Redmond resident Howard Levens really enjoys used motor oil.
The black goo that most people throw away is what fuels his boilers and heaters, which are quickly becoming the most sought-after heating appliances for businesses.
Levens, CEO of Northwest Industrial Equipment in Kent, distributes the environmentally friendly machines for Virginia-based Shenandoah Manufacturing Co., which patented the burner technology about two years ago.
From Russia to Renton, the used-oil boilers are eliminating heating bills.
"For years people were convinced that the only way to get rid of their used oil was to throw it away," Levens said. "Now we solve a problem by recycling and reusing it on site."
The machines are used primarily by businesses that generate large quantities of oil: car dealers, oil and lube shops, motorcycle repair shops, heavy equipment dealers, public transit departments, etc.
Mike Scarff, president of the new Carco used-car store in Renton, is pleased with his boiler that burns oil, transmission fluid and other petroleum-based products.
Fuel costs cut 'to zero'
"This recycling process cuts our fuel costs to zero," Scarff said.
Levens has been running the distributorship -- Shenandoah's largest -- for two years and says sales have increased 15 percent each year. He predicts a 50 percent jump this year, based on increased awareness and Internet sales.
"We have sold quite a few pieces of equipment off the internet, he said. "It's amazing -- especially to people in rural areas."
When Levens says "rural," he doesn't mean Enumclaw. He means Magadan in the Russian Far East and the Fort Knox Gold Mine in the mountains outside Fairbanks, Alaska.
The companies that use the boilers in these cold, remote locations often use heavy equipment for mining or logging. Rather than truck the used oil back out across treacherous dirt roads, they recycle in in the boilers.
Closer to home, Levens said the boilers are providing heat to a variety of companies including the Gray Line in Seattle, Cedar Hills landfill, BP gas stations, Phil Smart car dealer, Oak Harbor in Auburn, Detroit Diesel, Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping of Kent, The Sumit at Snoqualmie, Rabanco and more.
The machines cost $3,000 to $15,000, with the boilers generating between 235,000 to 800,000 BTUs. Levens said the units generally pay for themselves within about 18 months, based on the fuel savings.
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"Every business is looking to reduce their operating expenses." he said, "They want comfort in their shops for their employees and customers. We have people who have tried one unit and have come back and bought multiple units."
Levens, former director of the state of Washington's business and job retention program, says the products may qualify businesses for a $500 voucher from King Country under a hazardous waste program.
However, the best result of the machines, says Levens, involves the environment.
"The products eliminate the cradle-to-grave liability businesses have for used oil because it is used right on site," he said. "There's hundreds of millions of gallons of used oil and by recycling and reusing it on site we know where it is being disposed.
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