Filter the fuel.

[pythons37]

Weary of having to continually drain the sump and clean the filter and sump on my two Monitor21 heaters, I got a Mr. Funnel filter/funnel. It is a pain in the neck, but it has been three months since I started to filter my Kerosene and no more problems. There is always a residue in the bottom of the funnel and I pour it into a clear glass jar. It's depressing to see ice form on the bottom of it and see it get cloudy when I shake it up. Thanks to Matt Stair for suggesting that I do this. He is a Kerosene wizard with a great website.

[hawkins111]

water in fuel

Are you using the capsule tank on the heater? If so, yes you should filter the fuel. If you are using a larger tank does it have a filter?

Tom

[pythons37]

Since 1986.

These two 21s are the originals from 1986. I supplemented them some years later with a 441. That's when I got a 275 gallon outside tank and a lift pump. I hard piped the 441 and a 21. This worked fine. Then, I found a 441 with very little use and another 275 gallon tank for stupid short money. I put the 441 into service, but stalled on hooking up the second tank. Then, Clear K-1 became non existent in the area. The guy who I was buying it from said the red off road diesel was the same stuff and there would be no problems. He heats his place with it, too. This was fine for a couple of years and then he got out of the business and the bigger companies all wanted contracts and no CODs and that kind of stuff. So, I unhooked the two 441s and reinstalled the 21s, with the capsule tanks. Bought the Kero locally, when I wanted, and no contracts. It's a pain, sure, but I'm the one driving the bus and I prefer it to having an accounting type person drive it. About three years ago, the quality of the Kero dropped to third world status. In a space heater, with a brand new wick, you could watch the condition of the wick deteriorate by the hour. Wicks used to last for at least a full season. Now, a full day, maybe. So, I started to filter it. So far, so good.

[hawkins111]

bad fuel

Where do you live and who do you buy the fuel from?

Tom

[pythons37]

Where do you live and who do you buy the fuel from?

Tom

I'm in Southeastern NH. About 30 miles from the seacoast and two terminals. One is Irving. A Canadian outfit from Nova Scotia that is family owned and HUGE. They refine and ship in their own stuff. They would ship petroleum products to the Carribean and return with boat loads of bananas. They still do, I guess.

The other terminal is Sprague Energy. Who knows where they buy or refine? I have pumped Clear K-1 from Sprague that was yellow in color. It did not work well. Their off road diesel is K-1 ( Clear ) mixed with red dye. I know the process, as I have hauled tanker loads of it in the past.

Right now, I drive 19 miles to a gas station which has both K-1 and Off Road Diesel. For a while, the off road was 80 cents cheaper than the K-1. Go figure. Right now, the difference is 30 cents, so I'm using the K-1. I cannot tell the difference. The last time I bought it, K-1 was $4.19 a gallon. Two local places, both hardware stores, are selling K-1 at $6.19. They are not getting my business. I fill 5 or 6 5 gallon cans whenever I buy. I watch the weather and try to avoid pumping in rain or snow. Depending on the severity of the Winter, I will use between 800 and 900 gallons. Usually, it's 850. A lotta money and a lotta aggravation.

I have checked a few local airports and they are all over $6.00 per gallon for Domestic Jet-A.

[hawkins111]

Home Heating oil problems

A little research tells me you guys do have a real problem with your fuel oil. Legislation to make companies have escrow accounts would go a long way to protect home owners. That being said, if you get kerosene and it is anything but clear you have been ripped off. Kerosene should be clear, not yellow. If you want to feel a little better, I can have all the light home heating oil I need delivered to my house anytime for $8.00 a gallon. That's why I burn as much wood as I can get. Stay warm.

Tom in Alaska

[pythons37]

I'm sure you are talking about Fred Fuller and his class act. Most of his customers were trying to save money at his expense and he was trying to raise money to stay afloat during the warmer months. I think they both deserved each other.

The regulations in this County and maybe the whole state, are getting so restrictive, that wood burning is harder to do all the time. Free standing outdoor furnaces have to have a stack 20 feet higher than the roof line of the house. Stuff like that. Emissions are restricted to the point that everyone needs to buy a new stove to be legal. As far as wood pellets go, there was a shortage, because it was so cold that the computers didn't buy enough to have on hand. Some places were selling it 10 bags at a time, so they wouldn't run out. In the summer, pallet loads are on sale.

Propane/LPG is another story. Google that shortage. I don't think it makes a lot of sense to haul Propane from Texas to Minnesota, but it was done this winter. Hard to believe that this is the USA, sometimes.

[hawkins111]

tank in pick up

Can you guys put a 100 gallon tank in the back of a pick up? That would give you a few more options.

Tom

[pythons37]

I thought about that, when I had a truck. I'm down to a Jeep and a trailer, right now. I could not buy in sufficient quantity to get a discount. Anything over 95 gallons needs a placard. I don't want that target on me, either. I make a Zen experience of pumping the Kero from one can to another. Sometimes I make it flow left and sometimes I make it flow right. Sometimes I just pump it straight in. It only takes a couple of minutes for each can. The biggest thing is just getting the final filtering done, before I burn it.

[pythons37]

Sort of an update. I continue to filter my Red Dyed Off Road Diesel. Yesterday, it was $2.89 a gallon. The sham red dyed K-1 is at $3.89. I clean the sump filters once a month. Sometimes they are dirty, some times they are clean. Go figure.

The Fred Fuller Company went bankrupt. This was after Sprague Energy sued him for 4.5 million for unpaid fuel. He also had problems with his Propane Suppliers. Sprague has agreed to sell the fuel oil at cost, to the people who had prepaid Fuller. Rymes is the name of the company who bought his business.

During the investigation into all of this mess, it was discovered that he had paid a former female employee $850,000.00 cash, to settle a harassment suit. And, he is being charged for the same offense, by a different person, right now.

[adnadeau]

Here's at least one dealer in SE NH, in Epping, from their web site: "Today, Buxton Oil is one of the few companies in our area that still deliver kerosene for storage in outside tanks. Customers also rely on us to provide kerosene for their Monitor space heaters."

[pythons37]

Thanks for the heads up about Buxton. This is a pretty good company. But, like all these big outfits, they want a contract to supply their customers. The woman who owns this outfit is highly respected in the industry. If she had clear K-1, I'd probably call them. But, they have only red dyed kero, so, I may as well keep using the off road diesel, which is much cheaper. The bigger problem is that they all get their product from the same places. Sprague or Irving.

Is clear K-1 available in Maine? I'm guessing it isn't.

Again, thanks for the input.

[akaothermick]

Is clear K-1 available in Maine? I'm guessing it isn't.



Irving in Maine is dyed, When I go to NY I pick up 20 gallons at a time, clear Kero, seems to be better quality.