Kerosene now $7.99 per gallon in NC

Doug Reid

Doug Reid

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Doug Reid
Just purchased kerosene for emergency heaters..$7.99 per gallon.

Regular gas is only $2.57 per gallon here in Thomasviile, NC.

Wow !
 
Rip-off.
There is less and less kerosene being sold as the years go by, so less and less distributors and delivery terminals provide space to store it. So what little is available is priced premium since it is such a slow moving product. It is around 6 bucks a gallon around here and still a rip off.
 
I dunno - inflation is certainly happening. My favorite salad dressing has doubled in price.
 
Jim K said:
JetA might be the cheapest option...
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Way back when I was employed flying JetA fueled aircraft, there was no shortage of Non approved auto fuel. When the maintenance guys had to drain an A/C tank, that fuel could not be put back in the main 10,000 gal company tank. And putting it back in any A/C was prohibited. The daily sump drainings also went into that drum. The company paid a recycler to dispose of it. Anybody with a diesel car was welcome to get as much as they could load up. One A&P converted his car's spare tire storage to a 10 gal aux tank.
Is there an FBO in the area that is paying a recycler to get rid of some "contaminated" JetA ?
 
I'm all for using JetA, however, I was warned by a couple of folks at the airport that there may be extra chemicals in it to help prevent freezing/gelling.
Any truth to that? I couldn't find hard evidence.
Lucky enough to get $3.99 gallon kerosene here locally still, but would prefer just to use JetA if no issues, as it's more convenient.
 
Skyrys62 said:
I'm all for using JetA, however, I was warned by a couple of folks at the airport that there may be extra chemicals in it to help prevent freezing/gelling.
Any truth to that? I couldn't find hard evidence.
Lucky enough to get $3.99 gallon kerosene here locally still, but would prefer just to use JetA if no issues, as it's more convenient.
Click to expand...

It could have anti icing (Prist) additive but not all tanks have it premixed. Could very well be just straight Jet A.
 
Just filled up my diesel pickup yesterday. I saw a station on the east side of town with diesel at 4.459 a gallon. Previous fill up was 4.999 a gallon so I pulled in.

A few minutes later on the west side of town I saw diesel at 3.899 a gallon...:sigh:
 
Zeldman said:
Just filled up my diesel pickup yesterday. I saw a station on the east side of town with diesel at 4.459 a gallon. Previous fill up was 4.999 a gallon so I pulled in.

A few minutes later on the west side of town I saw diesel at 3.899 a gallon...:sigh:
Click to expand...

You ain't the only one ...
 
Velocity173 said:
It could have anti icing (Prist) additive but not all tanks have it premixed. Could very well be just straight Jet A.
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I don't think it's labeled, but I will look closer.

Also, where I buy the 3.99 kerosene, it's not labeled either. It's a Shell station, and only a green colored pump with no markings. Makes me wonder what they are really selling. K-1 or K-2, etc.
I did call and ask, of course, they didn't know.
I would think it illegal to sell unmarked fuel.
 
Skyrys62 said:
I'm all for using JetA, however, I was warned by a couple of folks at the airport that there may be extra chemicals in it to help prevent freezing/gelling.
Any truth to that? I couldn't find hard evidence.
Click to expand...
Prist.
 
If the purpose is emergency (not every day) heat, kerosene is a poor choice. Propane is easy to find, more economical, stores for about forever, and burns more than clean enough to rock indoors.

After propane - I would go with diesel. It is the most economical and burns perfectly fine in the torpedo style heaters if you tune the fuel flow just so. A touch of smoke on startup/shutdown and otherwise clean. In an emergency, they work great, a guy can point them outside for startup/shutdown if the little puff of smoke is bothersome.

Diesel you buy today will be ultra low sulfur (15 ppm). It's not your grandpa's diesel - it has less sulfur in it than K1 kerosene does (400 ppm).

It would make no sense to use Jet A over diesel unless someone gave the Jet A to you. It's not going to burn any noticeably better in a torpedo heater. In fact, it'll be worse, as its sulfur content approaches that of K1 kerosene.

Kersone is my last choice...its hard to find and stupidly overpriced if you can. The reason you don't see it available anymore is because ultra low sulfur diesel (sold since 2006) makes more sense.
 
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Maxnr said:
Way back when I was employed flying JetA fueled aircraft, there was no shortage of Non approved auto fuel. When the maintenance guys had to drain an A/C tank, that fuel could not be put back in the main 10,000 gal company tank. And putting it back in any A/C was prohibited. The daily sump drainings also went into that drum. The company paid a recycler to dispose of it. Anybody with a diesel car was welcome to get as much as they could load up. One A&P converted his car's spare tire storage to a 10 gal aux tank.
Is there an FBO in the area that is paying a recycler to get rid of some "contaminated" JetA ?
Click to expand...
They probably run it in their tugs, generators, tractors, and other diesel equipment.
 
SoonerAviator said:
They probably run it in their tugs, generators, tractors, and other diesel equipment.
Click to expand...
The diesel lawn mower never saw real diesel fuel, the Herman-Nelson heaters used it. I took some home for brush burning. Every diesel vehicle owner ran it in their tanks. (with a qt of xmsn oil per 10 gal.)
 
Kero is the same cut as jet. Since we’re on an aviation forum, get your heater fuel at the airport.
 
K1 here in northeast Ohio yesterday was $6.59
 
I was not asking for alternatives..just commenting on the current price in our area...Merry Christmas :)
 
Back when I was in a Baltimore County fire company we had a whole big tank of contaminated jet a we got from the BWI cfr guys for free. We used it to light off training fires.
 
So what's the net effect of burning Jet A with Prist added in, say, a kerosene heater or a diesel car or truck?
 
Due to the Ukraine war diesel and liquified natural gas is being shipped to the EU.
 
Browsing around on the web seems to indicate that naturally, the more northern based, the more likely Prist, or possible other additive, will be present.
Still haven't found any hard evidence of how to tell, but just to share, here is some info I found a wee bit educational.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/jetfuel.html

Here is a Prist .pdf https://goco.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/PRIST-MSDS.pdf
Page 6 indicates "For use only as an anti-icing agent in high flash jet fuel only"

Below are reported Flash points, so seeming Kerosene and Jet-A are the same regarding need for Prist, which doesn't look high compared to JP5, etc.
Not sure what qualifies as 'high', but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along and enlighten us.

Ethanol (70%) 16.6°C
Petrol (Gasoline) −43°C
Diesel > 62°C
Jet fuel > 38°C
Jet A > 38°C
Jet A-1 > 38°C
JP5 > 60°C
JP7 > 60°C
Jet B −18°C
Kerosene > 38°C
Biodiesel > 130 °C
 
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DaleB said:
So what's the net effect of burning Jet A with Prist added in, say, a kerosene heater or a diesel car or truck?
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First, I'm not a fuel expert. When I was a Lead Pilot at my Comm Helo outfit, I was responsible for having lots of JetA on hand for ops. It was usual to order 3 tanker trucks per week. The Prist was added into the hose when it went into my 10,000 gal tank. My safety dept told me that biocidal properties of Prist were the top benefit. JetA will grow fungus. Some of my A/C had oil coolant lines led into the fuel cells so they had no concern over ice. The go/no go filters at the tank and refueling points dealt with water/ice pretty well.
If Prist is a problem for Diesels, it never happened to the Diesel owners that loaded up on our used JetA before the recycler got it. The only problem was that JetA lacks the lubrication that their injector pumps need. Wet your fingers in Diesel, then JetA and you can detect the difference when you rub them together. Diesel is "more slippery". This cost an A&P an injector pump on his VW. The accepted cure is 1 qt of transmission fluid per 10 gallons. Marvel Mystery Oil is tops. Its the "Mack Daddy" of supplemental lube.
I spent more time fussing over fuel than my flying assignment. I only recall a single case when a JetRanger went into the drink after refueling at an oil & gas production facility. The verdict was fuel contamination. JetA is transported out by boat in 500 gal transporter tanks. So is the glycol that the facility uses to "dry" the nat gas before it goes into the pipeline. The crew used the Helo's hose to drain their glycol. Then the next day, they used the same hose to transfer JetA. The only fuel contamination case I know.
 
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DaleB said:
So what's the net effect of burning Jet A with Prist added in, say, a kerosene heater or a diesel car or truck?
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Prist or any fuel system ice inhibitor (FSII) is a very small percentage of the fuel like less than 0.2% by volume. Outside of using it in an indoor radiate heater I haven't heard of any issues. As mentioned by maxnr we used it in everything we could with zero issues.
Skyrys62 said:
so seeming Kerosene and Jet-A are the same regarding need for Prist,
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The use of a FSII or Prist is determined by the aircraft not the location. Some aircraft have fuel heaters and do not require a FSII. As to whether fuel has a FSII need to ask the fueler as there is no requirement to mark the fuel that I know of. So some providers use pre-mix and some use systems that mix at the nozzle. We always mixed at the nozzle as it was a waste of money to use it in an aircraft with a fuel heater.
 
Bell206 said:
Prist or any fuel system ice inhibitor (FSII) is a very small percentage of the fuel like less than 0.2% by volume. Outside of using it in an indoor radiate heater I haven't heard of any issues. As mentioned by maxnr we used it in everything we could with zero issues.

The use of a FSII or Prist is determined by the aircraft not the location. Some aircraft have fuel heaters and do not require a FSII. As to whether fuel has a FSII need to ask the fueler as there is no requirement to mark the fuel that I know of. So some providers use pre-mix and some use systems that mix at the nozzle. We always mixed at the nozzle as it was a waste of money to use it in an aircraft with a fuel heater.
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Good info..
No need for it in the fueling station tanks?
I came across a posting by someone that said they 'sticked the tank' at the airport, and the stick stood straight up on it's own.
Not sure if that was legit or if there was another problem though lol.


Bell206 said:
Outside of using it in an indoor radiate heater I haven't heard of any issues.
Click to expand...

Burning JetA in an indoor kerosene heater is really the only concern (for me) regarding it containing FSII/Prist.
I did ask the airport manager, but he had no clue.
 
Skyrys62 said:
I came across a posting by someone that said they 'sticked the tank' at the airport, and the stick stood straight up on it's own.
Click to expand...
More than likely he was checking a diesel tank. JetA without any additives is good down to -40F on its own provided it passes its daily water checks.;)
Skyrys62 said:
Burning JetA in an indoor kerosene heater is really the only concern (for me) regarding it containing FSII/Prist.
Click to expand...
As I mentioned the rate/volume of an FSII is super low. However in a pinch I would still use JetA in a small enclosed area with a kerosene radiant heater. Though never needed to. Regardless used it in a torpedo heater all day long in my 30x40 shop with no issues.
 
Skyrys62 said:
Burning JetA in an indoor kerosene heater is really the only concern (for me) regarding it containing FSII/Prist.
I did ask the airport manager, but he had no clue.
Click to expand...
That’s what I’m asking. I’ve got a kerosene heater we use on the garage. I burned Jet A in winter before; the garage is leaky enough that CO isn’t a problem, but I’d like to know if the deicer is potentially a problem.
 
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