super hot. Have been doing that for five years now. This is the trick that really works. Peace

A single piece of alumin. ladder with a roof hook would save drilling holes in you roof and make transfering from the upright ladder to the roof so much easier and by getting a longer safety rope and tossing it over the ridge to the ground to a tie off will help.

We put in a wood fired boiler. Expensive, but so worth it. It got down to -4F last night and we're toasty warm inside with all the "negatives" of the woodstove/fireplace outside. However, it does require wood once every day so, as you mentioned, leaving for extended periods is a problem. I think we'll back it up with a thermostatically controlled propane boiler for when we want to leave.