
Number 1 fuel oil, also known as diesel no. 1, kerosene, jet fuel, stove oil, range oil, and coal oil, is a light distillate fuel oil. It is a volatile distillate oil intended for vaporizing pot-type burners and high-performance/clean diesel engines. It is structurally comparable to oils used for heating buildings, and it is commonly used in high-speed diesel engines, such as those in city buses and similar vehicles. Number 1 fuel oil is also used as fuel for portable outdoor stoves and heaters. Diesel fuel, in general, is a complex mixture derived from crude oil through fractional distillation, consisting mainly of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Characteristics of Diesel #1 Fuel Oil
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Viscosity | Lower viscosity means thinner fuel |
| Cetane Rating | Between 45 and 50 |
| Volatility | More volatile |
| Performance in Cold Weather | Better performance due to anti-gelling agents |
| Ignition Quality | Better ignition quality |
| Additives | Contains additives that improve engine performance and increase fuel efficiency |
| Cost | Priced higher than Diesel #2 |
| Use | Used for regular driving and high-performance/clean diesel engines |
| Sulphur Content | Low sulphur content |
| Energy Efficiency | More energy-efficient |
| Fuel Economy | Better fuel economy |
| Environmental Impact | Ultra-low-sulphur diesel (ULSD) available with lower aromatics content |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Number 1 fuel oil is a volatile distillate oil intended for vaporizing pot-type burners and high-performance/clean diesel engines
- Number 2 fuel oil is a distillate home heating oil
- Marine diesel oil contains some heavy fuel oil
- Diesel fuel is structurally comparable to oils used for heating buildings
- Diesel fuel is produced from various sources, the most common being petroleum

Number 1 fuel oil is a volatile distillate oil intended for vaporizing pot-type burners and high-performance/clean diesel engines
Number 1 fuel oil is a light distillate fuel oil that has distillation temperatures of 400 degrees Fahrenheit at the 10-percent recovery point and 550 degrees Fahrenheit at the 90-percent point. It is a volatile distillate oil intended primarily as fuel for portable outdoor stoves and heaters. Number 1 fuel oil is also used in high-speed diesel engines, such as those found in city buses and similar vehicles. It is a lighter version of kerosene, with a higher boiling point, higher viscosity, and less refinement.
Number 1 fuel oil is a product of petroleum distillation, specifically the fraction that boils off right before gasoline. It is also known as diesel fuel winter blend, which is a combination of regular diesel and Number 1 fuel oil to prevent sludge and gel issues in colder weather. This blend is used in off-road vehicles and machinery, as regular diesel has taxes for use in road vehicles.
Number 1 fuel oil is available at many fuel pumps throughout the Northeastern and entire United States. However, due to its heavier nature and the release of more impurities during combustion, it is recommended to use Number 1 fuel oil outdoors. Kerosene, being a refined version of Number 1 fuel oil, is a cleaner-burning fuel often used for indoor heaters and emergency lighting sources.
Number 2 fuel oil, also known as "road diesel", is a heavier version of Number 1 fuel oil and is used in trucks, SUVs, and some cars. It has a reddish dye and is taxed for use in road vehicles, whereas Number 1 fuel oil is untaxed and used in non-road applications. Number 2 fuel oil is also used for heating in boilers and furnaces and has a winterized variety that combines Number 1 and Number 2 fuel oils for improved performance in cold weather.
Number 3 fuel oil is a distillate fuel oil that was previously used in burners but has since been phased out and merged with Number 2 fuel oil. Number 4 fuel oil is a blend of distillate and residual fuel oils, used extensively in industrial and commercial burner installations without preheating facilities. It also includes Number 4 diesel fuel for low- and medium-speed diesel engines. Number 5 and Number 6 fuel oils are residual fuel oils or heavy fuel oils, with Number 6 being the most commonly produced.
Cocaine and Diesel: A Dangerous Mix
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$44.95
$44.95 $49.95

Number 2 fuel oil is a distillate home heating oil
Number 2 fuel oil, also known as #2 heating oil, is a distillate home heating oil. It is derived from the light gas oil cut, which refers to its use as an enriching agent for carbureted water gas manufacture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is the most common oil for home heating, particularly in the Northeastern United States, due to its efficiency and effectiveness.
No. 2 fuel oil is chemically similar to diesel fuel, and they share a similar molecular structure. However, unlike diesel, No. 2 fuel oil is tax-free, which keeps prices low and makes it ideal for home heating. It is also stained with a reddish dye, whereas No. 2 diesel has road taxes included in its price.
No. 2 fuel oil is important for use in boilers and furnaces during winter as it has a lower viscosity than No. 1 fuel oil, making it easier on the equipment. It can be combined with No. 1 heating oil to create a winter blend that is less viscous and burns cleaner.
While it is possible to use diesel fuel and No. 2 fuel oil interchangeably for home heating, it is generally not practical due to the higher cost of diesel. Additionally, No. 2 fuel oil cannot be used in diesel vehicles as it is heavier and has a higher ignition quality, making it unsuitable for combustion engines.
Overall, No. 2 fuel oil is a distillate heating oil that is commonly used in homes, particularly in cold climates, due to its low cost, efficiency, and suitability for boilers and furnaces.
How Warmer Temperatures Affect Diesel Fuel Gelling
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$49.95 $64.95

Marine diesel oil contains some heavy fuel oil
Marine diesel oil (MDO) is a distillate diesel oil used by medium-speed and medium/high-speed marine diesel engines. It is also used in larger low-speed and medium-speed propulsion engines that usually burn residual fuel. These fuels are produced through catalytic cracking and visbreaking refinery.
The use of heavy fuel oil in marine diesel is due to the high proportion of petroleum resid, which can be used on large marine engines. Petroleum resid results in injector tip deposits that prevent the injector from creating the desired fuel spray pattern. However, low-speed, large marine diesel engines are appropriate for using fuel containing large amounts of petroleum resid.
Marine diesel oil has been criticized for its high sulfur content, leading many countries and organizations to establish regulations and laws on its use. The ISO 8217 standard of the International Standards Organization (ISO) is the primary standard for MDO.
Diesel Fuel: A Deadly Threat to Bees?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Diesel fuel is structurally comparable to oils used for heating buildings
Diesel fuel and heating oil are both derived from crude oil's mid-distillates, which contain a complex mix of hydrocarbons, including paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics. Their chemical composition is very similar, so they share physical properties such as colour and viscosity. This close chemical kinship is the primary reason behind their comparable energy content and efficiency as fuels.
In terms of composition, diesel is more viscous than gasoline and contains specific additives to improve its performance in diesel engines. Diesel is also less flammable than gasoline and produces fewer toxic fumes during storage, making it a popular choice for industrial and commercial applications.
Heating oil, also known as furnace oil, is a liquid combustible used primarily for domestic heating. It is derived from crude oil and is part of the middle distillates family, which includes diesel fuel. However, heating oil is specifically formulated and refined for heating purposes. It is a low-viscosity, liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Heating oil is slightly heavier than diesel, which means it has a higher density and higher viscosity.
The terms "diesel", "heating oil", and "fuel oil" are often used interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. While diesel fuel and heating oil share several core characteristics due to their common origin, they are not the same and are designed for different applications. Heating oil is used for space and water heating in residential and commercial settings, while diesel is used for transportation and industrial operations.
In summary, diesel fuel is structurally comparable to oils used for heating buildings, such as No. 2 oil, as they share similar molecular structures and physical properties. However, diesel and heating oil have distinct roles, with diesel primarily used in transportation and industrial machinery, and heating oil used in residential and commercial heating systems.
Fuel and Diesel Gauge Tests: Similarities and Differences
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Diesel fuel is produced from various sources, the most common being petroleum
Diesel fuel is produced from various sources, with petroleum being the most common. Diesel fuel originates from experiments conducted by German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel for his compression-ignition engine, which he invented around 1892. Diesel fuel is a distillate fraction of crude oil, produced by fractional distillation of crude oil between 200 and 350 °C at atmospheric pressure. This results in a mixture of carbon chains typically containing between 9 and 25 carbon atoms per molecule. The fraction is then subjected to hydrodesulfurization to remove sulfur.
The production of diesel fuel can be broken down into three main steps: distillation, conversion, and clean-up. Diesel fuel contains more non-volatile components than gasoline and has a higher boiling range, which is why it must be sprayed rather than evaporated in the air. Like gasoline, diesel fuel is mixed with several additives to adjust performance characteristics. However, there are unique challenges when it comes to additives in diesel fuel, such as keeping the injector nozzle clean and preventing gelling in cold weather.
In many countries, diesel fuel is standardized to meet certain specifications. For example, the standard for diesel fuel in the European Union is EN 590, which was introduced in 1993. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a type of diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur content. As of 2016, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and North America is of the ULSD type.
While petroleum diesel is the most common type of diesel fuel, there are alternative sources that are not derived from petroleum, such as biodiesel, biomass-to-liquid (BTL), or gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel. Biodiesel, for example, can be produced from various types of vegetable oils or animal fats, with rapeseed oil being the most common source in Europe and soybean oil in the US. Synthetic diesel is another alternative, which can be produced from carbonaceous precursors such as natural gas, using the Fischer-Tropsch process.
Nearest Diesel Gas Station? Find One Fast!
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Number 1 Fuel Oil, also known as Diesel No. 1, Kerosene, and Jet Fuel, is a volatile distillate oil used in high-performance/clean diesel engines. It has a distillation temperature of 550 degrees Fahrenheit at the 90-percent point.
Number 2 Fuel Oil, also known as Heating Oil or Bunker A, is a distillate home heating oil. It is used in atomizing-type burners for domestic heating and has a distillation temperature of 640 degrees Fahrenheit at the 90-percent point.
Number 1 Fuel Oil is primarily used in high-speed diesel engines, such as those in city buses and similar vehicles. Number 2 Fuel Oil, on the other hand, is mainly used for domestic heating. Additionally, Number 2 Fuel Oil weighs more than Number 1 Fuel Oil.
Marine Diesel Oil contains some heavy fuel oil, unlike regular diesel. It is used in marine engines, which are designed to use different viscosities of fuel. Marine Diesel Oil is quoted on international bunker markets by its maximum viscosity.










































