Price of paraffin - strewth!

Poignard

Poignard

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Just went into my friendly neighbourhood hardware shop to buy some paraffin for my Taylors heater.

£10 for 4 litres! :eek:

I made an excuse and left. I hope it's a lot cheaper in B&Q. Otherwise I will have to buy another sweater.:(
 
The stuff from B&Q is, or should be, to a more refined standard than that from the central heating tank.
The latter is not really recommended for heaters without flues; ie, those that vent into a living space, nor for lamps, 'cos it's smokier, and possibly smellier.
 
There may well be a place that has paraffn in a bulk tank near you. If you find one all you need to do is take down a plastic 5l or 25l can and get it filled. Much, much cheaper.
 
Our local garage sells it, but haven't needed any for anges so don't know current price. For the lamps, I buy lamp oil, about 1'50/ltr I think, but we use so little it doesn't matter. 500ml pa won't bankrupt me.
 
Searush said:
Our local garage sells it, but haven't needed any for anges so don't know current price. For the lamps, I buy lamp oil, about 1'50/ltr I think, but we use so little it doesn't matter. 500ml pa won't bankrupt me.
Click to expand...

We used to have an old-fashioned hardware shop about 20 years ago and it sold loose paraffin pumped from a tank. The weights and measures inspector called on the proprietor and checked his pump but because it was not accurate he had to stop using it until he got it reset, which he could not afford to do. So he stopped selling it.

The problem with the pump? It was delivering too much. :mad:
 
Zen Zero said:
Isn't paraffin, diesel and heating oil the same stuff?
Click to expand...

No.

'Gas Oil' is sometimes used as heating oil, and is also sold for use as duty free (red) diesel fuel (but isn't the same as road diesel dyed red).

Commonly, heating oil is kerosene.

Kerosene is not the same as paraffin. It will stink to high heaven and make soot if you use it in a paraffin stove.

Surprised nobody pointed this out earlier...

Andy
 
misterg said:
Kerosene is not the same as paraffin. It will stink to high heaven and make soot if you use it in a paraffin stove.
Click to expand...

I'm no chemist but I do know that in most countries the name for paraffin is "kerosene". The UK is one of the few that uses the word "paraffin". I have some aboard and it smells and burns precisely like paraffin.

Isn't this the nub of it (from Wiki):
"In the United Kingdom there are two grades of heating oil...Premium Kerosene (more commonly known in the UK as Paraffin) BS2869 Class C1, the lightest grade which is usually used for lanterns, wick heaters, and combustion engines; and Standard Kerosene to BS2869 Class C2, a heavier distillate, which is used as domestic heating oil."
 
Our local garage sells it too @ 70p a litre, or it was last year when I got 2Gal for the Wallas. Yes, it's priced in litres and you get it in gallons, it's a very old pump.
4 Litre empties from B&Q are useless 'coz you get a gallon from each measure. He usually has a few gallons pre filled but it's good to take the empties back for re-use.

I have used odourless kerosene in oil lamps without problems but I think that's closer to paraffin than the heating oil stuff.
 
parsifal said:
Just went into my friendly neighbourhood hardware shop to buy some paraffin for my Taylors heater.

£10 for 4 litres! :eek:

I made an excuse and left. I hope it's a lot cheaper in B&Q. Otherwise I will have to buy another sweater.:(
Click to expand...

BLF Oils supply the London and south of England with fuels and paraffin in bulk.

That should keep you going for a year or two - or three or ..........
 
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