Can You Use an Oil Boiler to Make Steam?

Boilers

• Basic boiler design is virtually unchanged since the 1st century A.D. when Hero of Alexandria described boiler mechanics. Boilers are containers that heat water and produce steam energy. A fuel source supplies burners, which are contained in heating elements that sit underneath boilers. In steam boilers, heated water produces steam, which generates energy. In early boilers, such as those that powered locomotives, coal was the fuel source. Although coal is still used to fire boilers, more fuel sources are available today, including renewable and recyclable options.

Fuels

• Boilers use fuels such as propane, natural gas, biodiesel, solar and oil. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil is most commonly used as a fuel source for regions at the end of the natural gas pipeline. In the Northeast, natural gas is not easily accessible and more expensive. For this U.S. region, oil is the fuel of choice for home hydronic systems. As biodiesel technology and supplies increase, more companies are offering a blend of oil and biodiesel fuel. This option reduces pollution as well as foreign oil dependency.

Oil

• The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classifies fuel oil into six grades. Lower grades, such as Grades 1 and 2, are thinner, less viscous and more expensive, according to the State of Oregon website. Higher grades are less expensive, but thicker. Because of their thickness, they require preheating in the tank, and sometimes preheating at the burner, to thin them and make them easier to pump. This additional process results in additional energy costs, so even though the higher-grade oil is cheaper, total boiler operating costs may be higher.

Waste Oil

• Some steam boilers use waste oil for fuel. Waste oil sources include leftover restaurant cooking oils, oil from industrial plants and used motor oil from automobile service stations and lubrication shops. Businesses pay recycling contractors to pick up and dispose of their byproduct waste oils. These contractors filter the waste oils for use as resalable waste-oil fuels. Installing a waste oil boiler may qualify for tax credits as an EPA-approved recycling system.