What do you do with your old oil?

[Asinine]

Just taking a poll here. Be as specific as you like. After my first at-home oil change, I took it to a gas station for recycling... the 1/2 quart that wasn't spilled on the driveway of course.

 

[KW]

I take it to a parts store and dump it in there big tank for re-cycling. One day I hope to build one of those Mother Earth used oil heaters for my shop.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

I dump it in the big oil recycling tank at work.

 

[Patman]

The landfill site near my house has a recycling center where they take used oil, oil filters, antifreeze and other hazourdous things.

 

[darkdan]

Waste managment. Big thing I just dump it into. $0.50 for used oil filters.

 

[buster]

Pour it down the drain. Just kidding. I take it to PepBoys and the dispose of it for free. I think they put in their Proline oil qts and resell it.

 

[crossbow]

Advanced Auto Parts has oil recycling centers in some of their stores. I gather up the oil by the gallons and drop it off there.

 

[JohnnyO]

Dump it in a big plastic 5 gal jug and take it to the county recycling center when it gets full. Curiously, they take oil for free but charge you to take antifreeze.

 

[Asinine]

Glad there are no back-yard dumpers here You pay $0.50/used filter, or get that back?

 

[darkdan]

I have to pay them to take the filter. =( That's funny you bring this up because I just took mine in yesterday. I took 3 gallons and 5 quarts of oil down there. One of the gallons I've had in the garage for literally 6 years. It was Valvoline 10w30 from when I was 17. I changed my oil in my dad's garage and didn't take it in. He's moved it to two different houses because he's too lazy to drive down there himself. I just moved back here myself. Man was it ever gross! Took about 3x longer to pour out than the other ones. It would clug really badly because there were clumps of oil and sludge. The whole inside of the container still had about half a cm of sludge that didn't drain out. Should have done a UOA on it. =)

 

[Tremo]

I take the used oil to the local Kragens and dump it in their recycle tank. For the filters, I let them drain for several minutes into the catch pan, then just throw them in the trash, along with the empty quart bottles. I know a guy who dumps antifreeze down the drain. Ouch. I have no idea what he does with oil.

 

[cryptokid]

i use some of the used motor oil around the house. we have these trees here called brazilian peppers and they are just impossible to kill. i cut them down and drill a 1 inch wide 4 inch deep hole into the stump and fill it with motor oil each day for a week. that seems to kill em. some of the oil i use as a chain lube for slow moving chain. the rest (most) of it goes to advance auto to be recycled. my filters go in the trash after i take them apart and look at them.

 

[mikemc]

Dump it in the recycle tank at Advance.

 

[Pablo]

The creek in the backyard is handy and the salmon haven't been as plentiful as usual so I don't need to worry about them too much.... The neighbors have a crappy lawn, so that's fine, too... JUST KIDDING...we have it pretty good. We can put a gallon out every two weeks with the other recyclables to be picked up.

 

[Santo Fontana]

When my friends come over to get me to work on their cars for free I make them take whatever used oil I have as "payment". I dont know what happens to it after that though! One time my friend tied my dog to my tool cart for some reason. It ended up as a disaster with all my tools on the ground and a nice fresh scratch on my car. Needless to say my buddies trunk was FULL of crap on his way home. I have also put used oil in the back of some of my unsuspecting friend's pickup trucks. Its pretty funny the next time you see them and they tell you how someone put a ton of used oil in their bed! The filters I drain and then throw away. I recycle the empty oil containers.

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tremo: I know a guy who dumps antifreeze down the drain. Ouch. I have no idea what he does with oil.

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dumping antifreeze down a drain that leads to a sanitary sewer ( i.e. not a septic tank) can be a proper way to dispose of it. it all depends on what processes the local treatment plant uses. you'll find in antifreeze co's literature, it will even suggest it. -Bret

 

[SteveD2]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tremo: I know a guy who dumps antifreeze down the drain. Ouch. I have no idea what he does with oil.

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That's an OK thing to do, actually. The EPA agrees. As for my used oil, I usually burn it.

 

[m2pc]

Bring it to the recycling center.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by ZmOz:

quote:

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Originally posted by Tremo: I know a guy who dumps antifreeze down the drain. Ouch. I have no idea what he does with oil.

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That's an OK thing to do, actually. The EPA agrees. As for my used oil, I usually burn it.

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Ask your local sewage company. They use different processes and have different standards. Mine sez The local landfill does take all sorts of hazardous waste for free each Saturday. My used oil goes in a 5 gallon container and then to the landfill center when it's full.

 

[ElectroKen]

I pour it into the 275 gallon tank of oil that heats my house, but only when the tank is nearly full. The used oil never exceeds 2% of the volume of the tank. It appears to diffuse into the heating oil over time. Several municipalities near me ran the boilers in public buildings on 10% drain oil for many years. I don't know whether they still do it or not.