Kerosene Aging Test

Discussion in 'Stove Forum' started by David, Sep 4, 2023.

  1. David

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    I've just drained the tank of the Primus 535 in preparation for more use. This fuel is about 15 years old and has changed colour completely, it used to be blue. I've decided to drain tanks after use

    rsz_img_20230904_121408.jpg
     
  2. Scrambler

    Scrambler Australia Subscriber

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    @David , the real test is "how does it burn?" The military retune their diesels to run fuel that is essentially kero because it keeps pretty much forever.

    If the dye ages and the fuel does not, where is the worry?

    Perhaps try it in a hurricane lantern or wick stove if you have concerns.
     
  3. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    I’ll bet it will burn just fine.

    Wouldn’t hesitate to try it.
     
  4. David

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    I'm getting back in to my stoves now lads, I must rotate them and get them all fettled for use. I've got a great local industrial supplier of fuels for kero, fuelite, and meths
     
  5. nmp

    nmp SotM Winner Subscriber

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    My paraffin starts out golden colour and if I leave it in stoves it goes blue, I assumed it was leaching copper out of the brass founts? it also developed crystals or a sedimen, is that due to water being absorbed?
     
  6. David

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    Very interesting, it's the reverse for me
     
  7. nmp

    nmp SotM Winner Subscriber

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    @David
    Different brands of paraffin ?
    Don’t forget yours is upside down!
     
  8. David

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    It was a greenish blue and now it's turned amber. Very true about the upside down, and water goes round the plug hole differently too!
     
  9. aomb30

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    My own experiment: I have had no issues burning Kerosene that I got 20 years ago.
     
  10. threedots

    threedots New Zealand Subscriber

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    Hello @David . Looks like my piss bottle next to my bed. :lol:
     
  11. David

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    And they want me to burn it!
     
  12. David

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    I'm sure it would burn. The cap hissed when I undid it, so hardly anything would evaporated off
     
  13. Scrambler

    Scrambler Australia Subscriber

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    Perhaps not THAT type of aging.

    I want you to send it to @nmp until the colour sorts itself out again.

    Then you can burn it.
     
  14. IvanN

    IvanN United States Subscriber

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    @nmp @David you guys should just swap fuel and you’ll be back where you started
    :thumbup::thumbup:
     
  15. Sedgman

    Sedgman Subscriber

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    I have no problem using old kero and I drain most, but not all tanks.

    However, if I am reusing previously drained kero I filter it carefully. Tanks that are drained often have other small particles that drop into the recycled kero bottle.
     
  16. David

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    Good idea. How do you filter yours?
     
  17. Sedgman

    Sedgman Subscriber

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    I use 4 litre kerosene bottles and pour that fuel into a 20 litre tin. Then I use the old bottle to store old drained kero. Since it gets mixed up and has some flakes of rubbish in it, I let it settle for a few days. Then when I use it in pressure appliances I use a standard funnel with a fine gauze filter but only pour the top and by now fairly clear kero into the appliance and stop once the darker and sediment laden stuff starts flowing. Then let it settle again and every so often disgard the dregs onto wood for home heating.
     
  18. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

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    I filter any transfer of fuel with a Coleman filter funnel.