Published on 12, July, 2020
I've been running one of those cheap chinese diesel heaters for a while now, (this is year three) to keep my garage warm in the winter and keep the damp out.
It works out at 5P a kilowatt hour if you run it off the correct fuel, (red diesel, apparently available form some BP garages) but I already had laid up a stock of kerosene form back when it was 70P a litre, so I was already ahead of the game even before I discovered that you can run the thing off used motor oil, thinned down with either kerosene, stale petrol or diesel...
***SAFETY WARNING*** Do not do this without a great deal more research. Mine made scary noises when being asked to run at full chat whilst swallowing a more experimental fuel at 03:45AM, and I've shut it down pending an investigation tomorrow.. I'm fairly sure that's why there are so many alterable combustion parameters, but this IS both experimental and "frowned upon by the sensible and well adjusted" activity for good reason.
In ecological terms burning waste oil in one of these isn't so bad as it is effectively a little forced air furnace, although like anything else where the government does not take a huge cut, it is frowned upon.
If you haven't gathered by now, our leaders have great plans for humanity, involving the likes of you and me owning nothing, eating insects and being the carbon (((they))) want to reduce.
Making the basics like heat and food as expensive as possible initially, then later dependent on your "social credit score", is part of the plan, so don;t expect fuel costs to ever noramalise.
Petrol went up to £1 a litre about when oil went to 100$ a barrel, but now oil is price fixed at 60$, did YOU see the price go down??
Being able to surreptiously burn practically any inflammable liquid for heat for 100 quid gives you a bit of respite from the evil clowns who currently direct the course of human events. We've added solar cells and a feed in invertor to reduce our electric bills, plus are controlling consumption more carefully, and I believe that the extra heat being introduce to our house by my alternative heat sources, will cause the Central heating to run at reduced duty cycle.
Electric is 35P per kilowatt hour, Gas is similar these heaters run at 5P a kilowatt hour, or half that if you run 50/50 waste oil/diesel mix. The stale petrol and waste oil I just scored, mixed, and started using this week costs me NOTHING per kilowatt hour...
I'm working on a system to scavenge heat from the exhaust With a surplus car EGR heat exchanger (10 quid from ebay) and convert it into electricity using a load of peltier elements so I can get rid of the charger.
(I bought a second spare heater this year, by way of an insurance policy, when they were ridiculously cheap (75 quid)
NEXT up SOLID FUEL...
I'm desperate for plumbing information if there are any "proper" plumbers out there, as I want to learn how to implement a gravity fed boiler radiator combo, and I also really, really, want to know if I can safely insert a pre-heater into my central heating circuit ahead of my combi boiler. I'm thinking of using a surplus diesel "block heater" as fitted to many cars found in scrapyards, which then means I can pre feed the boiler water that has had some heat already added by means of burning waste oil and solvent rather than american Compressed Natural Gas.
When (if) we get our table top fusion reactor self running, then the problem will be solved for quite a LONG time, but for now, this is as good as it gets in terms of "free energy"...
people like you are the reason i come here i hope you are storing that kerosene properly
Taking a bit of a risk (by my standards) with barrel supported off the ground, and no "bunding" which I don't like, but I draw from the top of the barrel, with a pump on demand, into the smaller heater jerry or tank. So leakage is only possible if the barrel actually fails, which is statistically unlikely. I've a thousand litre "proper" tank in storage waiting to go to my land when I can secure it* so I can take maximum advantage of the pricing that comes when you buy 1000litres at a time.
* I discovered THESE this week, which in conjunction with the correct signage and if employed using the skills the military tried to impart when I was a kid, might well add the security I require...
https://www.henrykrank.com/alarm-mine-h4990/
I've no interest in hurting anyone who tries to steal my stuff, but making them fill their pants, before leaving the scene quickly I can get into...
And only yesterday, I devised a laser toner or vegetable dye filled "bouncing betty" type of DYE mine, propelled upwards by a hilti cartridge, with the payload dispersed with a soda syphon cartridge when the wire goes tight...So one day I might actually be able to own my own minefield! But for now, I can see an alarm mine being exactly what I need to keep my toolshed safe which would mean next year I can restart cleaning up my land. (I have to leave the tools there as parking and unloading is a PITA, including damage to the vehicle happening) Ideally I want to attend by motorcycle and just pick up the tools and work.