What is the difference between Kerosene and Home Heating Fuel.
Crude oil is refined into various oils such as home heating oil and kerosene. The oils differ in their refinement processes resulting in different oil types.
Home Heating Oil
Oil is thought to be considered the safest type of heat because it will not explode nor will it get hot enough to catch fire. Thus it warms your home quickly, safely and cost effectively. Heating oil will not burn in a liquid state. The flash point, or the temperature at which the oil ignites, is 140 degrees Fahrenheit -the temperature at which it begins to vaporize in order to catch fire inside a burner.
Heating oil is diesel fuel. It is dyed red to indicate that it is not legal to burn in a diesel vehicle because the red dye indicates that there were no road taxes paid with it. Putting diesel fuel into your oil thank is good way to get yourself through an otherwise cold night and morning in the case that you let yourself run out when a truck cannot get to you till the next day.
Oil is best used for inside tanks as the oil can gel in cold temperatures. If you still prefer to use oil on an outside tank, you can use an additive (such as Hot Shot) that helps to prevent oil from gelling through the winter.
Kerosene
Kerosene burns cleaner due to its refining process. It is said by many to burn more efficiently, causing it to last longer and, making it worthy of its higher price. Kerosene also does not gel up during the winter. Kerosene has a lower flash point of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Amazing information. You may have just saved myself and my kids lives! Thank you ? blessings!
This is informative thanks.
This is informative, Thank you!
That is really interesting that heating oil is thought to be the safest type of heat because it won’t explode. That sounds like something that I would want to have to heat my house to avoid an explosion. Safety is my main concern in my home.
I have always used kerosene but my mother in law passed and we took.oil out of her tank and it has lasted longer than th he kerosene does we put in about 1/2 a tank in oct and it’s down to just below 1/4 of a tank kerosene would have been gone a least a month ago
Have been using kerosene for my becket burner which has an outside tank for over 30 years now. Cost is approximately $1.50 more a gallon but for what I pay a year and how clean it runs, it’s worth it.People need to keep their heaters tuned up it is very important,that is the key.
Nice explanation. I learned something today!
It’s great that you elaborated on how oil can be considered one of the safest types of heat for a home, and it will not explode or catch fire from getting too hot. My family and I moved to a new house recently, and we are trying to figure out the best option to keep ourselves warm during the winter. Thank you for all the explanation and the ideas on why oil is important for heating, so I can present it to them and see what they think.