What do you guys do with your used parts solvent? Is it alright to dump it in an oil burner?

I filter and re-use it -- frankly, I lose enough to evaporation over time that I've never had need to actually change it out -- I just filter it and top off as necessary.

Randii

flamability would be similar to kerosene I bet, but don't take my word on it.

If you have a used oil collection facility you could take it there and dump it in.

Thanks guys

I blend mine with gasoline and burn in my truck!

Won me "cheap bastard of the year" a coupla years ago.

Since it is cold outside right now, I'd burn old parts washer solvent.

If I lived somewhere I couldn't, I'd put it in jugs and take to a recycling place, much safer that way.

If I didn't have a recycling place nearby, I'd put it 1 quart jugs and throw in the trash, you can dispose of chemicals in 1 qt jugs where 1 gal jugs become hazardous waste. (at least in Illinois, check local laws etc...)

Now, the real question is why do you have to pitch it? If what you have is mineral spirits or kerosene and you have a real parts washer on a 33 gallon barrel and not some girly man setup that looks like a sink in a camping trailer, here is the trick to keeping it spotless-

Put a drain in the bottom of your barrel. Drill a hole and braze a 3/4" nipple, then but a ball valve on it with a hose barb. Now dump 5-10 gallons of water in the barrel and fill up with solvent. I like mineral spirits as it smells less. Position the pickup so it is in the solvent and not below the water line.

What happens is the junk all settles down and gets trapped in the water. The solvent stays pretty darn clean! Every so often stick a piece of hose on the nipple and empty 5 gallons of the water. It helps to stir it up before hand and the solids can get hard and not drain if you don't. Afterwards just dump another bucket of water in.

This is 100 times better than changing solvent!

you can dispose of chemicals in 1 qt jugs where 1 gal jugs become hazardous waste. (at least in Illinois, check local laws etc...)



Can you by chance provide a regulatory citation to this effect?

I'd be very interested in reading it.

PT

Best thing is to do what I did and just call whomever picks up your trash and ask them.

Mark:
I spent 19 years as an environmental/health & safety engineer and find it amazing that any municipal solid waste handler would knowingly accept flammable solvents for landfilling, hence my request.

PT

Well it kinda suprised me at the time too, but I made sure I was following the law since I had a full driveway I didn't want to get afoul of any ordnances. Another one was the disposal of old tires, the rule as explained to me only covered complete tires, so I would take a sawszall(on second thought I think I just used a jigsaw with a metal blade) and cut old tires up into quarters and put in the trash. The only bizarre thing that happened once with that was they took my trash with a cut up tire and left a whole, equally worn out one in its place! I figured they didn't want to bring an intact tire back so I just cut it up and into the trash that one went too, they took it the next week.

But I am certain it was explained to me that 1 quart jugs were OK to throw away.

Paint was different, you had to leave the lids off until the paint was solidified and then they could go in the trash too.

I store it in a gal paint cans when done, it settles out and even hardens over time, just pour or siphon the clean stuff off the top and reuse. They recommend before tossing paint to let it harden first, so let it set a while. I don't use much paint thinner anymore and switch to bio degradable degreaser, it would just as good. Well also most:flipoff2:
use gloves as it drys out your hands.

Thanks again for the suggestions guys. I gave the used slovent to a buddy of mine for his recently purchased parts cleaner.

Glad to hear you got things straightened out.

If I can do a gentle hijack, remember to put a few gallons of water in the bottom of your solvent. I'm telling you, you'll be amazed how clean everything stays! I suppose you could even just siphon out the mucky water or drain off the solvent and then dump it. All you need to do is reposition the pickup abouve the water level. Give yourself a few inches because the level will rise when gunk starts collecting in it.