BioHeat FAQ’s

There’s a lot of talk lately about BioHeat.

High quality heating oil is important to us, in fact we’ve been delivering our Customers Ultra2 Premium Heating Oil since 2004. We have researched BioHeat extensively. We want to share with you how this modern heating oil will benefit our customers.

BioFuelPictTightQuestion #1, What is BioHeat?

BioHeat is heating oil blended with pure BioDiesel, a clean burning alternative fuel produced from organic vegetable oils and animal fats. In concentrations of 5% BioDiesel or less, BioHeat meets and exceeds the legal specifications for #2 heating oil and can be used in home heating oil systems with no modifications to the fuel tanks, pumps, or burners. All heating system manufacturers fully warranty equipment for BioHeat with up to 5% BioDiesel.

#2, How can BioHeat help our economy?

Every gallon of BioHeat lessens our dependence on imported foreign oil. The BioDiesel in BioHeat is grown by our nation’s farmers or produced from recycled organic oils. Keeping our energy dollars here in the US is a big advantage to our economy. When we are forced to buy imported oil, the money we spend can end up in unfriendly nations who are unlikely to purchase American goods in return

#3, How can BioHeat help the environment?

Oilheat is already an environmentally-friendly and efficient way to heat your home and hot water. Today’s modern oilheat burns 95% cleaner than it did in 1970. Since it burns so cleanly, it comes well within the air pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. BioFuel will further reduce the already nearzero emissions. The oil heat industry has made huge advances in technology.
Energy used to produce electricity, power our cars, and heat and cool our homes and businesses is slowly altering the earth’s environmental balance. No matter what your position may be on the extent of global warming or acid rain, reducing the green house gases produced by burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal or oil needs to be taken seriously. That’s where BioFuel comes in.
Tests have proven that using a blend of BioFuel with heating oil in a standard oil burner results in a substantial reduction in unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. This helps reduce greenhouse gases which are a main cause of global warming. In addition BioFuel’s exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) are essentially eliminated.

#4, Will BioHeat work in my Heating system?

Yes it will, without any change or adjustment. One of the reasons BioHeat is the best choice for improving heating oil is that it requires no modification to existing oil heating equipment. In fact, blends of up to 5%, which is the maximum blend Chair City Oil will deliver, legally meets the ASTM D396 specification for #2 heating oil sold in Massachusetts. Bioheat is a superior lubricant which will help protect your piping, valves, fuel pump and burner. Heating equipment manufacturers have performed extensive testing of BioHeat and will stand behind their warranties 100% for the maximum 5% blend Chair City Oil delivers.

All known oil storage tanks are compatible with BioHeat. There is no reason to prepare for your first delivery of BioHeat, it will evenly blend with any existing oil in your tank. BioHeat is a natural cleaner. Over time, by using BioHeat, your fuel system will slowly clean itself.

BioHeat burns cleaner in your burner. Chair City Oil has been treating all our oil with ULTRA2 premium heating oil additive for years. ULTRA2 stabilizes heating oil allowing it to burn cleaner, more completely allowing it to run more efficient for longer periods. The addition of BioHeat will improve our premium heating oil even more, providing you the cleanest, most efficient heating oil available. More efficient, cleaner burning oil will reduce your oil consumption, but that’s not the only benefit. Fuel related service calls are reduced and emissions harmful to our environment are substantially eliminated.

#5, Will using BioHeat make food prices rise?

This is a common question. The answer is no. Food prices will not increase as bioheat blending with heating oil increases annually. Here’s why;

In 2007 the United States Dept of Agricultural reported 406 million acres of available cropland. During 2007 only 309 million acres were planted. There are almost 100 million acres of unused cropland in the United states looking for a crop with a steady demand.

If nothing was done to mandate BioFuels be used, they will only be used when petroleum prices are high. We saw this last year, when crude oil prices rose over $140 per barrel and gasoline and heating oil prices peaked over $4 per gallon. There was a rush to blend BioFuels like ethanol and plant oils because it made economic sense. The farm industry was unprepared for this ‘new’ demand and the shortage it created did impact food prices.

Thankfully, Government mandates of minimum blending standards for BioFuels have created this steady demand. Farmers are already stepping up BioFuel production on unused cropland. There will be no shortages. In fact BioFuel grown by our Nation’s farmers will likely hold both food and energy prices down in the future.

#6, Can we produce enough BioFuel to make a difference?

Using BioFuels has allowed American consumers to keep billions of dollars here in the US by reducing our dependence on foriegn oil. This is great for our economy and the security of the United States.
Blending BioFuels with Heating oil and diesel fuel is already making a big dent in demand for crude oil. Last year the United States produced 660 Million gallons and saved over $1.5 billion dollars on foriegn oil imports. Ethonal, another biological fuel grown in US and blended with gasoline, reduced our dependance on foreign oil even more. In 2008 we produced 10.5 billion gallons of ethanol which saved over $20 billion dollars of foreign oil.

As the BioFuel industry matures, new technologies and better plant sources are being developed.
The best way to keep prices in check are to maintain a safe balance between the production and demand for BioFuels. America needs to include this valuable resource in our nations energy policy. Already, technology has vastly improved the yields of traditional BioFuel production. Even more promising is the current move away from food grade plants like corn and soy beans, to high oil yield crops like Jatropha, Camelina, and algae.

Yes we can produce enough BioFuel and do it responsibly.
BioFuel production has increased rapidly and is poised to continue growing. By including BioFuels as part of our national energy policy we will all benefit economically and cut our dependence on imported foreign oil.