Fuel Oil vs Kerosene

[Fudgieghost]

What is the difference between fuel oil and kerosene?  

Is kerosene refined further than fuel oil?  

Can you burn fuel oil in a kerosene heater or lantern?

[Stickjockey]

IIRC, fuel oil is heavier than kerosene. Kerosene is closer to diesel.

[peteinct]

I'm not sure but I believe kero is more refined than fuel oil. Here oil has to be cut with kero so it doesn't set up in the winter. Up north in Maine they run pure kerosine I've been told by some of the Mainers i work with.

Furnace oil has red dye in it some thing to do with taxes so I don't think it would work for a lantern or indoor heater.

pete

[cfabe]

They are similar but not identical. #1 fuel oil is essentially kerosene. #2 fuel oil, which is what's usually used for home heating around here, is heavier than Kerosene.

In a wick or jet type kerosene appliance, it might work. I wouldn't try it in a vapor appliance with a generator (like a coleman lantern or alladin lamp) because it might clog the generator.

[cfabe]

Road diesel can vary from area to area and winter to summer. Summer in the south it could be straignt #2 fuel oil (with the detergents and lubricants and taxes added, of course) and up in canada in the winter it might be #1. In the midwest you might find a blend of the two.

[Azrael256]

You'd do best going with exactly what the manufacturer recommends.  Gasoline will work in a Zippo (before you ask: young, stupid, and lucky to have all my fingers), but not well.  Wicks, injectors, burners, etc. are designed with a particular liquid in mind, and will not function at peak efficiency (and sometimes safety) with a fuel of a different viscosity, density, specific gravity, vapor pressure, etc.

[Leatherneck]

I just ruined a heater wick by using diesel fuel. Replaced the wick and reverted to Kero #1--no more smoky wick. Better stick to clean kero for the heater. In a pinch, I do use kero in the diesel tractor with no apparent problems.

TC

[charby]

isn't kero a lot more expensive than diesel?

[cfabe]

isn't kero a lot more expensive than diesel?

Last time I bought it (a couple years ago), it was approxamately in the same price range. This was from a gas station with a kerosene pump. Buying it in containers at a retail store will be more expensive.

[charby]

Thanks, I thought it was more expensive at the pump than diesel. I understand buying it in one cans at the hardware store would be more expensive.

C

[280plus]

Sulfur content. Fuel oil and diesel have a high content while kero is the cleanest. You can burn kero and even diesel in your furnace but you can't burn diesel OR fuel oil in your kero heater. It's the sulfur build up that ruins your wick.

Home heating oil is not taxable while diesel is. Diesel is dyed red to indicate road use taxes have been paid. I should say that to the best of my knowledge fuel oil and diesel oil are the same product an can be used interchangebly but woe be it to the one who gets caught with undyed heating fuel in their diesel powered vehicle. It makes no sense to burn diesel for heat as the road taxes make it cost more than regular fuel oil.

In a pinch though, (your tank runs dry on friday night at 11 pm) you can run to the gas station and get 5 gallons of diesel fuel and use it to run your furnace or boiler. Kero too.

And just cause I'm a worry wart...

NEVER fill your kero heater in the house. This is how most kero heater fires start.

[mtnbkr]

Home heating oil is not taxable while diesel is. Diesel is dyed red to indicate road use taxes have been paid. I should say that to the best of my knowledge fuel oil and diesel oil are the same product an can be used interchangebly but woe be it to the one who gets caught with undyed heating fuel in their diesel powered vehicle.

Who gets caught doing this?  I've never known any non-commercial diesel users to get checked.  

Chris

[onions!]

Who gets caught doing this?  I've never known any non-commercial diesel users to get checked.  

Chris

Around here checking the fuel in the tank is part of the D.O.T. yearly inspection.If a trucking firm or even a farm truck(on the public road) were to be caught w/non red dyed fuel they could be fined.IIRC,diesel for farm use is dyed blue.

[Gun Runner]

Who gets caught doing this?  I've never known any non-commercial diesel users to get checked.  

Chris

Farmers, ranchers, loggers, construction workers.  Anywhere you'll find a large percentage of diesel powered pickups you may find someone dipping the tanks.  I've been to enough auctions and seen dipping in progress.

Expect the fine to cost $4,000-10,000+

[K Frame]

If I'm not mistaken, standard practice is normally to fine the user not only a punishment fine, but to assess taxes on the entire mileage shown on the vehicle's odometer.

[280plus]

I did some asking around last night and can confirm that diesel and fuel oil are pretty much the same product...

[Moondoggie]

As far as the penalties are concerned, based upon my over the road trucking experience, I'm sure it varies from state to state.