Do oil additives work?

rowan_bradley

Oil companies often try to sell additives, which they say helps keep your boiler clean, and helps the oil to burn more effectively thus generating more heat. This could be (and sounds like) a complete scam, but I suppose it might be true. Does anyone have any concrete evidence on whether these products actually work, and save oil? Or does anyone know of any organisation that has researched this in an objective way (independent of oil companies)?

Thank you - Rowan

dunstonh

Yes they do.  However, you are better buying your own from Amazon or the like and adding it yourself.

This could be (and sounds like) a complete scam,

Its not.  You also get versions for cars etc.  I use it on my tractor and about 1 in 4 fill ups on the cars.

They are more about the prevention of issues.  Clogging, sooting etc.   And with those less likely to build up, efficiency is maintained.  Rather than increased.

lohr500

I've put additive in my heating oil tank for years.

I have no evidence to prove it generates more heat, but when we finally scrapped our old Myson oil boiler a few years ago, the engineer was amazed at how clean the internal baffles were when we pulled it apart to make it easier to shift.

The same engineer has also commented on how clean the new boiler's internals have been each time he has done the annual service.

In both cases, I have no idea if this is because of the additive or because the burner fuel/air mix in both boilers was set up well.

For the last few years I have been using this : 

 https://www.hydra-int.com/heating-oil-additive.html

I buy the 500ml bottles which treat 2500 litres of heating oil from either eBay or Amazon depending on whichever has the cheapest price at the time.

The last bottle cost £30.75 which works out at £12.30 per 1000 litres of fuel.

At that cost, I'm happy to continue adding it even if the benefits are unproven!

Qyburn

dunstonh said:

Its not.  You also get versions for cars etc.  I use it on my tractor and about 1 in 4 fill ups on the cars.

Which do you use? "Soltron" used to be widely recommended among boat users, I've not bothered since we replaced the fuel tank and stopped using Red. But maybe I should try again, and try in the tractor and digger as well.

dunstonh

Qyburn said:

dunstonh said:

Its not.  You also get versions for cars etc.  I use it on my tractor and about 1 in 4 fill ups on the cars.

Which do you use? "Soltron" used to be widely recommended among boat users, I've not bothered since we replaced the fuel tank and stopped using Red. But maybe I should try again, and try in the tractor and digger as well.

I use Hydra.     The tractor can sit for long periods without use.  Often just once a week whilst I take the bins to the roadside at this time of the year and that is only half a mile.   So, the risk of settlement and build up is higher.     I have alternated between Hydra Maximus (overkill for a tractor but I use that in the land rovers - overkill for them too) or Hydra DPB100.   That is the one below Maximus and more ideally suited to Tractors and utility vehicles.  Maximus's extras are largely wasted on them but sometimes pricing puts Maximum below DPB100.    So, that usually drives my purchase decision.
When I get my next digger, I will use it on that too from the off.

For the heating, I use Hydra Vulcan.

I had a heating engineer that did the first two services but one day the boiler failed.   He wouldn't come out at a weekend.  So, I phoned another one who came out within a couple of hours.   He fixed the issue, but he also pointed out that the sludge valve was full and probably hadn't been checked in many years and the nozzle hadn't been replaced for some time.  Sludge was the issue.  So, goodbye old engineer.  Since using the additive, the annual sludge valve check has had no build up.

Apodemus

I was finding that the life of oil pumps in my CH was short until I started using an additive in the tank.  Modern fuels lack the lubrication that they used to have, so something that adds back a bit of lubrication is a good thing.  From everything I've read, the jury is out on whether any particular additive is actually any better than good old-fashioned mineral two stroke oil, but purely from ease of ordering, I go with the one that my fuel distributor provides.

For the same reason, I also add two stroke oil at a ratio of 1:200 in every fill of diesel on my car and have done so for the last 200,000 miles or so.  If nothing else, it stops it sounding like a tractor and the exhaust gases are cleaner.

EDIT:  Sorry, I now see that this is an old thread resurrected by someone advertising their services!

...and now that the advertising post has been removed it looks like I am the one resurrecting a zombie thread!  

propertyrental

Since you've resurrected, here's my tuppence-worth:

I looked into this some years back and found some independent tests (sorry - too long ago to remember who). They concluded the additives were useful in Agas etc but had minimal/zero effect on standard oil boilers, so I never bothered.

As this is all anecdotal (mine and others' comments), if I were you I'd do research, look at independent test results from unbiased sources if you can, and decide for yourself.

quartzz

Really random question. just browsing and I saw this thread. that vulcan additive says, to "stir the tank" slightly when you pour it in. my tank has a ballcock (or whatever it is) valve at the top, presum to stop things falling in......how do you stir a tank that has a ballcock type valve to prevent "sticking things in" to the tank?

CliveOfIndia

quartzz said:

Really random question. just browsing and I saw this thread. that vulcan additive says, to "stir the tank" slightly when you pour it in. my tank has a ballcock (or whatever it is) valve at the top, presum to stop things falling in......how do you stir a tank that has a ballcock type valve to prevent "sticking things in" to the tank?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean about a ballcock, I've not come across that on an oil tank.

But that aside, presumably the hole where the oil hose goes in to fill it is accessible, can you use that to stir it?

Or perhaps even simpler, pour the additive into the tank immediately before the tanker driver fills it, that'll get it all mixed together really well.

dunstonh

quartzz said:

Really random question. just browsing and I saw this thread. that vulcan additive says, to "stir the tank" slightly when you pour it in. my tank has a ballcock (or whatever it is) valve at the top, presum to stop things falling in......how do you stir a tank that has a ballcock type valve to prevent "sticking things in" to the tank?

An alternative to stirring is to put the additive in before the tank is filled.   The addition of new oil will give a similar movement to stirring.

quartzz

thanks for the replies. I've actually got hold of a "stirrer" so I can try and see if I can "poke" the floating ball out of the way of the fill-up hole and reach far enough down the tank.

I might make this into a separate thread, but to quote some star trek "new problem". I emailed the Hydra company that make the Vulcan additive (the star trek reference honestly was not intended to match that. maybe I was just thinking of it), and they said to check with my boiler manufacturer for compatibility

I've emailed the boiler manufacturer (warmflow) and they said "we have not tested this product with our boilers"

Now I.......assume [!!!!] that it will work with it. because....I assume....it's designed for it. can anyone confirm?