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What is the difference
between home heating oil / fuel oil and diesel?
Can I run a generator using my
home heating oil?
 In
response to questions from our customers, please review the differences between
Off Road Diesel #2 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil - HHO - which is in common
usage in many parts of
Canada
and the USA to power heating furnaces in cold climates.
Off road Diesel
#2 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil # 2 apparently differ only in the tax applied
at the time of sale.
Both are dyed
red. They differ from standard Road Diesel #2 in that road tax has been applied,
no red dye has been added, and there is a specification regarding ash and/or
sulphur content. In extremely cold climates, Standard Road Diesel #2 may be
blended with Diesel #1 or Kerosene K-1 to assist with gelling problems resulting
from the cold weather. Similar blending may occur on home heating oil / fuel oil
based on your geographic region, anticipated temperatures, and overall climate.
Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 have a higher
BTU content. This is normally accomplished by adding much heavier petroleum oil
distillate similar to automotive motor oil to the formulation. This allows a
furnace to burn less fuel, for each BTU of heat produced, as well as often times
reducing the cost per gallon of fuel. These types of Home Heating Oil / Fuel
Oil should NOT be used in a Diesel Fueled Engine or Generator.
In times of shortage, Standard Road Diesel #2, Diesel #1, Kerosene, K-1, Jet
Fuel, JP-1, Agricultural Diesel, Diesel #2, Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4, or
Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 may be shipped by fuel distribution companies and
sold for use as home heating oil. There may also be times that, due to economic
and other considerations, fuel distributors sell any or all of these products,
or combinations and blends of the same, to home owners, as simply Home Heating
Oil / Fuel Oil.
SUMMARY: Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #2 and Off Road / Agricultural Diesel #2
seem to be very similar products. More importantly, Home Heating Oil #2 is
refers to a very specific product, and a very specific formulation, which, in
many cases, may be a very similar product in terms of composition and
formulation as Off-Road Agricultural Grade Diesel #2.
Home Heating Oil is, however, a somewhat generic term, which covers a variety of
potential products,
formulations, and compositions. When you purchase your Home Heating Oil / Fuel
Oil - it is YOUR responsibility to insure what the composition and formulation
is of the Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil which is being pumped into and/or stored
within your tank. As previously mentioned, this composition can vary for a wide
variety of reasons, and all Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil is not always the same.
Therefore, if you are considering purchasing a Diesel generator for backup
power, and wish to run Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil - Please call YOUR Home
Heating Oil / Fuel Oil distributor and CONFIRM WITH THEM the formulation and
composition of the home heating oil / fuel oil in distribution within you area,
and also that which may already be stored and in use at your home. Ask them if
it is approved for use in a non-transportation or off-road diesel engine.
Link to our
page:
prime power generators
DISCLAIMER:
This information is provided only as a service to our customers, for general
education and to assist our customers to be able to ask the correct questions of
their local fuel distributor. Enviroharvest are not expert in various
fuel types and compositions, and expressly states that you MUST discuss your
plans with your local Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil distributor. You must make
your decisions based solely upon information given to you by them. We at
Enviroharvest Inc. recommend using ONLY standard or agricultural grade Diesel #2
within your generator set, and assume NO responsibility or liability of any type
resulting from any decision you might make to use any fuel other than standard
or agricultural grade Diesel #2 within your diesel generator set.
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