DIY Waste Oil Storage Solution

As shops have improved and gotten much nicer over the years, many have just about everything but the kitchen sink,” joked Andrew Haataja of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 

Haataja’s shop does have a kitchen sink — but his has been converted to handle waste oil.

When Haataja switched from using oil in jugs to bulk containers, he still had to stand on a stool to pour used oil into the empty containers. A sink became available during a home remodel, and he knew exactly what to do with it.

His father welded a frame to mount the sink to the shop wall, and after mounting, they placed shelves underneath for oil pans and buckets. Next came a 90° PVC pipe mounted to the drain, with a hose barb and 2-inch hose plumbed through the wall. 

Outside, Haataja placed a 270-gallon clear tote, in which the 2-inch hose connects to a threaded pipe, with vent, attached to the lid. He can easily dump full buckets of oil into the sink. A grill rack in the bottom holds used filters to drain. 

“Once a year, I load up the tote and haul it to a local shop, who trades me for an empty,” Haataja said. “You could use the oil for a heater in the shop, but we do not have one.”

Andrew Haataja lives near Fergus Falls, Minnesota with his wife, Erika and their two daughters. Haataja has a farming operation and farms with his dad. His uncle farms separate ground, but they share equipment and work together. As is common with most farmers, his hobby is the farm, but he loves to work on home improvement projects whenever he can find the time.

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