This last winter we operated the shop for almost three months without heat. The shop had a 30 year old Black Gold waste oil furnace that finally gave up the ghost. That one was a 160,000 BTU unit, so knowing at that time the availability would be the issue I started looking at several brands. And ended up buying a Energy Logic which is the same exact unit as the old Black Gold. Black Gold changed hands a couple of times. Took 7 weeks to get it, ordered it without the tank and mount. I already have 4 large tanks and the mount built to wall. Main reason I went back with same was BG and EL have always had a built in air compressor for the burner, plus this unit the BTU was raised to 200,000. These heaters are very easy to assemble, the wiring is all ready there, came with lift pump/all fittings, burner and blower. Took me a total of 4 hours to remove old unit and assemble/install the new. I moved the lift pump up close instead of leaving it the way it was. Primed quickly-fired right up. Cost $7,800.00. Just waiting on the HVAC for the double wall stack through the roof. Will post a photo tomorrow.
Finally remembered some photos.
Really Clean install TS.
Our is a frost lake or something along those lines. Works excellent and I know we don't get as cold as you TS but it has no problem getting the shop to 70 and keeping it there. We use totes to store all of our waste oil so we just swap them out as we need to
On some days in winter the shop doors are constantly being opened to run one out or in. So that heater will run non stop for 11 hours sometimes. With a fresh ice cold truck and trailer in the shop it takes a while for the heater to regain 58*
Our shop had one from the 80's or older. I cannot recall the brand, but it was not cheap stuff. My coworker foolishly volunteered to maintain the unit. He regretted that for 20 years, because no other mechanic would relieve him of the duty. Operator's manual clearly stated that the machine was designed for hyd oil viscosities. A steady diet of 30w and 85w-140 in winter made my coworker an expert diagnostician....
Anytime heavy or undesirable oil is used a cut of 25% diesel should be added.
And when that was proposed to Admin, they had us yank the whole mess out. Payed the hazmat outfit to haul the waste oil, and paid the local utility for more natgas. I am sure there is a spreadsheet somewhere that justifies the decision....
There always is-I think it's called toilet paper.
After some research, installated a Energy Logic unit in Dutch Harbor, winter of 19 and it’s chugging along good. Something that few people are aware of is they don’t burn new lube oil very well. The instructions state that in small print. Too much glycol. Who would burn new oil? That’s crazy talk. An oil distributor with off-spec or expired product. A 98 Chevy probably doesn’t care, but a Sikorsky is a different matter.
They have to note that for idiots, same as ladder companies-don't stand on top of ladder.
Will they burn synthetic oil? What do you do with the sludge in the bottom of the tanks?
We have been getting emails from the company lately about a conversion kit to run synthetic. For the sludge it just gets disposed of. Usually a brush fire but if we ha e excess it goes to standard disposal
The sludge goes into an open top drum and barged to Seattle, along with used oil/glycol mix at about $1,500 a drum. Unless it tests hot for chlorinated solvents, then it’s about 5 grand a drum.
I work for a few different environmental companies so I usually just have to make a phone call and they just add it in to a vac truck load. I did not realize it was that much to get rid of a barrel. Same company is also who I get all my totes from.
Every one I've been around had anti-freeze in the bottom. Bob
For years I though NOT A STEP was a popular ladder making company. Bob
Only thing in our tanks is crankcase oil, I have a separate 55 drum for old coolant. Safety Clean carts that away.
The price of vac/cleaning a oil water separator in a wash bay for steam cleaning equipment is the killer. My old shop had one it was $4,500 in 2003. Who knows know.
Had in ground truck sized 2 Post lifts at one UE Ameren Garage with a sliding rear post, the pits would accumulate water, hydraulic seepage and gunk to a point would have to be pumped out, along with trench drains along doors, that last time in 96 when saw those done was $12,000 for a four bay shop with two lifts. I have a open no trap drain in my little shop so can avoid any hazmat issue as drains dump to grade outside, have to visually inspect by the county once a year to see if any oils accumulation, none so far.
I stopped heating shops in the winter. We don't get that cold here and everyone just opens the doors all the time anyway. People would come in the morning after the heaters ran all night and open the doors up to pull machines in or out and all that money went to warming up the outside.
At 0* with a 15 mph wind here at the wide open spaces of the airport where the shop is located, with doors up it becomes a wind tunnel. Not to mention I have a tractor and trailer covered in ice.
You have full control over the door and I don't think much would get done for you in the winter at those temps. On a five or six bay shop, I'd still leave the heat off during the day and just close the doors. Then again I said up above, it doesn't get that cold on the west side of the mountains.