Fuel oil vs Jet A

[atr42flyer]

So i have an older house with an oil heat furnace. i know that the fuel that is burned is basically #2 diesel. the only thing that is different from the automotive #2 is the tax that is applied and some dye (as far as i know).
i can get alot of free Jet A from the FBO and my airline they have barrels of it that was either sumped out of the truck or drained out of the tanks in the aircraft. most if any is legal to put back in an airplane so it just sits there. i want to know if i will damage my furnace with Jet A or not. and i would like to know the different properties associated with each. any help thanks

 

[Diesel]

no big deal. I know guys who run home heating oil in their ag tractors with walter engines to save money.

The difference is the lubrication properties.

Jet A is just a more refined fuel. You'll probably have to add some lubrication additive.

 

[mar]

Shouldn't be a problem

I also know pilots who sump the JetA tanks and take it home with them.

I'd say that stuff is sufficiently oily to lubricate fuel control units in a multi-million dollar jet engine so it should be all right for your furnace...

...but I'll be honest: I have never personally tried it.

But when I pumped fuel at SNA we'd run the trucks on the stuff.

Good luck!

 

[atr42flyer]

well ok so i had posted the first thread right after i had already put about 15gallons of jet-a in my oil tank at home. started the furnace thinking alright alright...free heat...suddenly the furnace shuts off and now it wont relight. so now what.....looks like the furnace man is coming. thanks for the replies.

 

[Diesel]

ahhh looks like the ignition point of jet a is higher than #2 diesel.

 

[Crimson03]

Used to run jetA in a kerosene heater w/no problems...

 

[EagleRJ]

Could be the same as those vehicles that you can modify yourself to run on bio-diesel. They require startup on regular diesel, then once everything is warmed up, you switch to the bio-diesel. It has a lower flash point (or higher octane), I guess.

Jet A also had anti-microbal agents that diesel doesn't have. Kerosene is a good growth medium for microbes, and mold growing on your fuel pickup screen = bad.

 

[paulsalem]

I was wondering how long it would take that picture to make it in somone's Avitar.

Watchout EagleRJ the entire mulslim world my be RPG'ing you're home soon.

But that is a funny pic.

 

[Flying Illini]

keep us informed on what the heating guy says and what you do about your problem.

 

[Diesel]

Diesel (in several different grades with different Cetane
ratings), Kerosene, Fuel Oil (as used for a furnace), Jet Plane fuel are all
somewhat the same and are all somewhat different. These are all somewhat
different fuels just as White Gas, Aviation Gas, and automotive gas are all
different and still based on gasoline. You can do real damage to an engine if
you run it on the wrong fuel - but in a difficult situation it might get you
somewhere (if you don't care about the damage done).

Kerosene I believe is a lighter grade of fuel than Diesel fuel, as is JP fuel.
Fuel Oil for the furnace may or may not be the same grade - but you typically
do not want to run it in a diesel engine (if you can help it) since it has
different components in it that are not good for diesel engines.

"Diesel" fuel oil is a versatile fuel - but you want to do a lot more research
before using it in ways that are not intended by the manufacturer. It all
depends on what you want to use the fuel for; in a vehicle, in a lamp, in a
furnace, in an aircraft turbine, etc. ?
Some diesels, furnaces and turbines are capable of running any grade of these
fuels, some will do it with some adjustment, some will be able to do it in a
pinch, some will do it if you mix the different grades of fuel in a certain
ratio. This is not something you should just experiement with - ask the
manufacturer of your device what they recommend.

Do me a favor and lean down to the base of your heater and see if it's firing up and then going out.

You might need to adjust the carb (a metal slide that allows air in on the pump side. Usually a little ignition reset box right next to it) to adjust the fuel to air mixture. Adjust it so thatyou can see all blue flame with just a little orange at the top.