Diesel heater at home

OldChestnut

Hello, i use a diesel heater in my garage where I spend most of my day, it's the same type you find in caravans or campers. At the moment I fill a 5 litre can every few days ( depending on how cold it is ) at the local filling station for which I'm paying duties and taxes as a road vehicle. I'm seemingly unable to find a source of red diesel ( or today's equivalent) in 20 / 25 litre quantity at a rate that excludes the taxes applied for road use. I'm sure it can't be that difficult and I can't be the only person asking but I've spent ages looking.

Can anyone offer any advice? Many thanks for the help.

mmmmikey

Hi - I think the law changed in the last year or so which is why you can't get red diesel as easily any more. But mine runs fine on central heating oil (kerosene) which is readily available in 25l containers around here. I use mine in my shed/workshop. It's recommended to use automotive diesel every so often to stop the fuel pump wearing out. Although the cheap Chinese diesel heaters aren't well documented, the Eberspacher heaters which they are clones of are, and the Eberspacher manual specifically allows the use of Kerosene. Hope this helps.

QrizB

Do you have a friend with oil heating who would sell you some kero from their tank and 3m of hose?

EssexHebridean

Red diesel pumps can still be found in some rural areas I believe. 

matelodave

The rules regarding red or rebated diesel were changed this year making a lot more scarce as fewer people are allowed to use it - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-rebated-fuels-in-vehicles-and-machines-excise-notice-75-from-1-april-2022 so, as said above your solution is to buy or scrounge heating oil unless you live near a boatyard or farm that still has rebated fuel and may be willing to sell you some.

in_my_bumble_opinion

Most heating oil suppliers will sell you kero in 25 litre plastic bottles. You will have to pay for the bottle your first time (as well as the fuel) but the bottle is then yours to go and fill up when it suits you. At my local depot I go to the office/counter and pay for 25 litres, then I just help myself from a dispensing pump they have. Simple.

Kiran

I live on an old farm and on occasion have need for 100L or so of red for tractors and mowers etc. I tend not to buy in bulk as it seems excessive. That being said 205L barrels are a common size that you can have delivered from a fair few places online. When I've needed to buy a few jacks at a time I've just googled red diesel and the area I live and there's normally somewhere that has it on pump. Usually the same place that sells heating oil. The difference between kero and red diesel is the lubrication, as mentioned above, the fuel pump can be damaged if you just use heating oil

Apodemus

Kiran said:

The difference between kero and red diesel is the lubrication, as mentioned above, the fuel pump can be damaged if you just use heating oil

The lubrication effect can easily be achieved by the addition of a little two-stroke oil.  A 1:200 addition of 2SO has the added benefit of lowering the cetane rating, giving a cleaner, sharper ignition to the diesel.