Heating oil is normally used as an alternative to kerosene. It is burned in boilers to generate heat at home. Many people usually wonder how this type of fuel is produced and what exactly it is used for. This article will offer tangible facts if you wonder how is heating oil made. For starters, heating oil has various uses in both residential as well as industrial areas.
A lot of residential individuals who use this fuel do not have a connection to natural gas. They consume the fuel to heat their houses. The fuel is also consumed in industrial areas. This kerosene is referred to as industrial heating oil. This oil is used to heat huge open areas of warehouses as well as factories. They are also used in schools and colleges for the same purpose.
This fuel is produced from petroleum, which is crude oil is heated at a high temperature in a process referred to as fractional distillation (our parent company Crown Oil explains the pricess in detail a dedicated crude oil refining guide).
The process usually separates several oils in various parts. In the process, a fractionating column is placed above the evaporating mixture. This enables the petroleum to be heated up at high temperatures at the bottom and then condensed at the above column.
The crude oil is heated, and substances that escape at a high boiling point can condense at the bottom of the column and those that have a lower boiling point, on the other hand, can condense at the top column. Petroleum has a mixture of various hydrocarbons. The petroleum is evaporated and the various vapors it produces can condense at various temperatures in this fractionating column.
Each substance in the crude petroleum has hydrocarbon molecules that have the same number of carbon atoms as well as the same range of boiling point. The oil will evaporate and condense between 250 to 350 degrees Celsius. A lot of people rely on this fuel in their home to warm water and also used as a central form of heating.
This fuel has the exact chemical composition as diesel and therefore it can work as a motor fuel. This oil is usually taxed less than other motor fuels like diesel, which makes it a bit cheaper. Some people normally opt to buy this fuel so that they can work around taxes. The government has however restricted this by introducing color and odor to the motor fuel.
When you wish to buy this oil, it is always advisable to buy in bulk during the summer and autumn before winter kicks in. This is because the prices at this time are relatively low since the demand is also low. Buying during the cold season is not advisable since the demand will be high making the prices to skyrocket. Bad weather conditions during the winter may also complicate fuel acquisition.
When you are locating the best supplier to help you to acquire this oil, it is important to work with the best. They will be able to advise you on the right time to buy the oil when the prices are fair. The supplier will also ensure that they put up a suitable payment plan that will not strain you.
