I was under the impression is was clear and red. But today I took delivery of 150 gallons of #2 heating oil, and because I had let the tank run empty, I had to bleed the fuel line to start the furnace. The heating oil that came out was a murky, dark brown like used motor oil, with a slight red tint. I am wondering if my supplier is adulterating heating oil with waste oil, or #4 or #6 residential oil, but charging me for #2 heating oil? If I hadn’t bled my lines, I would never know what they delivered, since the tank and lines are opaque, you never actually see what you are getting.
Should I be suspicious? To whom would I report my suspicions? Or does the appearance of #2 heating oil vary widely, from clear red to murky brown?
It it’s not too much trouble, try taking a sample from a top port on the tank. It’s possible that after years of service your tank has sludge in the bottom that may have been stirred up by an empty fill.
You’re bleeding it to get the sludge out of the line. You should let it bleed until it’s clear and red, otherwise the sludge is clogging up your nozzle.
Actually, I was bleeding it to get the air out of the line. As it had just been filled with 150 gallons of new fuel, whatever sludge is in the tank is going to be evenly distributed throughout the contents, so I wouldn’t expect any clear red fuel.
The sludgiest part stays at the bottom, or has already been sucked into the line before it went empty. If you let it go for a while it will get clear and red again. There may be some sludge distributed, and if you can, you should wait for it to settle. But you’re taking an efficiency hit when you let that sludge run through the nozzle. There’s probably a nozzle insert that’s easy to replace, but you may need a special tool for it.