MEP run on home heating oil?

[Interceptor]

I'm interested in purchasing an MEP-003a for backup power for my home. My primary motivation for upgrading from my portable 5kW gasoline generator (besides higher capacity) is that I typically have between 100-500 gallons of fuel oil on site for heating, and the ideal location for the generator happens to be just a few feet from the storage tank. I always assumed that a diesel engine would run fine on heating oil, but while researching gensets I found information that says otherwise.

Home Heating Oil & Your Diesel Generator

"If you use #2 heating oil in your generator, you are at risk of causing serious damage. Using #2 home heating oil will void any manufactures warranty. Some of the first problems users encounter is damaged fuel pumps, fuel injectors and engine glazing."

So what's the deal? Will heating oil cause problems in a MEP-003a? Would I be better off running diesel motor fuel from a primary tank and using heating oil as backup only?

Thanks in advance, I've already learned a lot from lurking around here the past several days.

 

[Wildchild467]

First off, welcome to the site.

The only thing is that I am not sure if the home heating oil has enough lubricity for the injection pump. You may want to add some additives to the day tank on the generator from time to time when running the generator. I know some heating oil tanks could actually have kerosene in them and not home heating oil as in something similar to #2 diesel. That’s the only thing I would be concerned about. Also do not pull fuel from the bottom of the home heating oil tank in case there is some sludge on the bottom. It never hurts to have an extra set of filters on hand also.

Do you plan on using the Aux fuel hook up on the generator?

 

[Ferroequinologist]

I've burned straight #2 heating oil in my 2004 cummins which now has 242,000 miles on it, it has only needed fluid and filter changes, and I get 33mpg highway empty.

The engine on a 10kw isn't anywhere near as sophisticated as my 5.9 cummins.

All newer low sulfer stuff (not sure if home heating oil is covered under that) has low lubrication properties. I always add SOMETHING to boost those levels in every tank I burn.

I'd burn it in a heartbeat. Only issue I can see is a home heating oil tank likes to collect water if it isn't totally full. Taking a suction off the bottom of the tank could cause large amounts of water to get to the filters on the gen. I would just make sure you were pulling a few inches off the bottom, and dewater it often, and keep it as full as you can.

I'm purchasing a lister 10kw and plan to set up a 1000 gallon tank for it to run off of WVO.

 

[Isaac-1]

We don't have home heating oil in my region, so I have no first hand experience, but I would like to point out a few things:

First this article seems to say there are no quality standards for home heating oil, this may be true, but this question should be addressed between you and your supplier.

Second It also indirectly talks about contamination concerns brought about by moisture/water and stuff growing in your fuel.

Here is where we may get to a couple of points of concern, biocide is easy enough to add, and while somewhat expensive a little goes a long way (something like an ounce per hundred gallons), however every bottle I have seen has large print warning on the back not to breathe exhaust fumes from engines treated with biocide. If this fuel is treated with biocide and burned in a home furnace I would at a minimum be aware of this caution.

Water and particulate while still issue, will not be as big of ones as with most generators given the rather robust filtration system on the MEP-002a and MEP-003a generators which consist of:

A strainer on each of the 3 fuel pumps that AUX fuel must pass through, a fuel strainer / water separator canister with water drain on the bottom, plus 2 additional fuel filter canisters.

This then only leaves the concern about lubrication, which can easily be addressed by an appropriate fuel additive, Lucas products are popular around here.

Ike

p.s. also there is no warranty to be worried about

 

[Interceptor]

I have read a little bit about the aux fuel hookup for running from a drum or other source, and it seems this would be the perfect setup to drop into the heating oil tank. Ideally I would like to run off the heating oil tank as the primary source, this way I would never need to refuel it besides scheduling my normal heating oil deliveries. My tank gets filled with #2 heating oil, and the fuel company claims it already has anti-gel and anti-fungal/sludge additives in it. It would not be a problem to add a lubricant or other additives, as long as the Beckett oil burner can burn it. Exhaust fumes will not be a problem, the burner is vented out the back of the building into the woods (also where the genset will be located), and there is a separate fuel tank for the heating system in the house which is far enough away. A floating pickup tube is standard for oil burning equipment with outdoor tanks, and I would add a second one for the genset to prevent picking up any water or sludge from the bottom of the tank.

So assuming I can feed it with a clean supply of #2 heating oil with an additive to improve lubricity, it should work fine, right?

 

[Carl_in_NH]

It should be fine - I run my MEP-003A off home heating oil.

 

[Interceptor]

It should be fine - I run my MEP-003A off home heating oil.

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear!

 

[weisskr]

Moisture, solids and viscosity or lack of viscosity and more fluid like is all I worry about in all my diesel equipment. Short of that as long as your feeding oil into a oil burning machine that has a resonably low ignition level you will be fine. I feed my trucks and gensets motor oil, transformer oil, gear oil, kerosene, WVO, home heating oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic oil, gasoline mixed with oil and many other types. About the only type I dont burn is silicone oil generally found in some transformers.

Like some of the other fellows above have mentioned just filter it and dont pull from the bottom and add a little additives to it and I bet it runs like a champ on heating oil!

Kevin

 

[doghead]

While this is not an official fuel description, it is a good explaination of the Op's question.

Diesel vs Home Heating Fuel

 

[WagonMaster]

I lived in upstate NY for years and used HH oil. I would not think there would be a problem using it in an engine. Keep in mind their are those who burn used motor oil in their diesels. If properly heated WVO will work I don't know why HH oil would not............Just my 2 cents

 

[islandguydon]

HHO, Home Heating Oil is basically off road diesel with out the road tax. IMHO the cheaper the better and it runs just fine in any diesel. Mogger62 runs a lister generator single cylinder engine and its just as good as fuel sold as diesel.

 

[ETN550]

Home heating oil #2 is the closest thing there is to #2 off road diesel fuel. Same stock is used for both. Cetane rating is same for both. Road fuel is much better filtered and has addatives. To run heating oil just have a good filtration system, good water separation capability and use an antigel agent in the colder weather.

I would not hesitate to use it in a diesel generator.

The storage tank should be set up at a very slight angle with a 1/4 turn valve at the very bottom corner to drain and check for water. The fuel pickup should be a few inches off the bottom. If the tank is stationary the water will settle out in a few days after filling or disturbing. Do check it from time to time as water accumulates as the outside air temp and humidity cycle. All water in the tank is not because it came in with the fuel. Much comes in as the tank vent breathes.

 

[Coalman]

I ran home heating oil in my caterpillar dozers for years better than the new low sulfur Now I run off road witch is almost the same as home heating oil only thing it has less sulfur as required by law So basically they charge you more to take the sulfur out and you have to pay for an additive to put the lubrication back in As far as I feel it is better than diesel and cheaper

 

[M725]

I ask some dealers about this a while back before low sulfur fuel came out. I always got the same answer difference is the road tax you pay.

 

[coyote62ny]

i live in upstate ny and i use ag fuel in my 003 all the time. its cheaper 2.99 a gallon now and road fuel is 4.45 a gallon. i talked to my fuel supplyer for my kerosene fo my furnace they told me that home heating oil and ag diesel and road diesel are all the same fuel just ag and home heating fuel are died red and no road tax. in the winter here we blend the ag diesel with kerosene at 60/40 blend so it dont jell up also add power service fuel additive for lube.

 

[PeterD]

... they told me that home heating oil and ag diesel and road diesel are all the same fuel just ag and home heating fuel are died red and no road tax. ...

It is amazing just how many people refuse to believe this! The fuel depot does not have tanks with each of these fuels: there is one tank, and depending on the usage, dye is added as the fuel is dispensed into the tanker truck (the dye and injecting equipment make it necessary to use different 'nozzles' for each fuel, which is also done so that the depot can track and bill each type of fuel. But it all comes from the same tank!

FWIW, all gasoline comes from the same tanks as well, the brand specific additives are added to the tanker when the fuel is loaded.

My only recommendation is that one add a lubricity additive to the fuel, regardless of the source. Our older engines expect fuel that provides more lubrication than the modern crap that we get. A big bottle of PS (or Stanadyne, if you want to pay more) additive is a good investment--in my case a gallon of additive lasts at least a year, often much longer, and I've two diesel trucks and a diesel generator.

 

[Interceptor]

It is amazing just how many people refuse to believe this! The fuel depot does not have tanks with each of these fuels: there is one tank, and depending on the usage, dye is added as the fuel is dispensed into the tanker truck (the dye and injecting equipment make it necessary to use different 'nozzles' for each fuel, which is also done so that the depot can track and bill each type of fuel. But it all comes from the same tank!

That may be true in your area, but it is not true for all areas. Heating oil is still unregulated in most areas. Here in PA there has been opposition to the proposed 2012 ULSD heating oil regulation, with pipeline companies and distributors citing insufficient implementation time and supply disruptions. If they were already supplying heating oil from the same tanks as the on/off road diesel there would be no opposition because the heating oil would already be compliant. It is not, because it's not currently the same fuel. In 10 years or so it may all be the same like it was 10 years ago, but we are in a transitional period right now.

Google "Ultra low sulfur home heating oil" for more info.

 

[storeman]

I use HH.
Jerry

 

[emma]

i am from Donegal and i ma using Home heating oil for same there is no problem in engine. i am order online at "swillyfuels" they provide me good service and all i save my money and time too...

 

[Floridianson]

FWIW, all gasoline comes from the same tanks as well, the brand specific additives are added to the tanker when the fuel is loaded.

Don't know when they started that but not when I loaded the barge at the refinery in the late 80's