Curious about waste oil heaters, but not sure what they are all about?

Look at our diagram to get an idea of how a Lanair Waste Oil Heater works!

How Does A Lanair Heater Work?

In reference to ‘Used Oil Heaters’ and ‘Waste Oil Heaters’, the terms ‘Used Oil’ and ‘Waste Oil’ are used interchangeably throughout the industry.

In our experience, ‘Waste Oil’ tends to be the more common term when this type of heater is being referred to ‘in the field’, but sometimes the term ‘Used Oil’ is chosen to show that, though it is waste oil, it is still oil ‘oil’ and is not ‘Waste’ but in fact has a ‘Value’ associated with it.

Aside from a purely ‘marketing’ standpoint, there is no difference between these two terms.

It varies by how dirty your fuel is. Tips: Transmission fluid is the cleanest; diesel truck & equipment oil is the dirtiest. The average is 1-2 times per season.

Pre-filter your oil prior to pouring in the tank. ( A mesh screen will help ). Do not mix oil with solvents and parts washer fluid. Do not burn gear lubes. They will cause more maintenance even if mixed with fuel oil. Clean filters monthly. Drain water / antifreeze from tank. Vacuum combustion chamger 1-2 times per season.

Annual maintenance according to what your manual instructs is necessary.

Used oil is pumped from your tank to the heaters burner where it is preheated.

Low pressure air enters the heater’s burner and is preheated.

In the burner, preheated used oil & air are mixed causing a mist of oil to pass though the nozzle where it is ignited. This is referred to as atomization.

The heater is thermostatically controlled to keep a continuous / steady flow of heat without the need for manual adjustments to get ‘comfortable’.