Can I safely mix 7.5 gallons of kerosene into my 275 gallon home heating oil tank?

Can I safely mix 7.5 gallons of kerosene into my 275 gallon home heating oil tank?

Pretty sure that I know the answer to this, but I just wanted to throw this out there in case we have an HVAC expert on board here. 

I have 7.5 gallons of kerosene in plastic cans in my barn, and I'll never use it. The cans were brand new when filled. 

I have an oil furnace, and my 275 gallon basement tank was filled last week.

I know that they recommend kerosene in outdoor tanks in cold climates.

Will adding 7.5 gallons of kerosene to nearly 275 gallons of home heating oil even get a second glance from my furnace? 

I figure there's not much difference.  Throw it in there.

I'd think you could have 2.7% of pretty much anything in that tank. I wouldn't worry about it, but I also live in Florida and know nothing about heating oil. 

We have an outdoor tank and run a HHO and kerosene mix for the coldest months of the winter with a standard oil burner.  When having it serviced the tech commented on it being cleaner than those that run straight home heating oil. No problem to fill the tank with straight kero, so certainly no problem with your light mix.

Yes, kerosene and #2 fuel oil are pretty similar. Kerosene is more highly refined, if anything it would burn slightly better in a standard oil burner nozzle.  That much in a fullish tank won't have any effect at all.  (MA licensed oil burner tech if that helps.)

11GTCS said:

Yes, kerosene and #2 fuel oil are pretty similar. Kerosene is more highly refined, if anything it would burn slightly better in a standard oil burner nozzle.  That much in a fullish tank won't have any effect at all.  (MA licensed oil burner tech if that helps.)

This.  Heating oil is only used over kerosene because its cheaper.  Mix away.  

Very similar yes.  But my tip is this: do not spill the kerosene on yourself.  It will itch, burn, and smell and you will be generally miserable until you've had a complete hot shower.  #2 HHO isn't nearly as bad.  It just smells.

I'm not a licensed HVAC person, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

The differences between Kero, Jet A, and Heating Oil are small, but could be significant depending on your equipment.  Like any hydrocarbon, the fuel being discussed often contains a range of carbon chain sizes.  For instance, when you're talking about Heptane, that refers to one hyrdrocarbon; C7H16, but when you're talking about gasoline, it can contain a range of anywhere from C4 up to C12.  Same goes for Diesel which is typically in a range of C10 to C15.  Kerosene is a narrower range from C11 to C13.  #2 fuel oil is C11 to C20.  Those aren't hard-and-fast numbers since hyrdrocarbon cracking isn't perfect, but the law requires any of these fuels to test within certain limits of those sizes

To put it more simply, kerosene-ish carbon chains are a component of both diesel and fuel oil, but it is a lighter (and hotter burning) fuel.  I doubt that adding a few gallons will harm a single thing, but it does mean that the furnace burner components will likely see hotter combustion with the added kerosene.

Might be worth consulting the furnace owner's manual to see what fuels it can tolerate.  It might say that it's rated to burn straight kero.  Not poo-pooing the idea, but I would hate for you to drop it in and then you perforate a burner in February.

I guess what this comes down to is that I have about $35 worth of kerosene and I don't know what to do with it, 

Tom Suddard said:

I'd think you could have 2.7% of pretty much anything in that tank......

Except water of course.

You could put half in this tank and the balance on the next fill.

Yup.  It'll be fine. 

Do eet!

Woody's going to be rolling coal!!
 

In all seriousness, it's not going to be a problem, or even noticeable. 

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

I guess what this comes down to is that I have about $35 worth of kerosene and I don't know what to do with it, 

Seriously, if you have half a tank or so of regular fuel and you add the 7 1/2 gallons of kerosene your oil burner won't know the difference.  Good to go.

The amount of used ethanol and methanol I've put through my mower is making me think this is just fine.

A 401 CJ said:

Very similar yes.  But my tip is this: do not spill the kerosene on yourself.  It will itch, burn, and smell and you will be generally miserable until you've had a complete hot shower.  #2 HHO isn't nearly as bad.  It just smells.

For a decade and a half I used a parts washer that was 10-15 gallons of kerosene and a pump.  Cleaned parts barehanded.  Washed my hands in it before going to the sink when things were nasty.

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

I guess what this comes down to is that I have about $35 worth of kerosene and I don't know what to do with it, 

 Buy a rotary powered something?

Mazda used to make 80 octane fuel for IMSA by mixing race fuel and kerosene.  The race fuel ignited well but the rotary's combustion characteristics favored a heavy fuel.

A Wankel will happily start and run on pure kerosene or Diesel if you can get it ignited.