Can I Put Diesel Fuel in My Home Heating Oil Tank?
If you are wondering if you can put diesel fuel in your home heating oil tank, the answer is, yes, If necessary, you can substitute diesel fuel for heating oil to hold you over.
When You Are Low on Heating Oil
If you are running low or empty on heating oil, you may have heard that using diesel fuel can be a quick fix. The good news is that this is absolutely true. Diesel fuel and home heating oil are nearly identical.
In this post we will walk you through when it is appropriate to substitute diesel fuel for heating oil.
Diesel Fuel vs. Home Heating Oil
Diesel fuel at the gas station is a feasible replacement for home heating oil in virtually all furnaces. Both diesel fuel and no. 2 heating oil are midlevel (or midweight) distillation of petroleum. Both produce roughly the same amount of heat and can be burned by the same systems. The diesel you will buy at your local gas station will be more expensive per gallon though as it is taxed differently than home heating oil.
Keep in mind, however, that gasoline is not the same thing as heating oil OR diesel fuel.
Gas that you see at your every day gas station is a lighter weight distillation and it cannot be used in your home heating oil furnace. Do NOT put ordinary vehicle gasoline in your oil tank. It will damage your furnace and cause a whole slew of other problems.
Add Diesel Fuel When You are Out of Heating Oil
First things first – don’t wait until your tank is empty to order more fuel from your heating oil supplier. We always recommend you order at a quarter. In other words, when you have a ¼ of a tank left, that is the best time to schedule your next fuel oil delivery so that you can avoid all of the extra work described below.
If you find that you have run out of fuel or that your heating oil supplier won’t be able to make it to you before you anticipate running out of fuel, you can do the following:
- Fill up a 5 or 10 gallon jug with diesel fuel at your local gas station. It must be DIESEL – NOT gasoline.
- Turn off your furnace first before pouring diesel into your heating oil tank.
- Locate your oil tank’s fill pipe on the outside of your house. Remove the cap.
- Pour the diesel fuel down into the fill pipe so it can enter the tank. We strongly advise against removing the plug from the oil tank in your basement and adding the fuel that way.
- Wait 10 minutes or so and then go ahead and turn the furnace back on. This will allow any sediment that was stirred up by diesel being poured into the tank to settle, making it less likely to clog the system.
Diesel fuel from the gas station is more expensive than the heating oil you typically buy for your home. This is due to different taxes imposed by the government for different oil uses. Even still, the cost of frozen pipes as a result of a fuel runout is far worse. Adding diesel every day or two until you get a heating oil fill up should tide you over until your heating oil provider can get to you.
Get Ahead of Your Next Oil Delivery
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Ordering fuel has never been easier so don’t let your tank empty out. You can check prices and delivery dates right at your fingertips by using Star Home Heat.
