Heat Your Home with Biodiesel

(Page 6 of 6)

December/January 2003
by Greg Pahl 
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Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energywww.afdc.doe.gov/altfuel/biodiesel.html Information about biodiesel research, infrastructure and legislation.

RELATED CONTENT

From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel, by Joshua Tickell. The biodiesel bible for those who wish to make their own fuel. Available on MOTHER'S Bookshelf, Page 94, or at http://www.motherearthnews.com.

Before You Fire up Your Furnace With Biodiesel

Planning on using biodiesel to heat your home for the first time? Although field tests have indicated that blends up to B20 (20 percent biodiesel; 80 percent fuel-oil) easily can be used without any special precautions, here are a few simple preparatory chores you can do to ensure a smooth transition:

• Clean your furnace or boiler
• Replace the furnace oil filter
• If you have an old storage tank, consider cleaning it
• Keep an extra oil filter on hand, especially if you have an old tank
• Consider starting with a modest B5 blend. Then increase the concentration after a few months or in the next heating season.

Biodiesel Advantages

• Will burn in virtually any oil-fired furnace or boiler
• No conversion is necessary; just pour it into your storage tank
• Reduces harmful hydrocarbon and particulate emissions
• Reduces the amount of boiler or furnace cleaning
• Low toxicity
• Biodegradable
• A renewable, domestically produced fuel

Biodiesel Disadvantages

• Tends to be more expensive than regular heating oil
• May not be readily available in all locations
• May dissolve sludge in oil tanks and fuel lines, clogging fuel filters or burner heads when first used in older systems
• B100 (100 percent) biodiesel will soften rubber hoses and gaskets (if there are any)
• Needs to be stored in an indoor (or underground) tank in extremely cold climates

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