Biodiesel for Home Heating

Vermont-produced Liquid Biodiesel

B100 (100% Biodiesel) can be a replacement for regular No. 2 heating oil as long as certain conditions are met and some simple steps are taken.

Your fuel tank needs to be in a space that stays above 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower boundary temperature for B100 biodiesel is 40-42 degrees, below which it will start to congeal.
Start with a blend - B100 biodiesel is cleaner than No. 2 fuel oil and will act as a solvent that removes some of the fuel oil sludge from your old fuel tank, One recommendation is to run 800 - 1,000 gallons of a B20 blend (20% biodiesel, 80% No. 2 fuel oil) through your system first before switching to B100, so as to avoid clogging your filters, which would likely occur with an immediate transition from No. 2 fuel oil to B100. Note: if you have a new fuel tank, you can start running on B100 right away, following the suggestions below. Note: If you don't mind changing your filters frequently as that sludge gets loosened, you could make a faster transition to B100.
You will want to make sure that the line from your tank to your furnace/boiler is coated.
Once you are running on B100, your burner nozzle should be adjusted to achieve ideal air flow for combustion (there is a difference between the BTU content of B100 (118,000 - 123,000 BTU/ gallon) and #2 Fuel Oil (138,000 BTU/ gallon).
Once you are running on B100, there is a fuel pump that is made specifically for B100 (a rotary-style Webster pump) that costs around $110-$115.

Interested in conversion? The following installers are willing to help.

Adam Woogmaster (adamwoog@gmail.com and 802 272 2769)

Bill Chidsey (billsgreenhouse@gmail.com and 802 673 8227)

If you are interested in having B100 delivered to your home for heating, you can contact Jim Malloy from Black Bear Biodiesel at malloybiodiesel@gmail.com and 802 999 2380.

To learn more, visit the Black Bear website: http://www.blackbearbiodiesel.com/index.php