what is the diff between home heating oil and kerosene?

Answer 1

While they both derive themselves from thesame source (petroleum), kerosene is distilled (more appropriately fractioned off) at a lower temperature. Kerosene is a lighter hydrocarbon that is used predominately as jet fuel, although it is also used by the Amish as an alternative fuel (they do not use electricity for religious reasons). Home heating oil (also known as No 2. fuel oil or red diesel) is denser because it has more carbon atoms in it. It effectively is diesel, and in fact is distinguished between road diesel by the dye that is put in it to avoid the road tax. Diesel typical has 15 to 20 carbon atoms in it per molecule, where as kerosene has 12 to 15 per molecule.

All hydrocarbons when combusted, convert to multiple molecules of carbon dioxide and water (CO2 and H20 respectively). The less number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon (hence the name), the cleaner it burns, because there is less chance of incomplete combustion. The simplest hydrocarbon is methane or CH4 which will burn with two oxygen molecules to 1 CO2 and 2 H2O. Ethane, C2H6, is the second lightest Hydrocarbon. Natural gas is mostly methane, but contains ethane and propane as well. Paraffin and petrolatum are at the other end of the spectrum are very dense with 30 to 40 carbon atoms in one molecule. Gasoline is a blend of hydrocarbons with between 6 and 12 carbon atoms per molecule, octane in particular is C8H18.

When raw petroleum is distilled, it is fractioned off at different temperatures. After gasoline, kerosene is light and becomes a gas around 160 degress C. It is vaporized and the gas collected in a separate cooling tank. The lightest fuel oil, No. 1 (which is similiar to kerosene and can be distilled to be crystal clear) is fractioned off as well around this point. Then the remainer is fractioned at a higher temperature, yielding No 2 or diesel fuel oil. This is also home heating oil. Higher fractioning temperatures yield No 3. fuel oil, which is the heaviest of the distillates, and is rather rare. No 4 is heavier still. No 5 is residual fuel oil. Paraffin and petrolatum are next and what's left with the oil tar and what-not is No 6 or bunker sludge. Because it is so heavy, it doesn't burn as cleanly.

So I guess you could say kerosene is lighter than diesel and both are derived from petroleum. I've been told kerosene is sometimes lightly mixed in home heating oil in Northern climates to aid efficiency.

Answer 2

Home heating oil is also known as Fuel Oil #2. Very close in quality to Diesel. Kerosene is a slightly better grade of Fuel Oil #2, but not as good as Fuel Oil #1.

Kerosene can safely be burned in your oil burner, it burns a bit hotter, but very clean. It is also great to blend some into an outside above ground tank when the temperature drops into the teens and below. Helps reduce sludging/gelling of the parafins in the fuel oil.

Answer 3

Home heating oil, or 'stove oil' is'nt refined as far, and therefore has some color. it also has ingredients and properties that can harm or reduce the life and efficwncy of the wick or burner in kerosene stoves. Kerosene is water clear, (colorless) and burns cleaner than stove oil. Prices vary, but kerosene is generally a little more costly than stove oil.

Answer 4

Home heating is #2 oil.............Kerosene is #1 oil..Kerosene is a finer grade of oil. The higher the numbers, the heavier the oil..Like #6 bunker is an oil they use in big industrial boilers, when it is cool, it is like a high grade of mud, very thick....