Can I burn old oil filters?

[bironacad]

Never though about burning them, perhaps it is time.

 

[Car Doc]

All my waste oil gets picked up by another shop that has oil burners they come get it when I have 3 barrels full. About twice a year its no cost to either of us its a service to me and free fuel for them.

 

[jimmyj]

I burn them all the time. Then put the metal bits left over into the scrap bin.

 

[sixdogs]

I'd burn them and get the heat value. Bury the carcass if no recycle to drop it off. Will release more "crap" in the air driving to the recycle than in the burn. IMO

One of the things that always amazed me was the use of oil furnaces to burn waste oil.
To me, that seems like a bad idea and would put heavy metals into the air.

Now, oil filters with the waste oil removed, or the filter crushed with oil removed, is not even considered a "hazardous substance" by most states,
including Massachusetts. After drained, it can be put in with normal recycleables.
Mass is considered extremely strict by most who have been there.
So, burning an old oil filter and properly disposing of the resiual ash and cannister seems to be fine.

 

[crazyal]

I'm no greenie so I'm not going to say not to do it. But this is why it's not a good idea. The used oil has lots of contaminates in it, heavy metals from wearing parts and the byproducts of burning fuel that blew by the rings. Waste oil furnaces are suppose to only burn filtered used oil, the EPA doesn't check and most states just put the burden on the owner.

To safely remove the contaminates the temperatures needed are much higher than a homeowner could ever reach. And then the smoke is usually cleaned a second time to remove the ash.

But can you do it, sure you can. Is it a good idea, that depends, where is the ash likely to fall? If it's on your garden maybe it's not the best idea. If it's on the neighbor you don't like, well you be the judge.

To all those who say what's the difference between a car burning oil and burning a filter. A filter collects everything that's bad and keeps the oil clean. A filter is 3000 miles more contaminated than the oil. Secondly what would you say to your son or daughter if they pointed to someone else's bad actions as reason why it's OK they did something similar.

Would I do it, no. But I have a dump that take oil and filter free 1/4 mile from my work so it's a no brainer. If I had to burn a couple of gallons of gas to drive to where I could take them, maybe I would burn them too.

 

[Car Doc]

Oil filter crushers are expensive and they don't get near the oil out a good fire will. :thumbsup:

 

[Gods Country]

I drain them into my waste oil container, which I burn a little at a time when firing up the burning barrel for "burnables".

Once a year or two I usually have enough crap that I either couldn't locally recycle or burn. It all gets thrown into the pickup and brought to my county landfill for <$20 (min. fee), which includes my old filters.