Buying kerosene

[gthomas785]

I'm talking about #1 heating oil a.k.a. kerosene a.k.a. Jet-A. I use it in my shop heater. I remember a decade or two ago in my area pretty much every gas station had a kerosene pump. Now I am having a hard time finding anyone that sells the stuff. What gives? I know it's getting more expensive but I have a hard time believing nobody uses kerosene heaters anymore. Is that really the case?

This year I finally called a heating oil supplier in my town and they did fill my 5 gal jug with kerosene. Hooray! I had to drop off my container and then come back later to pick it up because the guy that could fill it was out on deliveries. Paid $6/gal. Not bad compared to the place i found last year, and a shorter drive so I thanked them profusely.

The only other place I've seen it for sale is at the hardware store in metal 5 gal drums... for $75!! I only buy 5 gal at a time to run my shop heater but I'd hate to buy the single use drums and have to dispose of them especially at that price.

I get that the price is up because of the demand from aviation but if I wanted to switch over to propane or another fuel I'd have to buy a whole new heater and I don't use it enough to justify that. I could also theoretically run my heater on diesel but I tried that once and it stank me out of the place. Is kerosene really disappearing everywhere or just in my area? Do you have places locally that sell kerosene by the gallon? Curious to know. Thanks.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I'm talking about #1 heating oil a.k.a. kerosene a.k.a. Jet-A. I use it in my shop heater. I remember a decade or two ago in my area pretty much every gas station had a kerosene pump. Now I am having a hard time finding anyone that sells the stuff. What gives? I know it's getting more expensive but I have a hard time believing nobody uses kerosene heaters anymore. Is that really the case?

This year I finally called a heating oil supplier in my town and they did fill my 5 gal jug with kerosene. Hooray! I had to drop off my container and then come back later to pick it up because the guy that could fill it was out on deliveries. Paid $6/gal. Not bad compared to the place i found last year, and a shorter drive so I thanked them profusely.

The only other place I've seen it for sale is at the hardware store in metal 5 gal drums... for $75!! I only buy 5 gal at a time to run my shop heater but I'd hate to buy the single use drums and have to dispose of them especially at that price.

I get that the price is up because of the demand from aviation but if I wanted to switch over to propane or another fuel I'd have to buy a whole new heater and I don't use it enough to justify that. I could also theoretically run my heater on diesel but I tried that once and it stank me out of the place. Is kerosene really disappearing everywhere or just in my area? Do you have places locally that sell kerosene by the gallon? Curious to know. Thanks.

You might look at a diesel heater. Diesel is easy to buy. Will a kerosene heater burn diesel?

 

[gthomas785]

You might look at a diesel heater. Diesel is easy to buy. Will a kerosene heater burn diesel?

Yeah, mine can run on either, however when I tried using diesel / #2 the smell was horrendous. I couldn't stand it. Kerosene is not totally odorless but is much less offensive.

 

[stoveliker]

My dad was a pilot (airforce and civilian), and I've been around planes a lot.
I like the smell of kerosene.
Diesel only if it's based on old kitchen grease

Not much for sale here other than the 1 gallon Home Depot type plastic containers (I don't remember their price, but it can't be good...)

 

[Whitenuckler]

Yeah, mine can run on either, however when I tried using diesel / #2 the smell was horrendous. I couldn't stand it. Kerosene is not totally odorless but is much less offensive.

I have had many of the "Chinese Diesel Heaters". They vent outside, and get combustion air from outside. Not too many BTU, but safe and fuel is easy to get.

 

[gthomas785]

I am just using a salamander to take the chill out of a drafty old barn that is my shop while I work out there. Exhausting outside would defeat the purpose, lol!

 

[Whitenuckler]

I am just using a salamander to take the chill out of a drafty old barn that is my shop while I work out there. Exhausting outside would defeat the purpose, lol!

Ya a salamander has huge BTU compared to my Chinese diesel heater. With my heater it is two closed loops like a pellet stove. One loop is combustion (outside air) and the other loop is inside air. They were invented for big trucks and boats.

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[EatenByLimestone]

Check gas stations in either the country or poorer inner city areas. The middle class suburbs have natural gas.

 

[zrock]

kerosene is becoming a dead fuel. Mot of the time you can only find it in small jugs for camping at the local hardware store. The days of getting it at the pump are long gone. With your type of heater their is no exhaust to run outside and your going to smell what ever fuel you are burning... Donno how good it is to run indoors when running diesel but i still see lots of people using them on worksites filled with diesel.

 

[NickW]

Going through the same frustration right now. The new area we live in apparently had 1 gas station that sold kerosene at the pump... Until last year 🙄. I'm going to make a point of taking both the heater and the can along to fill up when we travel to an area where I can get it from the pump...

 

[gthomas785]

Going through the same frustration right now. The new area we live in apparently had 1 gas station that sold kerosene at the pump... Until last year 🙄. I'm going to make a point of taking both the heater and the can along to fill up when we travel to an area where I can get it from the pump...

Try calling a heating oil company! I was surprised they were actually willing to fill my can and at a reasonable price too.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Just get a couple of kerosene colored gas cans. Theoretically it can go bad, but I’ve never seen it in practice.

 

[gthomas785]

Just get a couple of kerosene colored gas cans. Theoretically it can go bad, but I’ve never seen it in practice.

And what, fill it with gas?
Yah I have the 5 gal blue one labeled kerosene. The problem is finding where to fill it up.
Or, were you talking to NickW

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Nick! Sorry for the confusion!

 

[NickW]

Yeah, I have one blue 5 gallon can. Not going to buy more at $30 apiece with nowhere to fill them. Know a couple places in other area's that I can still get it. If I take the truck I can have the heater and can in back and fill them both.