On Saturday, November 22, 2014 11:35:06 AM UTC-5, EXT wrote:
Yes I've done it and had no issues at all. The difference between #2
heating oil and #2 diesel is taxes and dye, nothing more. Highway #2
diesel is all ULSD now, and most heating oil is the same at this point
as well. I've yet to see a diesel generator with a DPF, so unless you
have one it won't be an issue if your heating oil happens to be LSD
rather than ULSD. Since some home heating oil tanks are outdoors,
heating oil #2 will have anti-gel additives just like highway diesel
does in cold weather. Some people say that heating oil isn't as clean,
but the reality is that in areas that use heating oil, the tanks are
filled from the same source and then they add the dye to the untaxed
heating oil.

Several years ago, I installed a diesel back up generator for our
home/business, and this question was often asked on the internet. I did not
trust the conflicting information that was being spewed about the
differences so I asked a few oil companies such as ESSO, Shell and
PetroCanada for an answer. ESSO and Shell ignored my enquiry but PetroCanada
replied with a reasonable and detailed answer. It depends on where you are.
They explained that diesel fuel is refined and treated so that it will run
properly in a diesel engine -- would you want to put a low grade fuel in
your Mercedes-Benz? Home heating oil is often a lower grade fuel because
basically anything will burn in a furnace. They explained in large populated
areas they will stock two different grades because there is enough demand
that the reduced costs of heating oil can make it worth separate facilities,
however, in small communities, there isn't enough demand for separate tanks
and trucks so both purposes are served by diesel fuel, with no differences.
So check with your supplier.

I am in a large populated area so I called a local Shell dealer who supplies
local construction equipment and ordered 200 litres of untaxed off-road
diesel fuel to be delivered for my tank. It is dyed red, and is cheaper than
going to a gas station and hauling 5 gallon containers. I have a 200 gallon
tank (400+ litres) and they pumped the diesel fuel into the tank the same as
they would heating oil.

From what I've seen, there is controversy over how the new ultra low sulfur
diesel compares with the previous diesel with regards to lubricating capacity.
Some say essentially what you say, that refiners add enough stuff to it to
make up for most of the lost lubrication. Others say they don't and you should
use an additive to boost the lubrication. And a lot probably depends on what
you're putting it in. If it's going in a long haul truck, any difference in
lubrication could make a difference in engine wear because the truck is
racking up huge miles. In a car, it's unlikely
the car will go so many miles that any additional wear would make a difference,
meaning the car probably will be junked for various other reasons first.

It would be interesting to know what major trucking fleets actually do. You
would think they would have data and know if it's worth the few extra bucks
to put in an additive for increased lubrication. For a home generator, I
wouldn't be worried about using either diesel or home fuel oil without
adding anything. It's not running 24/7.