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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: Fact or Fiction
Posted By: bruce In Response To: Re: Fact or Fiction (Rob)
Date: Friday, 16 September 2005, at 6:43 p.m.
Rob,
Here is a post I did in August about the potential differences in fuel.**************************
Off road Diesel #2 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil # 2 apparently differ only in the tax applied at the time of sale. Both are dyed red.They differ from standard Road Diesel #2 in that road tax has been applied, no red dye has been added, and there is a specification regarding ash and/or sulphur content.
In extremely cold climates, Standard Road Diesel #2 *may* be blended with Diesel #1 or Kerosene K-1 to assist with gelling problems resulting from the cold weather.
Similar blending *MAY* occur on home heating oil / fuel oil based on your geographic region, anticipated temperatures, and overall climate.There also exists Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 which have a higher BTU content.
This is normally accomplished by adding a much heavier petroleum oil distallate similar to automotive motor oil to the formulation.
This allows a furnace to burn less fuel, for each BTU of heat produced, as well as often times reducing the cost per gallon of fuel.
However these types of Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil should NOT be used in a Diesel Fueled Engine or Generator.
In times of shortage, Standard Road Diesel #2, Diesel #1, Kerosene, K-1, Jet Fuel, JP-1, Agricultural Diesel, Diesel #2, Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4, or Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 *MAY* be shipped by fuel distribution companies and sold for use as home heating oil.
There may also be times that, due to economic and other considerations, fuel distributors sell any or all of these products, or combinations and blends of the same, to home owners, as simply Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil.
You should always ask your supplier what the formulation is before they dump it in your tank.
You may end up burning more oil with less BTU output if they give you blended fuel. It can also lead to dirty burner nozzels.The bottom line: Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #2 and Off Road / Agricultural Diesel #2 seem to be very similar products.
More importantly, Home Heating Oil #2 is referring to a very specific product, and a very specific formulation, which, in many cases, may be a very similar product in terms of composition and formulation as Off-Road Agricultural Grade Diesel #2.
Home Heating Oil is, however, a somewhat generic term, which covers a variety of potential products, formulations, and compositions.
When you purchase your Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil - check to insure what the composition and formulation is of the Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil which is being pumped into and/or stored within your tank. As you can see, this composition can vary for a wide variety of reasons, and all Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil is not always the same.
Call your Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil distributor and confirm with them the formulation and composition of the home heating oil / fuel oil in distribution within your area, and also that which may already be stored and in use at your home. Ask them if it is approved for use in a non-transportation or off-road diesel engine.
If not and you use it, any damage that occurs to the engine will void the warrantee.
Since they are both considered *off road* with the red dye, the tax man has no say.
But don't ever get caught running red dye fuel in an over the road truck. Oh man your ass is Uncle Sam's.
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