Home heating fuel thickening

[R181]

I just read an article on Alaska's current cold snap in which they were saying that home heating fuel was thickening enough to stop flowing and furnaces to stop working as a consequence.

MSN

Now the temperatures Alaska has been having are similar to what we have in winter during a severe cold snap. The house I grew up in the 1950s had an oil-fired furnace and I can't recall the oil thickening enough to cause the furnace not to work. The oil tank was inside the house in the heated basement as was the furnace. I can see the oil thickening if the tank is outside the house and/our the heating oil was not #1 winter home heating fuel. It is kind of puzzling to me that 1/2 a century later there would be this problem.

Bob

 

[Estariol]

On the tanks of the older diesel trucks of the former Yugoslav army was a direction to pour 1/4 of petroleum (used in lamps) per tank when low temperatures occur. I'd also consider a diesel additive for vehicles, like i. e. Wynns Ice Proof, but that one works down to -30°C (-22°F), so maybe both...?

 

[Rufusdog]

I just read an article on Alaska's current cold snap in which they were saying that home heating fuel was thickening enough to stop flowing and furnaces to stop working as a consequence.

MSN

Now the temperatures Alaska has been having are similar to what we have in winter during a severe cold snap. The house I grew up in the 1950s had an oil-fired furnace and I can't recall the oil thickening enough to cause the furnace not to work. The oil tank was inside the house in the heated basement as was the furnace. I can see the oil thickening if the tank is outside the house and/our the heating oil was not #1 winter home heating fuel. It is kind of puzzling to me that 1/2 a century later there would be this problem.

Bob

Same for me. Our house in Ottawa had an oil-fired furnace and the tank was in the basement. In those days Ottawa would experience bitterly cold snaps, a la Thunder Bay, and we had no oil thickening problems. The only time I had a problem was when the temperature was a round -32F and the gas/petrol-line to my car’s engine froze whilst we were driving home one night and the engine stopped on the highway. Fortunately, a passing motorist had a bottle of gas-line anti-freeze and the car started again about 5 minutes after I poured the anti-freeze into the gas-line. Ithink this has more to do with the water condensation in the line and tank freezing rather than the fuel itself.

 

[R181]

On the tanks of the older diesel trucks of the former Yugoslav army was a direction to pour 1/4 of petroleum (used in lamps) per tank when low temperatures occur. I'd also consider a diesel additive for vehicles, like i. e. Wynns Ice Proof, but that one works down to -30°C (-22°F), so maybe both...?

Here you can buy #1 Diesel and #2 Diesel. The #2 is summer fuel only and #1 can be used year-round. When I had a diesel pickup truck in 1985 all I used was #1 and in winter added a conditioner too. I was told #2 was waxier and would gel up in colder temperatures. I suspect that a lower grade home heating fuel might be part of the problem in Alaska too.

Bob.

 

[R181]

Same for me. Our house in Ottawa had an oil-fired furnace and the tank was in the basement. In those days Ottawa would experience bitterly cold snaps, a la Thunder Bay, and we had no oil thickening problems. The only time I had a problem was when the temperature was a round -32F and the gas/petrol-line to my car’s engine froze whilst we were driving home one night and the engine stopped on the highway. Fortunately, a passing motorist had a bottle of gas-line anti-freeze and the car started again about 5 minutes after I poured the anti-freeze into the gas-line. Ithink this has more to do with the water condensation in the line and tank freezing rather than the fuel itself.

Yes, the problem in winter with gas lines freezing in vehicles has to do with water from condensation forming in the fuel tank. Keeping your car in a heated garage can add to the problem in winter. I make it a rule to never let the level in my gas tank get below 1/2 full in winter and even when travelling in the summer. Touch wood, I have not had a frozen gas line in decades iirc.

Bob

 

[BlacknTan]

This used to commonly happen in NY for those with tanks outside... I don't think it happens at all anymore in this area. A common solution was to build a small shed around the tank and hang a light bulb. Little as it was, it was apparently enough. No incandescent bulbs anymore either.

 

[Twelvefret]

Yes, the problem in winter with gas lines freezing in vehicles has to do with water from condensation forming in the fuel tank. Keeping your car in a heated garage can add to the problem in winter. I make it a rule to never let the level in my gas tank get below 1/2 full in winter and even when travelling in the summer. Touch wood, I have not had a frozen gas line in decades iirc.

Bob

Did you have a block heater on your diesel?

 

[Rufusdog]

This used to commonly happen in NY for those with tanks outside... I don't think it happens at all anymore in this area. A common solution was to build a small shed around the tank and hang a light bulb. Little as it was, it was apparently enough. No incandescent bulbs anymore either.

We’ve a concrete cold room off our basement under the patio. As the name implies, it gets pretty cold in the winter, but it’s surprising how it warms up with a 100W incandescent light bulb left on.

 

[Rufusdog]

Did you have a block heater on your diesel?

Living in Ottawa in the 1970s a block heater was de rigueur even for a gasoline/petrol engine. Some people had battery blankets as well.

 

[R181]

Did you have a block heater on your diesel?

Yea, two of them and the eclectic bill for the month was the same as when running the a/c in summer. I'd never own another diesel vehicle again.

Bob

 

[Rufusdog]

Yea, two of them and the eclectic bill for the month was the same as when running the a/c in summer. I'd never own another diesel vehicle again.

Bob

It might have been no more expensive than leaving the engine running all the time.

 

[R181]

This used to commonly happen in NY for those with tanks outside... I don't think it happens at all anymore in this area. A common solution was to build a small shed around the tank and hang a light bulb. Little as it was, it was apparently enough. No incandescent bulbs anymore either.

They had to do the same with the sprinkler valves in our warehouse. Worked well enough that we never had a deluge of water from a frozen valve.

Bob

 

[R181]

It might have been no more expensive than leaving the engine running all the time.

I doubt the next-door neighbour would have appreciate that as it drove him nuts from the noise every time if flashed up the truck. Also, if you leave a diesel running it will lose engine heat unless you have louvers over the radiator that function automatically to maintain the temperature. Now of course there anti prolonged idling bylaws in places.

Bob