MEP run on home heating oil?

[msgjd]

I have been running heating oil for years. Now I have some kerosene (70g) and was curious about mixing it with HH oil but unsure the safe ratio.

40 years ago after my active army stint, i was hauling fuels.. In winter we would do our mix while filling directly into the trucks and trailers at the tank farm .. It was an easy formula to remember.. 90% diesel (or FO) to a 10% kero mix lowers the gel point by about 4 to 5 degrees, which means you get it to handle temps down to 10F.. In November we would start our mix at 80/20.. Come late December we were usually at a 60/40 mix due to the remote locations we served (upper NY not far from quebec} .. We restocked "gas" stations and large paper mill tracked and wheeled machinery with diesel,, as well as FO for home/commercial/industrial heating.. Of course, nationally, the mix ratio depended on which state and longitude you were at.. To determine the cold filter plugging point is a science of tables and charts which I have never dared to tackle.. I see you are in MD, you should be able to get by with a 70/30 mix .. An 80/20 mix will also work for you if you are using a small amount of anti-gel additive..

I do not recommend running straight kero .. You will lose about 8% power (about 10,000 less BTU's per gallon) and it has a lower cetane value.. It will also make your genny run hot if its under a significant continuous load.. Some of us former army truckers have burned up turbos in the hills when ordered to run 100% kero in the multifuels during "arctic" training, higher-higher disregarding the fact we had to haul heavy loads OTR three hours one-way to/from the mountain warfare training camp.. Many on here have already cautioned you on the lack of lubricity with it .. For those reading this who are contemplating purchasing kero to cut their diesel or FO, the "quality" of fuel these days and the cost of kero isn't feasible.. It's cheaper and better lubricity to treat diesel or FO with applicable additives only .. Even back in the 70s-80s, kero cost more than diesel and FO, fuel vendors charged more for "winter blend"

 

[Light in the Dark]

Great info on the ratios, thanks

 

[DD58]

Not that it will help much but my mep 831 runs on #2 home heating. The only thing I do is add optilube to the gen tank when I pull a new batch of fuel from the basement. I have the aux fuel line plumbed into the tank after the filter. I also added a filter and water separator at the back of the generator before the tank just to get any remains of debris. She runs fine never had any issues with running it and it’s been a few months. I like to once a month run it on test with the house load to keep everything working properly.

I wouldn’t worry to much. Keep adding lube to the fuel no matter what you use and they will run just fine.


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