# Kerosene disposal dilemma. Does anybody use this stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450 "2002-05-16T21:41:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ejrn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/1 "2002-05-16T21:41:47Z")
A friend of mine keeps a houseboat in a Manhattan marina. New rules at the marina have banned kerosene heaters and he has 15 gallons of the stuff that have to go…somewhere. Being a conscientious citizen, he has has called the Sanitation Department, the EPA, the FDNY, and a few gas stations to find out how to dispose of it. Everyone has been pleasant and helpful but nobody has answered his question. He is stuck in the referral loop from hell - Sanitation says call EPA, EPA says call the fire department, the fire department says call the sanitation department. So I turn to you. Does anybody here know how to dispose of kerosene? Or (perhaps even better), do you know of any businesses that use it and might accept a donation of 15 gallons. Or, do you live in the New York area and need some kerosene? Any help would be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/2 "2002-05-16T21:58:25Z")
Don’t most Zippo lighters run on kerosene? I think I may see a market niche for your friend there… ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/3 "2002-05-16T22:02:25Z")
Do a search for an aviation maintenance school in your area. They would probably be happy to use that fuel for one of their turbine engines. If someone gave our school some kerosene, we would turn it into smoke and noise REAL quick! ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/4 "2002-05-16T22:19:17Z")
Do a search for an aviation maintenance school in your area. They would probably be happy to use that fuel for one of their turbine engines. If someone gave our school some kerosene, we would turn it into smoke and noise REAL quick! ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/5 "2002-05-17T00:13:10Z")
Why doesn’t he just turn his heaters on for a few hours and burn the kerosene up? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/6 "2002-05-17T00:27:28Z")
I thought kerosene was essentially the same as #2 deisel or #2 fuel oil or #2 coal oil (Damn, where’s Anthracite). Anyway I bet you can run it in a deisel powered vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/7 "2002-05-17T00:34:51Z")
Yup. It will work fine in a Diesel, somebody is getting a full tank for free I’m thinking. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/8 "2002-05-17T00:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sofa King \* > \*\*Don’t most Zippo lighters run on kerosene? I think I may see a market niche for your friend there… \*\* Nope…Naptha. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/9 "2002-05-17T00:42:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Barking Spider \* > \*\*Why doesn’t he just turn his heaters on for a few hours and burn the kerosene up? \*\* Because it’s nicer to give away what you can’t use instead of squandering it. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/10 "2002-05-17T01:25:04Z")
Don’t make a habit of burning kerosene in a diesel though. Aside from being frowned upon (you don’t pay a road tax for kerosene), it lacks some of the lubrication that diesel provides. How about giving it to another boat owner? Quite a few of those guys run diesels, and the kerosene will be diluted in a (probable) 100+ gallon tank. Plus he wouldn’t feel guilty about depriving Uncle Sam of his hard earned road taxes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/11 "2002-05-17T04:26:38Z")
Disposal of dense energy liquid fuels is a frequent problem. A long time ago, **sailor** and I got into it with **Chas. E** over simple burning versus other means of disposal. But in that case, the quantity was far less. Fifteen gallons is a significant portion. While you could run it in a diesel vehicle, I’m not certain I would put kerosene of questionable quality and age into any vehicle I cared about. Farmers often have a use for it. I wonder if it could be advertised in the “farm equipment” portion of the want ads? ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/12 "2002-05-17T04:33:43Z")
Arson? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/13 "2002-05-17T04:45:50Z")
**bdgr** : Using for illegal activities is sure to be noticed by the police. Starting fires with fifteen gallons of kerosene is going to bring down significant wrath upon yo’ punk head, foo’. 🙂 Anyway, this is more of a problem than I would have thought. Who knew kerosene would be something you would _pay_ people to take off your hands? It’s fuel, ferchrissakes. I’m sure someone could use it. I second **Anthracite** : If anyone could find a use for it, it would be farmers. (As a note, kerosene is a solvent. Painters might be able to find use for it.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/14 "2002-05-17T04:46:55Z")
Using **the kerosene that I can spell but cannot add to a simple freaking sentence** for illegal activities is sure to be noticed by the police. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/15 "2002-05-17T05:53:07Z")
If you know anyone who has an oil-fired heating system and can get this stuff in thier tank (through a filter would be a good idea), your problem should be solved. I’d love to have it, but that’s a long way to go for 15 gallons. Wanna mail it to me? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/16 "2002-05-17T05:58:46Z")
I’m not sure this is veru useful to you, but kerosene is THE stuff for cleaning motorcycle chains with sealed O-rings. ---
**Author:** ![Omnivore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47774/32.png) [@Omnivore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnivore)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/17 "2002-05-19T17:35:46Z")
Just a side question here, but _what_ can he use for heaters now? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerosene-disposal-dilemma-does-anybody-use-this-stuff/109450/18 "2002-05-19T22:09:41Z")
The large, tubular “salamander” type heaters that construction sites use usually burn kerosene. I’'m pretty sure that witha call or two you could find a general contractor to take it off your hands or a rental equipment company that leases them out to contractors would also be glad to get it.