Fuel quality issues in the oil heat industry

The quality of fuel oil plays an essential role in combustion performance and efficient operation of residential heating equipment. With the present concerns by the oil-heat industry of declining fuel-oil quality, a study was initiated to identify the factors that have brought about changes in the quality of distillate fuel. A background of information will be provided to the industry, which is necessary to deal with the problems relating to the fuel. The high needs for servicing heating equipment are usually the result of the poor handling characteristics of the fuel during cold weather, the buildup of dirt and water in storage tanks, and microbial growth. A discussion of how to deal with these problems is presented in this paper. The effectiveness of fuel additives to control these problems of quality is also covered to help users better understand the functions and limitations of chemical treatment. Test data have been collected which measure and compare changes in the properties of fuel using selected additives.