Very Old Kerosene

[wolverine86]

I have about 3 gallons or so of very old kerosene (seriously, this stuff is at least a decade old if not more) in my garage in a thick walled plastic container (which was designed for and designated for kerosene). I used some of it years ago in a kerosene heater but haven't touched it since. I did put diesel fuel preservative (PRI-D) into it immediately after purchasing it way back when. Is this stuff any good any more? Would it still be safe to use inside the house in a kerosene heater? Do any of you having experience using kerosene that old?

Since summer has basically begun in north Alabama, where I live, I certainly don't need it for heating anytime soon. However, I might use it for cooking in a kerosene stove.

Nevertheless, I thought I'd ask about other experiences with old kerosene. Come to think of it, diesel fuel is quite similar to kerosene in many respects, so any experiences you have with old diesel might apply here as well.

 

[zrxkawboy]

I would give it a try.

 

[bunnspecial]

I'd use it and not worry about it unless it gave some obvious issues.

K-1 White kerosene honestly doesn't have a lot in it that can go bad. It's nowhere near as volatile as gasoline, so you don't have to worry(as much) about it evaporating. Good kerosene is almost nothing but alkanes, which are about as close to chemically inert as you could ask for. There's nothing in it that could oxidize with exposure to air or have other issues like gasoline.

 

[Kira]

Just to broaden your info base, you might ask members of an "Old Tractor Club".
I believe there are some machines which burned the stuff.
However, I seriously doubt anyone who has spent hours or years restoring old machines has ever experimented with ancient fuel.

How many, "Gee, I don't know..." answers you sit through must be weighed against the price of replacing ~3 gallons of kero.

We had kero (in designated blue kero jugs) develop blooms of black fuzzy garbage in way less than 10 years.

 

[Cujet]

Kerosene can vary with lifespan. Jet fuel is in essence, kerosene and lasts nearly forever. Some of the store bought products are of lesser quality and/or adulterated somehow. These store bought products can turn brown and create varnish on the interior of lantern tanks, etc.

Kero from a pump will also probably last quite a long time. Take a look at it, if it is dark brown, it is going bad and will create varnish. If it is still reasonably clear, it will work just fine.

 

[Warstud]

If you decide to use it ...... I would at least mix it 4:1 .

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Smell it. Stale kero or diesel fuel has a distinct odor, just as gasoline/petrol has its own funny odor when stale. If it still smells like normal kero, then it's probably good.

Kerosene will get stale in above-ground tanks at gas stations that don't sell a lot of it. The above-ground tanks behind the pump are exposed to the sun and temperature extremes, which affects the product. Then pumping fresh kero into that tank ruins the fresh when it mixes with the stale. Stations with underground tanks are better choices.

Stale kero will clog a heater wick with waxy buildup beyond reasonable rejuvenation with just a short time in use. You will have to replace the wick. Yes, I have direct experience with this happening. It's more or less the same process as diesel fuel forming wax in the cold.

 

[Al]

If it is the heater with a wick that has (I believe a catalyst) it will destroy it otherwise I would give it a try.

 

[Kira]

Unvented heaters (Toyostove, Kerasun etc.) live atop the taboo pyramid for reasons related to monoxide poisoning.

We had 'em and I never heard any explanation which substantiated the claim to be "catalytic" (somehow harmless?).

I think it was all bov-ex. An open flame in your house is an open flame in your house.

 

[CDX825]

Good quality Kerosene should keep for a long long time.

 

[wpod]

Get a burn pile started and put it in a pump sprayer and use the Kero to start the burn pile.

 

[ctrcbob]

When I go or rid of my Kerosene heater, I gave five gallons to a friend with a diesel pick up truck. Worked fine.

 

[wolverine86]

Thanks for the replies!

I haven't smelled it yet but will do so. It has been in the garage for virtually all the time, well sealed, exposed to temps ranging from 30 deg F (the garage usually stays at least 20 deg F above the outside temp during cold weather below, say, 40 deg) and maybe 95 deg F tops in the summer (and that's basically about 3 months of the year). Ambient temps around here vary from lows of 10 F up to highs of just under 100 F most years. This kerosene was purchased from a gas station with an underground kerosene fuel tank, so I don't think prior exposure to the elements was an issue. I think it was bought from Texaco, so a fairly reputable fuel brand. I don't think anything was added to the kerosene other than the red dye, and the PRI-D I added to it just after getting it.

If any of you have used PRI-D to preserve diesel for a long period of time (~10 years or so) and successfully ran it in your diesel vehicle, that might also be a good data point as to whether or not it would do the same for kerosene.

 

[billt460]

I have 10+ year old store bought Kerosene, (1 gallon can), that is fine. If it is still clear, and still smells like Kerosene, you shouldn't have any issues with it.

 

[JHZR2]

If it’s clear I’d run it. See how it burns. If something is off, a tiny bit of alcohol or something else may help.

 

[97K15004WD]

If it’s clear I’d run it. See how it burns. If something is off, a tiny bit of alcohol or something else may help.

What kind of alcohol?