Pellet is in oil..

[John Fortier]

is out. The way things are going we will use a 1/4 tank of oil this season ( started at 3/4) only use is to exercise the furnace and warm the basement on the coldest days. At this rate we really wont need any for close to 2 years. Question is..How well will the oil hold up, does it need to be treated with an additive?

 

[NitroDave]

Oil been in the ground for million of years... A couple more years above will be just fine.

 

[John Fortier]

LOL can you please get to the point

 

[BrotherBart]

The chemical engineers in refineries told me that the shelf life of untreated heating oil is 18-24 months. Yeah it was in the ground for a few million years but its molecules got changed around
going through the refinery units.

And additives are most effective if added as the same time the heating oil goes in the tank.

 

[John Fortier]

So its been in the tank for 10 months plus. Anything I should do or not do?

 

[MarkF48]

Another thing to consider if the tank is outside, maybe lesser for inside, is condensation which collects and goes to the bottom of the tank and could eventually rust out the tank bottom. A cleanup won't be cheap.
When I was getting oil fillups the oil guy was putting an additive at each fill to reduce cold weather fuel gelling and aid in dispersing water. It also keep the oil stirred up to move sediment around. I don't think I've had a fill for about two years, so this sort of situation is something I've been thinking about.

On the subject of fuel gelling, my diesel tractor had some issues during the cold snap we had and it turned out the fuel had gelled in the fuel filter. I had never had to put an additive in
the diesel fuel, but now I will when it gets cold. Below is the filter with the gel buildup. If the fuel oil tank is outside, it's conceivable the fuel oil cold gel if the additive loses its effectiveness. Furnace likely wouldn't run if this occurs.

 

[John Fortier]

And it is outdoors.

 

[velvetfoot]

As per recommendations here, I put this stuff in my oil tank.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014434DG/ref=wms_ohs_product_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Bioburner]

Also needs to have an antibacterial. Bugs used to shut down fleets of ships in WW2. I burnt a treated barrel of fuel that was ten years old in the old pickup.

 

[velvetfoot]

The stuff I linked to is a biocide. Biobor.

 

[DneprDave]

A part of my job is transferring and storage of fuel oils. I've never heard of diesel fuel gelling. But, you can get a microbial infection in your tank, it makes a gooey mess at the water/fuel interface, that could be thought of as a gell. The microbe comes with the fuel from some suppliers. I add Biobore to my home heating oil tank with each fill up. It kills the microbes and treats the fuel.

http://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-jf-fuel-additives/fuel-storage-fuel-additives/

Dave

 

[Lumberjack]

adding kerosene to your heating oil will help eliminate sludge and prevent gelling.

you can also buy an anti sludge treatment at HD for less than $10. I have had a persistent issue with crud in the tank and I am thinking the sludge treatment is helping. fingers crossed. previous occupants were renters and they didn't care about the place.

 

[Bioburner]

A part of my job is transferring and storage of fuel oils. I've never heard of diesel fuel gelling. But, you can get a microbial infection in your tank, it makes a gooey mess at the water/fuel interface, that could be thought of as a gell. The microbe comes with the fuel from some suppliers. I add Biobore to my home heating oil tank with each fill up. It kills the microbes and treats the fuel.

http://www.biobor.com/products/biobor-jf-fuel-additives/fuel-storage-fuel-additives/

Dave

Should have watched our local news as a reporter went with a mechanic to thaw out truck fuel using a propane torch. Pulled a fuel filter and it looked like lemon jello. The longer the cold spell the more problems.

 

[bbfarm]

Our fuel has been in our tank since 2011. Our tank is in the unheated basement

 

[velvetfoot]

My tdi beetle stalled out one day while driving dowm the road during an early cold snap, before the fuel was treated prior to sale. Not a good thing when the engine won't run so you can't stay warm.

 

[MarkF48]

My tdi beetle stalled out one day while driving dowm the road during an early cold snap, before the fuel was treated prior to sale. Not a good thing when the engine won't run so you can't stay warm.

I had a "Beetle" back in about 1968 while I was in Germany. You typically didn't have anything you could really call heat or defrost in those old ones.

 

[SmokeEater]

Another thing to consider if the tank is outside, maybe lesser for inside, is condensation which collects and goes to the bottom of the tank and could eventually rust out the tank bottom. A cleanup won't be cheap.
When I was getting oil fillups the oil guy was putting an additive at each fill to reduce cold weather fuel gelling and aid in dispersing water. It also keep the oil stirred up to move sediment around. I don't think I've had a fill for about two years, so this sort of situation is something I've been thinking about.

On the subject of fuel gelling, my diesel tractor had some issues during the cold snap we had and it turned out the fuel had gelled in the fuel filter. I had never had to put an additive in
the diesel fuel, but now I will when it gets cold. Below is the filter with the gel buildup. If the fuel oil tank is outside, it's conceivable the fuel oil cold gel if the additive loses its effectiveness. Furnace likely wouldn't run if this occurs.


View attachment 123146

Green diesel for your tractor will have the anti-gel additive already mixed in the fuel and you shouldn't have any gelling problems. If you add kerosene to your outside tank that will increase the cetane level of the fuel and reduce the chance of gelling there also. Otherwise add some 911 to your fuel tank if it is outside and you experience temperatures below 20 degrees F.