Re-Using Old Heating Oil

[OverkillYJ]

So I pulled an oil tank from my basement and I have a multi fuel torpedo heater in my shop that says it can use Jet Fuel, Heating Oil Type 1 and 2, Kerosene, Diesel. So I put this fuel in, and it wont fire. There is a little bit of **** in the fuel. I have had this heater for almost ten years and only burned Kerosene through it, and it always has fired right up, until now.

I tried running the heating oil through a K&N Fuel Filter down into a 5 gallon gas can from a 5 gallon bucket up above, and it wouldn't flow, just stopped at the fuel filter. My half stupid understanding is that this type of fuel does not go bad very easily and that I can still use it. Am I wrong? What do I need to do to clean the fuel, how can I filter the **** out?

I have 50 gallons of this ****. At $5 per gallon for kerosene where I live, it seems worth the effort to get it working. Even if I break even, I will learn something.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Andamo]

The fuel is probably too old and contaminated to be used in a torpedo heater. I have a feeling that if you were able to get it to fire, it's going to be smoky anyways. You might want to take a gallon of it and cut it with a gallon of good K1 and see if it'll light off. Again, I think the fumes are going to be smoky.

 

[PCustoms]

When was the last time you burned oil in the house?

If you put a bit in a tin can and torch it, does it burn?

Is it actually flowing to the burner?

I figured you had sludge from and old tank, but 50 gallons is a lot of sludge!

 

[crazylunker]

A friend of mine pumped oil from an abandoned tank at one of his rentals that sat for 20 years. It lost the red pigment and was a root beer color, I was shocked that it burned just fine.
when you transfer the oil just give it a few days to settle then pull from the surface so as not to disturb the sediment.

If you have any concerns about algae then pic up some STR+2 and add it as directed.
I was in the heating business for 22 years (primarily oil service) and would strain all the excess oil from filter changes (about as dirty as you can get) and would let it settle in a 55gal drum. When I would pull the oil after about a week it was translucent red like it came from a fresh delivery, I never had trouble and always used garber filters.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I bought a sleeve of paint filters/strainers from HF several years ago to filter out some fuel. Not sure if it would work for what you have though.

 

[budget76]

maybe cut it with some gasoline to thin it?

 

[rlitman]

maybe cut it with some gasoline to thin it?

MANY accidental fires have been started that way. Do not EVER cut fuel oil (kerosene or #2) with volatile solvents!

Torpedo heaters will have finer nozzles and therefore finer strainers than larger heaters, so they're more prone to being clogged by dirty fuel. Listen to crazylunker and let the sludge settle, and then pull the clean fuel from the top.

 

[nadogail]

You need to get the chunks out of your fuel. Your clue was when it would not pass through your K&N filter.
A centrifuge will certainly help.

 

[38Chevy454]

I think mixing in some new fresh K-1 kerosene would help get it to flow better. I agree that the basic old fuel has the same BTUs in it that it did when new. The trick is getting it to burn efficiently in you torpedo heater. Kind of like old gas, it loses the real volatile stuff that makes it vaporize better. In your case the fuel oil doesn't vaporize, but it is thicker than original and cutting it with fresh K-1 may do the trick. You may need a larger micron filter to start with than 5, get the bigger stuff out and then go finer.

 

[OverkillYJ]

So I ran the fuel through a the tank filter when I drained the tank. I cut the line where it went into the furnace and drained it into fuel cans. The sludge in the tank I took care of with oil dry cleanup stuff and shoveled it out and bagged it. The fuel that clogged the K&N fuel filter was pretty clear with no chunks. Its almost like the fuel has thickened. It is still pink/red

So is it going to smoke like crazy no matter what I do? Should I cut it 50/50 with Kerosene after I let it sit for a couple of weeks? I can let it settle and I can **** the clean stuff off the top as suggested.

I have also filtered some things in the past using the wife's old pantyhose, so maybe I will run it through those layered up real thick into a container to let it settle. Maybe after that whatever is thickening the fuel will settle to the bottom and the stuff on top will be like new? I found some 30 gallon drums close by for $10 a piece I can pick up Thursday, so that may be the plan if no one has a better idea.

 

[Rst277]

I drain and remove a half dozen oil tanks a year. The fact that it is still red is a good sign but let it settle for a week and then try a gallon in your torpedo heater after cleaning it out thoroughly. If that doesn't work, try a 50/50 mix with new. As previously mentioned gas is a no no! Don't bother with the pantyhose that won't do anything.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Take a glass jar and dip it. let it sit for a few days, make sure there's no water in it.

 

[Walkers]

Was the torpedo heater working well and firing right before? Not like last winter? It may be the vanes in the air pump are sticking.

 

[no704]

I can’t recommend this as I don’t know enough on the subject. But on my torpedo heater there is a small hole on the center of the intake side. Plug this with a hunk of paper towel. Then try running it at your own risk. Worked on mine!

 

[OverkillYJ]

Don't bother with the pantyhose that won't do anything.

Pantyhose work GREAT to filter fluids. They are tightly woven nylon, and when you layer them they filter better than the good paint funnels, and they can handle pressure.

 

[pl_silverado]

I run used oil thru a 10 or 20 micron water seperator/filter on the transfer tank, and then again thru a spare lift pump setup i had from my old diesel truck, water separator and 3 micron filter. The filters clog up quick if there's water in the fuel. The cleaner you can get it the cleaner it will burn. Heres a before and after.

 

[OverkillYJ]

I run used oil thru a 10 or 20 micron water seperator/filter on the transfer tank, and then again thru a spare lift pump setup i had from my old diesel truck, water separator and 3 micron filter. The filters clog up quick if there's water in the fuel. The cleaner you can get it the cleaner it will burn. Heres a before and after.

If I go through all that, will it burn clean like kerosene, or will I wish I didnt waste my time? Im on the verge of giving all the fuel away and buying kerosene

 

[pl_silverado]

If I go through all that, will it burn clean like kerosene, or will I wish I didnt waste my time? Im on the verge of giving all the fuel away and buying kerosene

It’ll burn clean once torpedo is up to temp.

 

[rlitman]

I can’t recommend this as I don’t know enough on the subject. But on my torpedo heater there is a small hole on the center of the intake side. Plug this with a hunk of paper towel. Then try running it at your own risk. Worked on mine!

Don't do that. You're messing with the regulated pressure coming out of the vane pump, which messes with the mixture and risks causing the burner to put out a lot of CO.

 

[TractorJeff]

Filter it as suggested! It should work fine, little stinky maybe? If I was closer, I would take it off your hands! LOL!