Home garage question about oil storage

soggy

soggy

on the pole
Hi, what do you guys prefer to use to store used motor oil in large quantities? I am looking for something to safely (leak proof) store up to 5 gallons or so before I have to take it to be recycled. This would leave me only needing to recycle it once a year or so between all of my vehicles. The max at the drop off center near me is 5 gallons as well so this would be perfect.

Second question, do any of you use a vacuum extractor for oil? Considering picking one up.
 
Tom G

Tom G

"The Deer Hunter"
Here in SJ you can put a 1 gallon or 5 gallon container next to your trash can, the trash collector will take it and leave an empty container for you.
 
soggy

soggy

on the pole
Smash Allen said:
i have a five gallon bucket from home depot that i take to auto zone when it gets full. the lid seals pretty good.
Click to expand...

This actually sounds like a great option. I was thinking of a steel container for some reason, but I'll go for this. Between the truck, my wife's crossover, race bike, and other motorcycle it should cover me for the year.
 
M

motomania2007

TC/MSF/CMSP/ Instructor
Where are you recycling the oil?

I drop mine off at auto parts stores and they limit me to 2 gallons at a time.

I use various gallon jugs from oil, milk, antifreeze, etc.
 
wilit

wilit

Well-known member
I have 5 gallon gas cans. Known petroleum resistant and easy to carry and pour out.
 
H

Hank Wong

Well-known member
I use the one gallon oil containers that came with the oil. I keep the old oil containers in a cardboard box on a garage shelf and recycle the old oil in them at the Sunnyvale recycling center. I typically recycle them when I have 4 or 5 jugs. The original containers are highly resistant to spill even when knocked over from a height and I can move them one jug at a time so not too heavy. I also use 1 gallon gatorade jug or thick plastic juice jugs. Milk jugs are too flimsy in case of a drop.
 
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Gary856

Gary856

Are we having fun yet?
I used to store used oil in laundry detergent bottles (which I rinsed out thoroughly before hand), but last time I took it to AutoZone they didn't like it, saying they had concerns about unnecessary fluid contamination in the oil and some regulations issues. So I bought a large container specifically for oil storage, but haven't used it.

Tom G said:
Here in SJ you can put a 1 gallon or 5 gallon container next to your trash can, the trash collector will take it and leave an empty container for you.
Click to expand...

Never heard that. I thought trash truck drivers only stayed in the vehicle and use the robotic arm to pick up trash and recycling bins. You mean if they see extra containers, they'll get out and manually pick them up?
 
zelig

zelig

black 'tard heroine
I had a seemingly trustworthy container fail silently (as if there's any other way) and ooze about a gallon of waste oil onto my garage floor. Luckily the slope kept it from spreading too badly, but it was still a nasty mess.

Now the replacement container sits in a backup pan, and I try not to store too much for too long.

FWIW, YMMV, etc.
 
auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Staff member
Gary856 said:
I used to store used oil in laundry detergent bottles (which I rinsed out thoroughly before hand), but last time I took it to AutoZone they didn't like it, saying they had concerns about unnecessary fluid contamination in the oil and some regulations issues. So I bought a large container specifically for oil storage, but haven't used it.



Never heard that. I thought trash truck drivers only stayed in the vehicle and use the robotic arm to pick up trash and recycling bins. You mean if they see extra containers, they'll get out and manually pick them up?
Click to expand...

it depends on the locality but often the recycling truck takes oil. los altos, mt view, sunnyvale, and now santa clara have all had some mechanism for curbside oil and filter disposal in my experience
 
Tom G

Tom G

"The Deer Hunter"
Gary856 said:
I used to store used oil in laundry detergent bottles (which I rinsed out thoroughly before hand), but last time I took it to AutoZone they didn't like it, saying they had concerns about unnecessary fluid contamination in the oil and some regulations issues. So I bought a large container specifically for oil storage, but haven't used it.



Never heard that. I thought trash truck drivers only stayed in the vehicle and use the robotic arm to pick up trash and recycling bins. You mean if they see extra containers, they'll get out and manually pick them up?
Click to expand...

In San Jose the trash trucks all have a fenced storage attached to their frame where they keep full and empty plastic containers for recycled oil. The driver needs to get out and manually swap full to empty container.
 
soggy

soggy

on the pole
zelig said:
I had a seemingly trustworthy container fail silently (as if there's any other way) and ooze about a gallon of waste oil onto my garage floor. Luckily the slope kept it from spreading too badly, but it was still a nasty mess.

Now the replacement container sits in a backup pan, and I try not to store too much for too long.

FWIW, YMMV, etc.
Click to expand...

Yeah I had one of those black plastic waste oil containers fail and leak a bunch of oil once. They are probably ok for very short term storage but I'm switching to something made from a much thicker/sturdy material now. I think the 5 gallon plastic bucket is going to my pick.
 
LachlanD

LachlanD

City Dweller
I usually save my milk jugs and use those for used oil. I also have a 5 gallon lowes/home depot bucket with a lid but if it falls over somehow then it's a nightmare. Fine in the garage but secure it good n tight when dropping it off.
 
Alan_Hepburn

Alan_Hepburn

Well-known member
Gary856 said:
Never heard that. I thought trash truck drivers only stayed in the vehicle and use the robotic arm to pick up trash and recycling bins. You mean if they see extra containers, they'll get out and manually pick them up?
Click to expand...

It's not the trash truck drivers; it's the recycle truck drivers. And you must use their containers: I tried using the oil containers that I just emptied into my vehicles, and they wouldn't take them. But, basically you call the recycle company and the driver will drop off as many 1-gallon jugs as you request. Then on pickup day you put them out on the curb and they'll pick up the full jugs and leave an empty jug. Their jugs look identical to your standard 1 gallon milk jug, except there's no identifying label on them.
 
afm199

afm199

Well-known member
Having had the lid come off a five gallon home depot bucket once, full of oil, I use only screw top one gallon containers.
 
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