Can fuel oil used in an oil furnace be used in a kerosene heater ??? Is it not kerosene too. I was told no,but don't understand , why not ?

-- mchenry (cymchenry@seidata.com), July 11, 1999

Answers

Home heating oil is basically diesel fuel. Kerosene is refined to have a higher cetane rating and better burning characteristics (less smoke, fewer particulates, lower gelling point, etc). You can add kerosene to a diesel engine, (and this used to be done for improving winter service) but you might run into problems trying to operate a burner designed for kerosene with straight diesel oil.

-- Sure M. Worried (SureMWorried@bout.y2k.coming), July 11, 1999.

Thank You I've been trying to make preps, and that was one of the things that I was'nt sure of. Another is propane---I read in one of the prep sites that propane does'nt produce cabon monoxide , but those tanks you get for your grill usally have warnings on them--the little green ones do too. do you know what the difference is in them.

Confused

-- mchenry (cymchenry@seidata.com), July 11, 1999.

This item appreared in the July 8, 1999 edition of The Washington Post, page B3:

House Explodes in Portsmouth

A house in Portsmouth exploded yesterday when a man tried to use an electric fan to vent fumes from a leaking propane grill inside the duplex, fire officials said... An arc that occurs when electrical appliances are turned on ignited the flammable propane.

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), July 11, 1999.

Hope this will help. 1. I heat with oil forced air, I use a 50/50 mix of #2 fuel oil/kerosene, I do this to keep the fuel line from freezing. 2. I cook with propane full time, full size stove with oven. It is unvented, I have 2 100lb tanks outside kitchen window. 3. I use an unvented propane heater in den, backup for when power is off. 500lb tank outside backdoor. 4. When it gets real cold I use a secound unvented gas heater upstairs, that runs from a grill size tank. Also use wood cook stove in garage. Make sure you have 1 or 2 carbon monoxide detectors.

-- && (&&@&&.&), July 11, 1999.

DO NOT BE MISTAKEN - It could cost you you life.

When you burn ANY petroleum product (or anything else for that matter) some amount of carbon monoxide is produced. That means ANY product in ANY amount.

I don't intend to alarm anyone. Obviously milions of people burn stuff every day with out injury. But NONE of them is PERFECTLY safe. Life is not PERFECTLY safe.

Use normal precautions which are listed in profusion elsewhere. But to do be mislead into thinking that this or that product is safe - in the sense that you can, for instance, burn it indoors without regard to ventilation. Understand what you are doing and be safe.

-Greybear

-- Got CO monitors?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), July 11, 1999.

Am I correct in this reasoning:

many homes in the suburbs/rural areas have big heating oil tanks

many oil furnaces will not work without electricity

therefore if there is no electricity, people will be willing to barter a little fuel oil for a reasonable price, since they have a lot of it and can't use it

therefore if you have a diesel engine (vehicle or generator) or a stove that will burn the stuff, you will be able to get fuel long after all the gasoline and kerosene is gone?

how much do typical household tanks hold, anyway?

Too bad there are no diesel motorcycles....

-- biker (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), July 11, 1999.

Fuel oil for home heating is usually #1 diesel fuel - The difference between #1 & #2 diesel is an additive that keeps the fuel from jelling when it gets cold. During the winters the only diesel available at the pump is #1 and during the warmer weather it is #2. In the spring and fall truck drivers usually buy additives to add to their fuel if they are not sure about the fuel and/or the weather.

When I had fuel oil and was running low, I would just run down to the gas station and pick up 10 gallons to last me until the fuel guy could get out. The difference in cost is all of the road taxes added on.

Kerosene is NOT fuel oil or diesel. Kerosene is refined differently than fuel oil. Do not use fuel oil or diesel in a kerosene heater. As stated by others, carbon monoxide is always a potential danger.

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 11, 1999.

There are five standardized grades of fuel oil. The "lighter" distillate grades are Nos. 1 and 2. The "heavier" residual grades are Nos. 4, 5 and 6 and usually need to be preheated before they will ignite. (There is no No. 3.) No. 1 = kerosene. No. 2 is the most common heating oil fuel. Diesel also comes in grades, at least Nos. 1, 2 and 4. No. 2 diesel is very similar to No. 2 heating oil.

In the north, the asphalt plants shut down by November because it is too difficult keeping the asphalt mix liquid enough to apply to roads. When potholes are filled in the winter, they use something called "cold patch" which has a base of kerosene instead of a heavier oil. However, when the weather warms up, those patches are susceptible to being ripped out because they have not really solidified.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), July 12, 1999.