Heat My New Shop With 1940's DuoTherm Oil Heater

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Apr 16, 2015
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737
Location
Kelowna, BC, Canada
I have been trying to reduce the amount of waste oil I have to take to the recycling depot, so I decided to burn the waste oil I accumulate to heat my shop. Initially I was going to use a modern oil furnace, but I found an old 1940's Duo-Therm on Craigslist and bought that instead. After about 20 hours of cleaning and testing, I now have it burning a 50/50 mix of diesel and waste motor oil. It's been heating my shop now for a week and I love this old thing. It's burning about 2-3 quarts an hour and heats my shop up to 65 degrees. I no longer have to take my oil or filters to the recyclers as this furnace burns both.:) Here's some video's and pictures:

Testing Duo-Therm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVi-GhfF-2w&t=5s

After a week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbeAkV7Rh9g&t=74s








 
Those old circulator heaters were really great in heating large spaces. I knew of a few that were wood fired that heated large workshops etc. It’s nice to see one in good and working order.
 
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Just like Mom and Dad had in the first home they bought in 1953.

Everyone congregated around that stove on cold morning and got dressed.
 
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Nice heater.

Play it SAFE and get a CO Detector (or two).

My Mother had a neighbor (40 yo) who had a natural gas heater in his garage.
It must have been defective, causing CO gas to build up.
He did make it to the outside, but died in front of the garage.

Carbon Monoxide
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/communications/CO/co1.html
 
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Nice
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: MasterSolenoid
Nice heater.

Play it SAFE and get a CO Detector (or two).

My Mother had a neighbor (40 yo) who had a natural gas heater in his garage.
It must have been defective, causing CO gas to build up.
He did make it to the outside, but died in front of the garage.

Carbon Monoxide
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/communications/CO/co1.html


Agreed, had a friend pass away in a similar manner but in his old trailer he used while deer hunting.
 
Neat! I love the look of those oldies. I had an apartment eons ago that was heated with a similar natural gas version. Also had one in the partially finished side of the basement in my first home.
 
We use one in our cabin up in the upper peninsula of Michigan. On a low flame it might be 50% efficient, and lots of sooting up. But when you get it cranked up it'll run you out of the cabin. The putting in oil filters has got me scratching my head. In the next year or two it will be propane and getting rid of the fuel oil burner.
 
Originally Posted By: dirtymudder
We use one in our cabin up in the upper peninsula of Michigan. On a low flame it might be 50% efficient, and lots of sooting up. But when you get it cranked up it'll run you out of the cabin. The putting in oil filters has got me scratching my head. In the next year or two it will be propane and getting rid of the fuel oil burner.


Sorry for the late reply, they are great heaters for sure. I have been shutting it down when I leave the shop and lighting it in the mornings so I never run it on low settings, always on high, so like you said it's pretty clean on full heat. I incinerate my old oil filters so I don't have to drop them off at the recycling depot or dispose of them in the garbage. Here's whats left of a filter after 2 hours in the Duo-Therm.:)


 
I have smaller version duo therm oil stove space heater approx 2' x 2' x 40". It has its own fuel tank attached. Having trouble keeping it running on available fuel - kerosene and diesel. Not easy to get ‘stove oil' in my area. I was of the understanding that a person needs the cleaner oil for the carburetor to work properly. I did not have a damper in the smoke pipe when using it. Clean filter and carb with carb cleaner, add new fuel and watch as stove slows down
 
I have been trying to reduce the amount of waste oil I have to take to the recycling depot, so I decided to burn the waste oil I accumulate to heat my shop. Initially I was going to use a modern oil furnace, but I found an old 1940's Duo-Therm on Craigslist and bought that instead. After about 20 hours of cleaning and testing, I now have it burning a 50/50 mix of diesel and waste motor oil. It's been heating my shop now for a week and I love this old thing. It's burning about 2-3 quarts an hour and heats my shop up to 65 degrees. I no longer have to take my oil or filters to the recyclers as this furnace burns both.:) Here's some video's and pictures:

Testing Duo-Therm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVi-GhfF-2w&t=5s

After a week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbeAkV7Rh9g&t=74s








I have one of these and I’m going to be selling it. How much did you pay on Craigslist?
 
Holy crap, I had to look at who posted this, my buddy just picked up the same furnace and tank from an old dude here in Ontario for the same purpose and my son and I helped him unload it.
 
Holy crap, I had to look at who posted this, my buddy just picked up the same furnace and tank from an old dude here in Ontario for the same purpose and my son and I helped him unload it.
when I was working in heating and air in northern NV there were tons of these in rural areas. People From miles around would bring their carburetors to my brother- in-law. He was exceptional at rebuilding.
 
Holy crap, I had to look at who posted this, my buddy just picked up the same furnace and tank from an old dude here in Ontario for the same purpose and my son and I helped him unload it.

I'm still running this heater and working great, I've added a newer model as well to help out when it gets really cold out. I'll post some pictures later.:)
 
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