GREEN
FOCUS
Using
Biodiesel to Heat Your Home Can Make You Feel Good
By Alisa
Kane 
As the
weather turns chilly, turning on the heat in your home becomes a ritual
of necessity. However, as recent natural disasters and the instability
in oil exporting countries remind us, finding an alternative to heating
with petroleum fuel is as important as ever. Although taking steps
to conserve oil by keeping the thermostat below 68 degrees and adding
insulation to your house can lower the use of this finite natural
resource, there is another option that is both affordable and available
immediately… biodiesel.
Biodiesel
is a readily renewable, non-petroleum product made by mixing vegetable
oils, such as soybean or canola oil, with alcohol and a catalyst,
usually sodium or potassium hydroxide. The result of this process
is biodiesel, and glycerin, a common ingredient found in soap. Biodiesel
can be used in any compression-ignition engines where regular diesel
fuel is used, including oil-burning furnaces. To take advantage of
biodiesel’s ability to be produced domestically and its inherently
lower levels of pollution, biodiesel is often blended with regular
fuel. Commonly, manufacturers and distributors refer to this ratio
with the letter “B” (for biodiesel) and a figure that indicates
the percentage biodiesel present in the blend. For example, B20 indicates
a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% regular petroleum diesel.
If you
are currently using oil to heat your house, you can use B20 without
making any adjustments to your tank or furnace. Any blend higher than
B20, such as B50 or B100, requires the use of a temperature-controlled
above-ground tank to keep the fuel from gelling in colder weather.
In addition, using higher percentages of biodiesel may cause the rubber
hoses and nozzles on the furnace to deteriorate, eventually warranting
replacement. According to Steve Corah, Albina Fuel’s Biodiesel
Specialist, you can “add B20 right on top of the regular fuel
currently in your tank and begin using biodiesel right away.”
Although
none of Albina Fuel’s customers have experienced any problems
using B20 in their furnaces, Corah recommends that a reputable technician
inspect your furnace after a month or two of using biodiesel “just
to make sure that biodiesel’s solvency hasn’t loosened up
any particles that would clog the air filter.”
The only
potential downside to using biodiesel to heat your home is the cost
which is currently 25 cents to 35 cents more per gallon than the price
of regular fuel. However, you can offset biodiesel’s premium
by using coupons found in natural lifestyle periodicals or keeping
an eye out for advertised specials on fuel distributor’s websites.
Also, if you’re not afraid of a little science and hard work,
you can learn how to safely make biodiesel by taking a class with
Oregon Biodiesel Workshop or by joining Portland’s GoBiodiesel
Cooperative. Whether you make it yourself or purchase it locally,
using biodiesel to heat your home is a simple step to make staying
warm feel good.
Alisa
Kane is a freelance writer and consultant specializing in sustainable
living and green building. You can reach her through www.greenwaysplanning.com.
For
more information on biodiesel, visit these websites:
www.albina.com,
www.gobiodiesel.org, www.oregonbiodieselworkshop.com,
www.biodiesel.org
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