What Is “Gelling”?

Posted: December 5, 2017

Outdoor heating oil tank

If you live in a cold climate like ours here in Maine and have an outdoor heating oil tank, using normal #2 heating oil can cause a number of problems.

That’s because when heating oil drops to a certain temperature, it begins to solidify — similar to water turning to ice. But when heating oil freezes, it doesn’t assume a solid state like ice – it simply becomes thicker, creating a kind of sludge. This thickening is commonly called gelling (sometimes called waxing).

Gelling can affect your system in several different areas, including your:

Our kerosene blend: A cold weather solution

Our kerosene heating oil blend – a 50/50 mixture of #2 heating oil and kerosene – is a heating oil variant with a lower gel point than #2 oil. Economical, efficient, and cold-resistant, our blended oil will keep the heat coming through the long, cold Maine winter.

As our service area’s most reliable blended fuel supplier, Murray Heutz is the go-to source for cold weather, outdoor fuel solutions.

Need heating oil / kerosene blend for your outdoor tank or mobile home? Murray Heutz delivers. Contact us today to learn more.