Kero, diesel, heating oil

[saichele]

What's the relationship between these? K-1 and diesel used to be the same price, now the local station has diesel for 2.41, but wants 3.99 for Kero? Will kero heaters (wick or 'jet engine' type) run on diesel?

Thanks
Steve

 

[bruce]

my newer model jet heaters will run on diesel, there is a slight order to it not bad though in a garage on construction site, the unit has to be made for multi fuel use,, clear fuel works the best if it is economical vs dyed off road fuels

 

[Sandor]

This is why I chucked my perfectly fine kerosene heater. At 95 cent a gallon, it was cheap heat for the garage. Those days are gone and I don't think they are coming back.

Kero is a rip, thats for sure.

 

[bruce]

im only 30, but wasnt there a day they couldnt give kero away?

 

[Corey]

Kerosene aka #1 diesel is ~132Kbtu/ gallon and "heating oil" or #2 diesel is ~140Kbtu/gallon so even if the price was equal, the #2 diesel is the better buy.

When you are talking $2.41/gal diesel, is that right at the pump? If it is yellow diesel right from the pump then it has road tax figured into the price. If you look around, you can probably find true heating oil, or off-road use diesel fuel (with red dye added) cheaper...no sense paying to maintain the roads when you're burning the fuel in a heater...unless you are just a super nice guy! The kerosene may be the same way. This time of year, I think it is pretty common to mix #1 and #2 diesel to lower the cloud and pour points aka "keep it from gelling" in the cold weather. This may have made short supply for the #1 and it could be road taxed as well

Corey

 

[saichele]

So 'winter' diesel is kerosene? That was sort of what I thought, I was just trying to make sense of the price disparity. In only use 5 gal a month or so to heat the garage when I'm working in there, so if I can save 1.60/gal by feeding it diesel rather than the kero, I don't mind kicking in a dime or two for road maintenance.

Thanks
Steve

 

[JAred]

What is the recipe for jet fuel? Is'nt it just kerosene?

 

[Corey]

What is the recipe for jet fuel? Is'nt it just kerosene?

Well, jet fuel, kerosene, and diesel are all related, but, all have their individual specifications. In general, the jet fuels are more highly refined, filtered, tested, and monitored. Jet fuels tend to have higher limits for sulfur, and of course, no road tax!

Corey