For years I’ve had a couple of torpedo style kerosene heaters. When using outside or in the well ventilated shop, I’ve just filled them up with diesel. When using in the closed shop, I’d usually use 1-k kerosene.

I’ve ordered a wick style Dynaglo as a backup/supplement for indoor use. Our local station has 1-k at the pump for $5.99/gal as of 3/23/20. On a whim, I called down to our local po-dunk GA airport. The nicest fellow answered, chatted awhile, and said sure, he’d happily sell me Jet-A for $4.12. I’m not that concerned about the torpedo heaters, but what about in the wick style heater? This is for indoor dwelling use. I’ve read conflicting stories about using JetA indoors. What says SF? I’d like to standardize all my heaters on one fuel, but I’d rather not use strictly 1-K because it’s expensive.

Yes. They will be happy heaters.

Jet-A is a "dry kerosine" (no lubrication additives like #2 diesel).

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

On a whim, I called down to our local po-dunk GA airport. The nicest fellow answered, chatted awhile, and said sure, he’d happily sell me Jet-A for $4.12

The price spread is kind of interesting.

Jet-A at Our Little Airport is currently $2.62 / gallon.

Go down the road (or fly) a few miles to Orlando International, and you pay $6.15 for the same stuff.

Yes, you can.

Bear in mind that some turbine fuel is sold with Prist or other anti-icing additives that may change the exhaust byproducts of your combustion heater.

Jet fuel is kerosine.

Be careful which jet fuel. Jet-A is kerosine. Jet B is a mixture of kerosine and aviation gasoline, a wide-cut naptha fuel, with a different freezing point and different flashpoint, and greater volatility. It would be closer to the military multipurpose fuel JP4.

Most commonly domestically, you'll find Jet-A or Jet A-1, the difference being the freezing point (which won't affect you or the heater). Jet A-1 has a lower freeze point and is similar to military JP-8, without the corrosion inhibitor.

Bottom line, you can burn it. There may be tax issues associated with it vs. getting diesel at the pump or kerosine at the hardware store, but if the local FBO is willing to sell you the fuel and it's cheaper, why not?

In cold climates, be aware that turbine fuels entrain water, unlike gasoline, where the water settles out. The result is that in gasoline, ice pellets or crystals form at the bottom of the tank, but in turbine applications, the ice crystals are suspended in the fuel, and tend to form on filters, screens, and in fuel system components, sometimes blocking them. It's for that reason that anti-ice additives are applied. The seller may ask you if you want "prist," which is a common additive which make come batch-blended, or may be added at the truck or at the nozzle. Generally you won't need it for your applications. It may be more useful if you're running it in a tractor or truck.

Other than a combustion heater, the specific gravity of turbine fuels matters, meaning density, and any engine should be adjusted to account for that if it depends on fuel metering based on an assumed density.

Jet A will burn fine in your space heater. Don't put Jet B or JP4 in there.

They only have Jet-A and 100LL at our airport, so I don’t have to worry about JP4,5,8,etc. Is aviation fuel normally taxed like road fuels? The kerosene they sell at our gas station is not dyed, so I’m assuming it’s taxed. I might could ask if I can get it without taxes, like when buying reefer fuel at a truck stop.

There's no road tax on avgas or jet fuel. For that reason, it's not supposed to be sold across the fence, but if they're willing, it would be best to put it in your container and not advertise where you got it.

Jet fuel should be straw-colored, nearly clear.

Make sure that the product they sell you is NOT BLUE ! Avgas is colored blue....if you put that in your heaters it would be quite memorable, I suspect !!

Yes, it's fine, but only if you feel the need.

As far as road tax, if you not using it for an on the road vehicle, then you are fine. That leads me to the next question: is there road tax on kerosene? Here's what Florida says:

"Any person who converts aviation gasoline, jet fuel, or kerosene to on-road motor or diesel fuel is liable for the full road tax. A credit for the aviation fuel tax-paid may be offset against the road tax."

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Yes, it's fine, but only if you feel the need.

To save $2 a gallon? I constantly feel that need.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Yes, it's fine, but only if you feel the need.

To save $2 a gallon? I constantly feel that need.

Sorry, it was a joke that I figured people could fill in the punch line themselves. Ever see the movie Top Gun? My kids don't think I'm funny either. But I am glad you want your 2 dollars.

Kerosene comes out a little higher on the disty column than diesel. Nearly all of the kerosene in the US is cleaned up and made into jet fuel. By cleaned up, I mean impurities like water but not sulfur (jet-A is high sulfur) so burning in a heater will have more SOx emissions.

Right out of the Marine Corps, I worked out of a small airport. We had to perform tests daily on 100LL and jet A for water and sediment. We would then place the samples in 5 gallon containers. Management would allow us to take it home once it was full. I used the 100LL in lawn mowers and the Jet A in duck blind. Both worked great.

Thanks for everybody’s input. I think I’ll go get 20 gallons and give it a try.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

Thanks for everybody’s input. I think I’ll go get 20 gallons and give it a try.

Tax is only a problem if you use it on road. I cheated just a little bit, once. True confession time.

It was 30, maybe 35 years ago. I was on my way to the airport to give a flying lesson. Odometer on my Mercedes 240D had quit, fuel gauge was notoriously inaccurate, I was almost at the airport and ran out of fuel.

I called, somebody brought me a couple gallons of jet fuel, enough to limp to a gas station.

quote:

It was 30, maybe 35 years ago. I was on my way to the airport to give a flying lesson. Odometer on my Mercedes 240D had quit, fuel gauge was notoriously inaccurate, I was almost at the airport and ran out of fuel.

Doesn't say much for Mercedes quality....

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:

quote:

It was 30, maybe 35 years ago. I was on my way to the airport to give a flying lesson. Odometer on my Mercedes 240D had quit, fuel gauge was notoriously inaccurate, I was almost at the airport and ran out of fuel.

Doesn't say much for Mercedes quality....

Damn thing didn't even have 500,000 miles on it when the odometer quit. Cheap piece of shit.

For safety, make sure flash-point is over 140 degrees, otherwise you can get run away flame.

Not fun.

Ventilate! Please......

Doesn’t kerosene have a flash point of 100°F? That is what the manual specifies as the correct fuel.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Doesn’t kerosene have a flash point of 100°F? That is what the manual specifies as the correct fuel.

Different ones are different.

I believe you cab find it on the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)