Diesel Generator fuel mixture . Not stalking related.

The Singing Stalker

Well-Known Member
Due to a fopah at my end I have mixed kerosene with red diesel in my boiler tank. Long story, don't ask. Anyway I am now left trying to figure out what to do. I can get the lot taken out which will cost a pile and is a waste, well it is for me. one other option I have been considering is running a diesel generator on the kerosene/diesel mix.

my question is? Can I? It may be a bit smokey but that is not an issue as we will only need it about 1/2 to 1 hours per day. The generator would be a small up to 6.5kva.

Any comments from any learned people out there? The mix would be about 60% kerosene.
 
Yes, I think that would be ok.
A mate of mine who's a builder did a job removing a heating oil tank for someone. There was quite a lot of oil left in it so used it mixed with red diesel in his tractor.
 
Should work fine and will even burn a little cleaner. Kero is generally added to diesel as part of the "winter" mix to help prevent it waxing in cold weather. In fact a few years ago when we had a really cold spell I was mixing about 20% petrol into a tractor to stop it waxing up.

If you want to be ultra safe use up part of your tank the dilute by adding more diesel
 
I would use it for the heating myself. Kerosine is produced for this purpose and does not have some of the lubricating elements one would find in Diesel. There is no need for them in that intended use. However if you use it in modern injector pumps for any considerable time, and especially in what I suspect is a 300 rpm set you may damage the pump. So I would use some of the tank full and then refill with kero.
 
I think It could possibly, seize the fuel pump. Edit wood master beat me to It.
 
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It's going to take a long time to use a tank full of fuel through a 6.5 kva gene. However if your boiler won't operate on this fuel then I guess you have little choice other than to start again. Assuming you have a "need" for the gene rather than just using it to use this fuel up then you could do as suggested and alter the mix to more like 70% diesel. You can also buy additives such as exocet which increase centane rating, have scrubbers to take water through the system rather than it accumulating in it and additional lubricants.
Hope that is of help.
 
Older engines will run on kerosene but you need to add a little oil to aid lubrication.. The pikeys were doing this for years. Wouldn't put it in a common rail diesel though.
 
What Diesel engine is it. If it's a simple older generation you should be fine. Possibly put a diesel treatment in and if you have room in the tank add more diesel. The old lister type engines can run on pretty much anything. Kerosene and diesel are pretty much interchangeable and certainly most of our forces can run one or the other. Kerosene is jet fuel.
 
From a different point of view. How about getting the boiler serviced and rejected for kerosen then you could just carry on as normal.
 
If your boiler is the old style non condensing type with a pressure jet burner there shouldn't be any problem changing the nozzle and upping the pump pressure slightly to achieve a clean burn. (Kerosene atomises at 100psi+, gas oil needs 170 psi+) Any Oftec oil engineers in your area? Regards D.
 
I knew a chappy who ran a old citeroen on kerosene just added some engine oil to aid lubrication I think he said he had done 200k miles and no issues.

D
 
ran a old citeroen on kerosene just added some engine oil to aid lubrication

On the flip side to that, a guy I know ran a Peugeot on his heating fuel & mineral oil for a few weeks until the fuel pump seals went. Apparently direct injection diesels hate kerosene?
 
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