What grade of fuel does a typical domestic boiler use?
I am new to the house - how can I be sure that I require kerosene and not gas oil, the other possible liquid fuel for some older or larger boilers ?
How does the price for kerosene compare with natural gas and how can I work this out ?
What is the typical energy (or calorific value ) of kerosene ?
Does an Aga or Rayburn vapourising range cooker operating on kerosene require servicing between the recommended 6 month service? Is this to do with the quality of the fuel that we supply?
Around 95% of domestic boilers burning liquid fuel in modern homes use kerosene, also spelt kerosine, and known generically as 28 second burning oil. This is the preferred oil fuel grade for domestic heating, due to its clean burn and hence single annual service, if being used in an atomising pressure jet burner. It is the only oil grade that can be used when balanced or low level flues are fitted. Kerosene for home heating is sold through Shell Distributors under the brand name Shell Thermo (formerly Shell Homeglow 28). It has very good cold weather operability characteristics and remains fluid beyond minus 40C.
Kerosene is water white, or very pale yellow in colour, and visual examination of the oil tank sight gauge should confirm this. If the sight gauge contains fuel with a dark red appearance then it would suggest that the boiler is designed to run on gas oil. Newer boilers tend to have a label inside with information on nozzle size, pump pressure and confirmation that the boiler has been set up to use kerosene. It may also reference the British Standard for kerosene BS 2869 class C2.
The unit for comparison with natural gas in the domestic market is normally pence per KWh (Kilowatt hour), or pence per therm on a gross basis. ( the total potential energy content of the fuel as delivered).
Pence per KWh - example :
Shell Thermo at 18.00ppl / divide by factor 10.30 KWh/ltr = 1.75 pence per KWh.
Pence per therm - example :
2.843 ltrs of Shell Thermo = 1 therm. Cost pp therm 2.843 X 18.00 = 51p
46.2 MJ/kg, or 37.1 MJ/l Gross.
This type of cooker running on kerosene, requires both fuel quality, and quality of cooker maintenance to be of the highest order. A Char value test which is a good indicator of fuel combustion quality in this application is carried out at the refinery, and will ensure that the fuel not only meets the BS2869 class C2 standard, but is significantly lower. BS max Char Value is 20mg/kg whereas Shell's typical Char Value is 4-10mg/ kg. If there are concerns about fuel quality, then Shell Technical Services should be contacted. They, may require a customer sample to be analysed, to confirm its quality.
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