Heating Oil

[DaveNH]

I'm just about to run out of heating oil.
(Can't get a delivery until tomorrow.)
The fellow down at the gas station said
I could put diesel fuel in the tank.
Before I do so, I'd like a second opion.
I tried calling a few fuel companies but got answering
machine. I'll be out by morning.

HELP!!!
Can I dump diesel in?

 

[jimmoore]

I'm not sure Dave. read some of the posts in the fuel, oil and lubricants forum. Someone in a post there said that when he ran out of diesel that he used heating oil in his tractor. Looks like if it would work one way, it would work the other! jim

 

[chuckp]

Yes, Diesel is the same as heating oil. The only difference is the taxes you pay for road use and also the road fuel may also have some different additives./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Chuck

 

[bpence]

I've used diesel fuel in the past to run the furnace, but have only put as much in my storage tank as I thought I'd need until I could get a delivery. 10-15 gallons, maybe. Didn't seem to hurt anything and was sure a whole lot better than sitting around in the cold. It's probably a whole lot more common than you think. I know my neighbor has done the same thing.

Bob Pence

 

[gordon]

Fuel oil is the same as off road diesel. On road deisel has added taxes and maybe less sulfer content depending on the area.

As far as using it for heating oil---Don't worry about it it's the same stuff!!! At the marina that I used to work at they would fill the diesel tank and then top off the heating oil tank.---same stuff. At the old house I had an oil burner and used to use the fuel out of the tank to run the tractor as well.---same stuff.

Just remember to turn off the furnace while you dump the diesel in and let it settle for a few minutes before you run the furnace. This allows the junk to settle to the bottom of the tank instead of being sucked up into the filter for the furnace.
Gordon

 

[DaveNH]

chuckp, bpence and jim
THANKS!!!
Just got a lesson on heating oil.
One of the fuel companies called me back.

I'm an urban boy who moved out into the woods!

Turns out they are the same.
Home fuel is diesel with a red dye added.
The dye indicates that no road taxes were paid.
The regular diesel you get at the station doesn't have
the red dye. If you're a trucker and you get stopped for a fuel check, they better not see red.

So knowning that, I'm going to be hooking up a pump from
my oil tank in the basement so I can refuel my Kubota.
Why should I pay a road tax when it never touches a road!

Thanks for the quick responses.
Anne, Frankie and I will sleep better tonight.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Diesel will work fine, so will kerosene. I used kerosene for about two weeks when I was building my house. I didn't have the oil tank installed at the time, so I used kerosene out of 5 gal cans until I installed the tank. No problems at all.

Andy

 

[DaveNH]

gordon,
Thanks,
I got your response while composing my previous reply.

Man, I love this board!
It's comforting to know that there are still people out
there willing to help one another!

So much to learn, so little time.

 

[DaveNH]

gordon,
Thanks,
I got your response while composing my previous reply.

Man, I love this board!
It's comforting to know that there are still people out
there willing to help one another!

So much to learn, so little time.