Cheap Oil

I thought about filling the fuel oil this year with the prices the way they are. I'm just not sure when I'd ever get around to using it though - is there an expiration date on it? My 3 year plan is starting to look like a 4 year plan after this winter. And with all the trees that I've had come down this year, looks like I'll be working on year 5 by the fall.

 

I would delay filling the oil tank as long as you can. My reason has nothing to do with the price of oil. I know, from sad experience, that diesel will grow bacteria in it that get their sustenance from the energy in the diesel and heating oil is too close to diesel fuel for me to feel comfortable letting it sit too long.

 

I've heard of that treatment stuff too. Algeacide? of some sort if I recall.

On the flip side of the old furnace oil, we got some/horse traded from the neighbor that had sat for quite a few years (4-5 years I think), and it burnt fine. The first couple gallons out of the tank were questionable, but it was good fuel.

 

yeah its called diesel stabil... same as red fuel stabil for gas.. except it's usually dyed green can grab it at any tractor supply or farm and garden store.

 

I heat with wood to keep myself active. I have a natural gas furnace somewhere in the basement, lol, but I prefer not to use it. The cost of saw gas, oil for premix and bar, gas for vehicle etc are minimal to me. I use about 5 gallons of gas a year in the splitter, maybe 6-8 gallons for the saws, don't track the pickup cause I use it for other things, not just wood. These are all cheaper than pretending I will use a gym membership if I got one. Never saw the sense of walking for 30 minutes and not going anywhere! If I am going to lift weights, I prefer it to be for a purpose, IE: heating my house. We also like opening windows and doors during the winter for fresh air and not worrying that we are spending money to heat the outside as my mother use to yell at us kids! As I use to tell the kids when they were teenagers, firewood builds man muscles, not pretty muscles you get in a gym!

 

The other thing to consider is condensation in your tank. An empty tank in a cool basement can condense the water from the outside air vent. Not sure if it accelerates the rusting of the tank but certainly something to consider.

 

Never burnt wood until 2+ years ago. Now I am hooked, what can I say?

I love the work, I love the heat. I love that I can use the dead trees on our land. I love the $50 electric bill and no other energy bill. I love that when a windstorm comes through and knocks the power out for multiple days (3 times in the last 2 years), it is only a small inconvenience for me, but most of life goes on unchanged. I love the exercise for this naturally not-so-fit guy. I love looking outside and seeing 2+ years of warmth in stacks. I love that if I lose my job tomorrow, I am not cold next month. I love that I can give warmth to others in lesser circumstances than I. I love that I can help a friend with a "tree problem," and he can repay me with wood.

Cheap oil? Not significant, other than decreasing the cost of the drive to work.

 

nothing is cheaper than FREE wood....

 

I think a lot of people keep the back end of the tank slightly lower, so any water will settle at the rear bottom. I know that's not what you're asking, but it would keep water in the fuel from coming out the flow end.

 

Wow! we do it just opposite pitch it toward flow end and put filter on at exit.. once a year change filter when clean furnace watery oil once a year.. if tank rusts out and leaks in house that is A Royal PITA!

 

I don't think that would work. Difference between an automobile tank and a fuel oil tank is that an automobile tank has constant circulation as long as the fuel pump is running.. I agree with Canadian border VT that you'd want to pitch the tank toward the outlet and somehow remove the water from the fuel with some sort of filtration system. On my diesel truck, there is a system associated with the fuel filter that has a float to indicate that water is in the filter. Simply unscrewing the plug at the low point allows one to remove the water. On airplanes you routinely take a sample from the low point in the tank to make sure there isn't water in the fuel... I would think that one could fairly easily design a similar system for home heating oil tanks but then the industry wouldn't sell as many tanks.... I burn about 200 gallons of dino juice a year.. So I'm planning to migrate my fill time to the late spring allowing me to be as full as possible when the outside temperature is much higher than that of my basement..

 

Sorry for the delay in responding/participating in the thread. Was out of town for work. But yes – was intended as a promotion of the wood burning lifestyle and staying the course regardless of the oil cost. Lot of better (I’m only 40 and been burning for 13 yrs – some of you guys have been burning since I was born J) posts following mine – just trying to promote conversation. By all means hope the cheaper oil helps out folks in our group that are struggling and hope all of us are warm this winter. Maybe the folks like me that have excess wood due to warm winter can pay it forward to folks that are behind…

 

This is for an outside tank, but it's hardly remarkable, as I'm not the only one to do this. I'd hazard a guess that in cold temps/outdoor tanks, your way would leave a guy in a pickle during -40 if there was water in any great amount. Rusting is a slower process in the absence of air is it not? I would think the upper level of the tank would be more prone being in the air and with condensation. I should do some google though.

I have a filter the same as any system, but it would take 10 gallons of water at the bottom of the tank to even make it's way out. In spring or fall I can lean it to the outlet and drain the fuel.

Edit to add- Apparently it is recommended to lean towards the outlet, even on outdoor tanks!

 

saskwoodburner, yeah my tanks are inside as heating oil is cheaper than kerosene (needed if tank is outdoor so it doesn't gel) none the less I don't want water in oil as us Wood burners water doesn't burn well..

 

Do you have a ballpark idea how much water you end up with in the course of a year? Have you ever changed the canister filter and had any appreciable amount in it?

 

Yeah change filter once a year when cleaning furnace... average half a cup. or about a third of my filter.. it's not straight water it's oily water like with a blown head gasket..

 

That's where I'd be worried about a bad batch of fuel oil on delivery, with the canister being so small. Good to know I've had it wrong for 12 years running!