Can I use Diesel fuel in my home heating system.

Hello Everyone,

I really can't spare the $500+ that it would cost to get the heating oil company to come out and pump 150 gallons of heating oil.

Can I use Diesel fuel from a gas station instead as home heating oil?

They have the low-sulfur fuel in my area now. I suppose that would be an improvement over the former higher-sulfur fuel.

Any comments? Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

The Rocket Man

Reply to
Hober Mallow
Loading thread data ...

Yes, I believe you can. BUT... it will be very expensive. The differance between home heating fuel and diesel fuel is the all the taxes added to the diesel.

I remember a while back some gov't agency was making a big stink about it. People using the cheaper home fuel in the pick ups, and saving money. And you know how gov't types are about tax money. They proposed adding a purple dye to home fuel to catch those horrible criminals in the act.

Reply to
.boB

".boB" wrote in news:47696c82$0$1759$ snipped-for-privacy@news.usenetmonster.com:

I've checked the prices, and in my area (near Seattle) a week ago, Diesel fuel at my local Shell station was actually cheaper than home heating oil !!! Hence my question. Plus the fact that I could purchase in smaller quantities rather than take the hit at one time.

Reply to
Hober Mallow

Not much of a rocket man are you?

Fuel oil is *cheaper* than diesel fuel by quite a bit. So you are going to ferry a few gallons of more expensive fuel, and pay the cost of the transportation on top of that, to try to save mnoey? I don't think so...

Virtually all fuel oil companies will come an pump the amount you want to pay for (within reason) if you are tight no cash. But using expensive (road tax paid) diesel fuel that will have to be transported as well, is not very cost effective.

But if you must...

Yes, you can use #2 diesel fuel as a substitute for #2 fuel oil.

Reply to
PeterD

Cripes that dye has been added for the last bazillion years. It is red, not purple, however. All non-taxed (fuel oil, off-road diesel, etc.) is dyed to mark it as not to be used on the road. And yes, at truck inspections they can (and perhaps do) 'dip' the tank to check for color!

Reply to
PeterD

Here in Australia, where very few people use heating oil nowadays (its mainly natural gas) heating oil was any hydrocarbon fuel from kerosine upwards .

The fuel distributors used to have a tank in their depot that was just for this purpose. Their tanker would return from deliveries of diesel and if the next delivery was gasoline the company would empty the dregs from the diesel load into into this tank.

How do I know.....I was in the Army and we prepositioned 72 x 44gal (50us gal) drums of AVTUR (JP4). Unfortunately a local river flooded and the drums sat in about 6 inches of water for a week or so. The pilot of the support helicopter (mapping project) refused to use the fuel and the distributor was more than happy to buy it for a chicken feed price and transport it over

2000km back to Brisbane for use as heating oil.

Neville Cootamundra NSW Australia

Reply to
Neville MADDEN

PeterD wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Thanks for your reply, Peter. I should have mentioned earlier that I wasn't going to fill up my entire fuel oil with #2 Diesel from the pump. Instead, I was just trying to figure out what would happen if I tried to use 10-20 gallons to hold me over 'til I could get a bulk shipment.

Reply to
Hober Mallow

I've had an oil furnace for three winters now and heating oil has always been more expensive than at-the-pump-diesel. Why? It's the same stuff with less tax.

The oil company prefers to fill the tank but they'll stop at whatever I tell them. Presumably they'd want more per gallon for a smaller delivery.

Reply to
The Reverend Natural Light

budgeting and preplaning is the key here. we have winter every year so it shouldn't be a surprise when it arrives. in this region lp gas, natural gas and #2 heating fuel all takes a big dive in price during july and august. i prepurchase my natural gas for the house for an entire year during this time. my business runs off of lp gas and we have a large enough tank to see us through the entire winter. we get it filled during this time also. try getting a second tank and filling them both during the low swing of heating fuel prices. michael

Reply to
nunya

That is a good idea

And i wouldn't be using furnace oil in my 06 chevrolet diesel!!!!

I would however use street diesel in my furnace...

Another option would be to find someone who buys Tax Exempt diesel (Skidders, forestry equipment, construction equipment, off road trucks) this stuff is 30 cents / L cheaper. I'm sure you have the same deal in the USA.

Reply to
Picasso

You should look around and see if you can buy off road diesel. That way you won't have to pay the road tax. It is available in most areas for tractors and machinery.

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

He missed that you have a source of diesel that is cheaper than buying #2. So much for trying to sound superior.

Reply to
NapalmHeart

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.