red diesel

[Craftypig]

Are red diesel and fuel oil the same thing?

[MarkRae]

No:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_dyes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_oil

[Andyvon]

I don't think so Crafty.

Red diesel is priced without VAT and can only be purchased by certain VAT-exempt businesses such as farms (for tractors, combines etc). Other forms of fuel oil such as road diesel have to include VAT in their pricing. It's a serious offence to use red diesel in place of VATable oil as it's defrauding Customs and Excise. I believe they or the police can confiscate whatever vehicle or machine they find using red diesel illegally.

[Craftypig]

We have a generator at work that runs on red deisel, I rang a garage that I had been told sells red diesel, when I got to the garage I asked which pump it was and she told me. But the actual pump said fuel oil. I filled the generator up without a second thought. But about 20 mins ago I woke up panicking thinking that it wasn't right.

[SeaJayPea]

Won't be a problem. You'd have been committing an offence if you were putting it in a road vehicle, but a generator will be OK.

[AlBags]

Old fuel oil engines will run on just about any oil.
Red diesel is just stained red for easy identification and prosecution evidence by C&E.
Even helicopters will run on diesel (predominately, they use lubricated paraffin ... Aviation Kerosene)

[DTCwordfan]

its actually kerosine that has been dehydrated and then some additonal protection additives put in.....most planes run on it. When off spec, it gest downgraded to the kero heating oil market, or back into the diesel market (though kerosine is really just a light-end diesel).

Marine (and rail) diesels tend to be a little heavier than normal heating oil or vehicle diesel. Fuel oil is something else all together and normally require a boiler fired on diesel to be hot before they are fed in for combustion.

[sddsddean]

Red diesel is quite often sold as 'Gas Oil', which might be where your confusion is coming from.

[Craftypig]

Looks like its ok, the generator is currently running the lighting rig in Rochdale, where X Factor rejects "the risk" are turning on the Christmas lights. Thanks for the advice and help everyone.