Heating Oil Purity

[Cursitor Doom]

Anyone know how much water is permitted in kerosene? I bought (just in case of emergency) two 20 litre gerry cans full of oil from a small independent supplier where I live and discovered quite by accident that each contained approx half a litre of water. The funnel I was using for the purposes of decanting happened to be one of these 'fuel-polishing' ones that only allow pure hydrocarbons through and hold water and debris back. I've been aware for many years that there's invariably *some* degree of water in heating fuel, but does anyone know what the legal limit is?

[Michael Chare]

I have not noticed any undisolved water in the heating oil I buy.

[harry]

Fuel polishing????? Total bullshit. You can get water separators that work by gravity/density differences. There can be dissolved water in fuel too but the amount is miniscule.

And you can get (paper/other materials) filters that remove solid debris.

[newshound]

Never heard of such things either.

But I'd certainly regard a couple of percent as unacceptable, maybe less so if you do have the full 20 litres of kerosene.

You don't want excessive water in steel kerosene tanks, it will pick up biological contamination and eventually cause failure by corrosion. And the growth may block filters, orifices, etc.

[Cursitor Doom]

Hey, don't blame me! I didn't come up with that stupid term!