Getting rid of old fluids

[HawkRod]

OK. Time to rant:

Look, I get it with environmental stuff. I understand that we need to respect the environment and not pour old fluids in yards, sewers, creeks etc. I am totally cool with that and want to do my part.

THEN WHY THE **** AREN'T THERE CONVENIENT PLACES TO GET RID OF IT??? :angryfire:

Getting rid of old oil is pretty easy. Antifreeze is a little harder, as very few places accept it.

I had 13 gallons of bad fuel. It had so much particulate matter in it that it looked like apple cider. The closest place I could find was over an hour away and would charge $15.00 a gallon to take it. REALLY??

I had to result to filtering it three times through coffee filters and fuel filters and finally put the stuff back in my new gas tank. It is better, but still not nice, clear fuel. And there are still a few gallons left in the old tank. It is now sitting outside to let the rest of the fuel evaporate. Not good, but there are no reasonable other options. :eusa_wall:

The bottom line is if tree huggers, gov't, whomever really want people to be environmentally conscious, they need to make it easy (and reasonable cost too) to get rid of this stuff...

Rant over.

 

[Richard Cranium]

That's why man invented the storm drain.

 

[zyzzyx]

Did you try the local Fire Departments? In my area they accept junk like that as long as you leave it in an "Approved" container. I know you loose the container, but is alot cheaper than $15.00/gal.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

I thought any place that changes oil will accept your fluids that need special disposal????

 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

DONT -(storm drain that is) 1 gallon of jizz screws up thousands of gallons on water...

Every area is a little different on disposal of Anitfreeze. Got a biddy that works at a dealership or quikie lube kinda place? find out what they are doing with theirs... As for old fuel... u allowed to burn in your area? Its not ideal but with the leaf piles coming our way soon........

As a recycler I feel you pain

 

[Moparsmitty]

Call your county public works department and ask them what you are supposed to do with hazardous waste. Most municipalities and counties have some kind of hazardous waste program. Out here the local county transfer station has a hazardous waste station where they will take up to 5 gallons of waste oil, antifreeze, trans fluid, brake fluid or damn near anything else you bring in. They get money from the Federal Govt to operate these programs, so if you don't have one in your area ask your county exec what they did with the grant money.
Out here in the sticks where we live everybody is on a well, so for the most part we are pretty careful what we pour out on the ground. The saying goes "If you pour it on the ground today, you are drinking it tomorrow".
I notice that Montgomery county has a lot of recycle info on it's website that might be helpful.
As far as getting rid of large amounts of bad gas, that can be a problem, especially if you live in town or in an area where open burning is prohibited. I've used up old gas by mixing it with used oil and using it to start burn piles, but obviously you have to be really careful. Good luck.

 

[mopwrd340]

Where i worked at i they would pick up the waste oil and then i had a 55 gal drum of used a/f they mixed it together i asked why they did that he said they seperate at the facitily they took it to as the a/f sits on top of the oil . then i said why not just put in the waste oil he sid he didnt matter to him where i live they have a home owners site at the landfill u just dump tour oil in the sink like thing they have into a 1000 gal tank i dumped about 8 gals of gas right in there with it .I m pretty sure the oil is sold to people with waste oil heaters during the winter and that amount of gas mixed in will hurt any thing . They also have days when they take all your old hazordous waste check where you live and see if they do it ,

 

[HawkRod]

Thanks for letting me rant!

As I said, I have found places for used oil and even A/F - so I can get rid of that stuff OK now.

The gas is another issue. Montgomery County, PA, has NO recycling centers that will take it. The closest place I found was over an hour away and charged $15.00/gal as "hazardous waste".

If you choose to wait months, then there are occasional Saturdays when you can bring containers of various fluids,and yes, even gas, for disposal. The problem there is having to buy enough containers to store ~15 gallons of bad gas.

I spent a while today blasting around the old roadrunner to burn up about 7 gallons of it. I must say I had fun doing that! :toothy10: The other five I stuck in my lawn mower. At this point, it has been triple filtered and I will change out the fuel filters in both machines after I have run it. In the Road Runner I stuck in two filters, one pre and one post the fuel pump, so hopefully it won't cause too much trouble.

The remaining issue is with the gas left in the old gas tank. Might be three gallons? This I have now decided to transfer to an old gas can that I will eventually turn in to a waste collection event.

Thanks for the replies and concerns - still trying to do the right thing here in PA, but it certainly can get frustrating at times...

 

[64BEL]

You can dump antifreeze down the drain providing it goes to a treatment plant. Don't do it in a septic system, though.

 

[Meep-Meep]

That's why man invented the storm drain.

The solution to pollution is dilution.

 

[thomas93254]

Old gas can be mixed with vegi oil and burnt in a diesel engine. Put it on craigs list for some one who does the bio diesel stuff. they will come and take it. A/F most radiator shops will take it and recycle it.

 

[Meep-Meep]

But on a serious note, I know what you mean. Hard to get rid of the stuff. The oil isn't so bad; it's just the rest of the stuff.

Funny thing about oil. Everyone used to dump it in the back yard along the fence and nothing bad happened that I know of. It's been 30+ yrs and everything still grows and there isn't a trace of oil anywhere. Doesn't oil come from the ground? So putting it back is just recycling.