Learning Kerosene Cost after rebuilding an old Perfection heater for fun Removing a Perfection 525 Wick I've discovered something truly. D2 diesel, also called Gasoil, is a fuel oil that is the second distillate derived from crude oil. D2 diesel products contain different levels of sulfur and require no reformers or additives to produce. Standard diesel fuel (sometimes called.
Crude oil is made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms in specific ratios that form a variety of hydrocarbon compounds depending on the size and length of the hydrocarbon chains. During refining, these hydrocarbon chains are separated based on the difference in their boiling points. The compounds with low boiling points settle at the top while those with higher boiling points settle at lower levels.
During this process the lighter propane and gasoline are distilled first, after which diesel fuel, heating fuel and lubricating oil are separated at lower levels.
I heat my shop with a bullet style kerosene heater and unfortunately they keep plowing under the older gas stations and building shiny Wawa's and Lukoils in their place. Problem is none of the new shiny stores sell kero.Some old-timers say that I can run diesel in my heater. They say it's the same stuff.Anyone here a fuel expert?Is Diesel the same stuff as kerosene?I've seen K-1 in both red and clear.I've seen K-1 in 'not low sulfer - could contain greater than 500 ppm sulfur) and unspecifiedI've seen diesel in 'low sulfur' (less than 15ppm) and unspecified.Used to be easy. Kero was cheaper than gasoline and was available at every corner station. Now it's more than a gallon of gas and I've got to drive ten miles just to get a can full.
Both products are now ultra low sulfur to avoid damage to 2006 and newer truck emission systems, but kero has a lower flashpoint than diesel, therefore diesel won't burn as cleanly in your kero space heater.Since diesel engines can run on Kero, kero and diesel are taxed at the same rates to prevent evasion of taxes, and can contain as high as $.70 per gallon tax, depending on state and local tax rates.some paint supply stores sell Kero in 5 gallon pails for use as thinner.If you use more than that, check with your local heating oil suppliers, some of them may run a kero truck. You can have them fill some 55 gallon drums.local gas stations may charge a premium since they have to maintain the equipment and storage tank for a low volume seasonal product. Kero, also known as #1 Diesel, actually has higher BTUs than #2 Diesel, or fuel oil, or home heating oil, or Jet Fuel.Formerly sold as 'Water White K-1' fuel oil, probably because of the Kerosun heaters everybody bought 20 years ago or more. Stank to high heaven when they ran low.Kero has less paraffin than regular diesel, so doesn't gel as quickly, to plug fuel filters on diesel vehicles. Is used to 'winterize' diesel.VW-Audi says to mix up to 30% regular gasoline to the fuel in their diesel engined cars for cold weather operation. Know, though, that you will lose fuel efficiency by doing so. Gasoline is even lower in heat value than #2 Diesel.Short story, it ain't the same thing.
It is cruder, less distilled. I have no idea how tall a cracking tower is, but gasoline is probably 1/4 of the way up, volatile but not much energy, diesel 1/2 way up, less volatile, but with more energy, kerosene, farther up, less volatile yet, with even more energy per gallon. What in the world could the stuff that is in the top quartile of the tower produce?Nitrous oxides and the like?I leave that to you to ferret out.Cheers,GeorgeChecked on the above. One site gives 135,000 BTU for Kero, 140,000 for #2 feul oil, diesel.I should have remembered that from the Diesl Audis I ran years ago, start better with kero added, in really cold winters, lower fuel mileage.Still, it stinks way less. I use it in my parts washer.
Spilled Diesel on a jacket sleeve, once, half a dozen washings, it still stank.Last edited by gmatov; at 01:03 AM.Reason: Checked my figures. So it seems that the bottom line is that they are NOT the same stuff, and while diesel should work fine in my bullet, it burns less clean and smells worse than kero.Crap.I've seen kero on the shelves in the big box stores in one gallon cans for like three times the price of a gallon at the few stations who do still carry kero. It's not in the paint section though, as it's intended to be burned, not intended to be used to clean brushes. With that in mind, I hadn't thought about paint stores having it available for cleaning. If I get the chance, I'll stop in and check on that.
![Diesel Fuel Price Vs Kerosene Diesel Fuel Price Vs Kerosene](http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/image/view/-/4395620/medRes/1940476/-/ledjc3z/-/fuel.jpg)
USMCPOP,The link you found and shared is a terrific summary and picture - thanks!I found two other links, one of which may answer George's question about what ends up at the top end of a crude tower, at:andGeorge, it's mostly methane, ethane, propane, and butane, plus a small amount of other low-molecular weight items. Pentane's high vapor pressure helps winter starting, and it gets put in gasoline in the winter, not sure how they get rid of it in the summer. Stuff coming off the top of the column either ends up being processed for sale, burned for fuel value, or sent to the flare stack.I was curious if mineral spirits might be able to be burned in a heater. So we might wonder where mineral spirits comes out of the crude tower. I'm glad you asked. It's between kero and gasoline.
Gasoline's boiling point is 40-200° C, mineral spirits are 150-215° C, and kero's is 175-275° C. Regular mineral spirits are mostly C10, with some C9 and C12, plus aromatics (xylene and trimethyl benzene). Odorless mineral spirits have the aromatics removed.
May be a bit too volatile (and hence not safe!), but may be another alternative. Anyone tried this?Best,Jim. You don't need to know what the difference is between fuels.
What you want to know is what works and how well.I have been using Diesel #1 RED for years in my heater. Works fine, doesn't stink and costs just a bit more than water.RED is tax free and is used only in off road applications. That means farming mostly so the place to get it is a supplier of fuel to farmers. We call it tank wagon service. Look around your area and there probably will be a source.
I go to a pipeline terminal here in town and pick up 30 gallons at a time. I have to wait till afternoon when the delivery trucks return to have them fill my cans.BTW, #1 red works fine for machining aluminum. It's also good for cleaning machinery.Note of interest. #1 red will run fine in diesel engines but in this state if you are caught with red fuel in your tank like in Monopoly- go directly to jail and pay a big fine. Home heating oil is about the same as diesel and stinks like crap.diesel, jet fuel, used motor oil and the like work just fine in their intended heaters-baffle-exchangers, where the soot and filth never touches the air you breathe.but isinstead exhausted outside via a chimney.i have a reddy-heater(turbo) 125k btu which i use sparingly. I've tried heating oil and diesel ina pinch and had to leave the shop.it was awful.sooty and stunk to high hell.
Plain k1 smells bad enough.don't kill yourself to save.10 cents or have to drive a bit further.does anyone know the shelf life of diesel? Does it separate like gasoline does?