HVO for an oil burning stove?

[primmiemoo]

Hello all.
I'm pondering alternatives to present use of heating oil/kerosene for the kitchen stove which runs both cooking, and heating. Its fuel consumption is down, but I want to reduce/stop fossil fuel use.
I've read a little about HVO, but it seems that information that comes up is is geared to selling product more than helping inform choices.

Has anyone had experience of using it in a domestic context, and able to point out pros and cons, please?

 

[Exfarmer]

Not sure of your stove, but many seem very susceptible to poor quality fuel and I suspect it may give you issues, justwhat you need when cooking a turkey on Christmas day

 

[primmiemoo]

Is it a fuel that would need additives, then? It is marketed as a substitute for diesel, so I would have thought quality would be ok.

 

[TripleSix]

Your problem will be that it's a diesel replacement, so you may struggle with an appliance that is designed for kero without some adjustments

 

[primmiemoo]

Your problem will be that it's a diesel replacement, so you may struggle with an appliance that is designed for kero without some adjustments

That's the sort of thing I need to know, thanks.

It isn't a good design, or that good as a machine for cooking with, but needs to carry on for a few years yet - or I'd cheerfully get rid of it.
Just want to reduce its impact in the time being.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I keep hearing that gas ranges (Aga etc) are better/more reliable than oil ones. I've wondered whether it would be feasible to build a micro AD unit on a farm to fuel one.

 

[primmiemoo]

There are domestic AD plants in Germany, I think. Personally, I'd be worried about safety, but that says more about me than the engineering.

Old, gravity fed oil burners were reliable, ime, but the techie ones that won't work in a power cut are too finicky.

 

[f0ster]

the older aga cookers that were converted from coal to oil used a wick burner, they can burn kerosene and gas oil so hvo should not be a problem.

 

[Exfarmer]

the older aga cookers that were converted from coal to oil used a wick burner, they can burn kerosene and gas oil so hvo should not be a problem.

I would strongly guess , that you have never owned an oil fired AGA. One of the most finicky beasts you will ever try and control, but never fully succeed. one thing for certain put diesel in one of those and you will get to know the engineer very well indeed.
Most oil suppliers have a special grade of Parraffin reserved for running advanced fighter jets and Agas

 

[f0ster]

I have converted a few to wick burner, they use a 6" don burner with a float chamber on the side, I was brought up with one converted to oil. they are only finicky if you do not know what you are doing.
the height of the float chamber gives you your fuel level and the needle setting gives you the flow rate. they can be switched to low flo if required.

 

[primmiemoo]

It's surprising how much online paper chasing it takes to find a few facts about something that's marketed as a renewabe. HVO contains palm oil.

Back to square one until there's enough put by for an electric range, and the renewable + battery system to power it. [Gallic shrug emoji]

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

There are wood pellet cookers available, don't look at the price till your sitting down

 

[primmiemoo]

There are wood pellet cookers available, don't look at the price till your sitting down

Maybe I'll go for the retro approach of a cooking pot suspended over a fire made of turves! ?

 

[New Puritan]

It's surprising how much online paper chasing it takes to find a few facts about something that's marketed as a renewable. HVO contains palm oil.

A lot of it does contain palm oil - due to the main global manufacturer having a lot of interests in the Far East. It is also possible to make it from tallow or coconut oil, or from various waste oils. It does favour gloopier stuff though. The history of HVO manufacture is heavily intertwined with palm oil, and the process is influenced by the existing knowledge, but that doesn't mean there isn't interest in finding alternatives. I think currently your issue would be finding someone in the UK to supply it in small volumes - not much comes here at the moment and when it does it tends to be blended into diesel at the terminal. There's a rail freight company and a ferry company who have trialled it in higher blends, but they would have bought in bulk.

@holwellcourtfarm - http://www.methanogen.co.uk/ make small scale AD plants. An issue with small AD plants is finding a use for low pressure gas, but running an Aga type stove could be a solution.