With the rising prices of heating oil, you might be wondering if you can use diesel instead. While not recommended for long-term use, you can use diesel as a temporary solution to running out of heating oil. In this article, we go over when you should and shouldn’t put diesel in your oil tank.
When should I put Diesel into my oil heating tank?
If you’ve recently run out of heating oil, then putting in some diesel isn’t the end of the world. However, you should only use diesel in an emergency situation. Stopping at a local gas station and getting five gallons of diesel is perfectly fine! But before you run to the gas station, it is important to know if you are actually out of oil.
If you suspect that you are out of oil, look at the steps below to check your tank:
- Check your tank’s float gauge to see what it reads. Take off the plastic cover and gently move the disc up. If it slides to the bottom and can be moved freely, you might’ve run out of heating oil. (If you aren’t out of heating oil, you can skip to step 4).
- Head to your local gas station and buy 5 to 10 gallons of diesel fuel.
- Locate your oil tank’s fill pipe. Remove the cap and start pouring it into your tank. The fill pipe cap often states “Fuel Oil” and has the shape of a hexagon on it. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FILL YOUR TANK FROM ONE OF THE TANK’S FITTINGS.
- Wait around 10 minutes or so, for any sludge or sediment to settle to the bottom of the tank. Then, go ahead and press your burner’s reset button and your system should start back up. If it doesn’t start back up, you’ll have to bleed the lines of your furnace to release any air in your system. We do not recommend this process if you are not mechanically knowledgeable. You can contact an HVAC technician to go through this process with you.
When you’re running low on heating oil.
If you’ve run out of heating oil, your heating system will shut off and you will wake up to a cold house. In a situation like this, it is best to check to see if you’ve run out of oil. You can check by inspecting your tank. This is important, because sometimes it could be a completely different issue! Other issues such as a faulty starter can cause your furnace to turn off, even if you have oil in your tank!
If you are out of oil, then it is very important to order some as soon as possible! After you’ve placed your order , go to the gas station and pick up 5-10 gallons of diesel. This well help you stay warm until your delivery of oil comes. It will also help prevent your pipes from freezing which can cause significant damage!
Diesel is a Great Temporary Substitute
If you are low on oil and are afraid of running out, order immediately! You can take a look online at our FuelSnap website! You can check prices and delivery dates here. After you’ve ordered heating oil, go grab some diesel from the gas station! This will hold you over until you get a delivery.
Be careful about letting your oil run low. Running out of oil can result in frozen pipes or worse! You can add diesel every day or so until you get your delivery. You can monitor how much oil is in your tank, as well as usage with a Smart Oil Gauge! The Smart Oil Gauge will help you monitor your usage and oil level in your tank and you can access it from anywhere! If you’re curious on how many gallons your home will need on a cold winter day, check out this article!
Happy Heating,
Hunter
