How Do I Choose an Oil Drain?

When you’re shopping for an oil drain, you should take a minute to ask yourself a few questions:

1. How many oil changes are done in your shop daily? This will determine how big your oil drain needs to be.
2. How do you store waste oil, and do you have a suction pump? This will lead you to the best oil drain style: self-evacuating or pump-assist.
3. Do you work with expensive vehicles? This will help figure out whether to go with a poly or steel oil drain (You could damage cars with a steel version).
   
   

What’s the Best Scenario for a Pump-Assist Oil Drain?

You can make the most out of a pump-assist oil drain if you have a waste oil tank with a suction pump already in your shop. This type of drain lets you hook up a suction hose directly to a full oil drain and transfer oil from the drain to the waste oil tank. Shop air usually runs the suction pump. 

Pump-assist oil drains vary in size from 8 gallons for a smaller shop with a couple of bays to around 30 gallons for a high-volume operation with multiple bays.

What’s the Ideal Situation for a Self-Evacuating Oil Drain?

A self-evacuating oil drain would be more efficient if your shop doesn’t use a suction pump. This drain uses shop air to pressurize the oil drain when it’s full of used oil to push the oil out of the drain and into a waste oil tank or 55-gallon drum. 

Self-evacuating oil drains require a lower initial investment and fewer pieces of equipment. Various sizes are available to meet your shop’s needs.

The Bottom Line

If you already have a waste oil tank with a suction pump in your shop, a pump-assist oil drain would be the best route. If you don’t have a suction pump, a self-evacuating oil drain will serve you better.

We offer an extensive line of oil drains. Take a look here!