Heating oil, in general terms, is a low-viscosity petroleum product that works very well for certain applications. Even though the oil is often thought of as something used in primarily residential settings, heating oil can also be a very useful fuel in industrial settings just the same. Take a look at some of the ways heating oil can be used in industrial settings.  

Heating oil may actually be used to power some vehicles. 

Heating oil is actually the same thing as diesel, but it is dyed red to differentiate it from diesel. Therefore, the oil can still be used to power some types of industrial vehicles that operate with diesel engines. Many industrial facilities rely on this type of petroleum-based oil to power their larger equipment pieces. There can be a few reasons behind this, but one of the primary examples would be if there was easier access to a heating oil supplier in a remote location than a traditional diesel supplier.  

Heating oil can naturally be used to heat the building. 

In industrial operations, the facility can be rather large, and, therefore, rely on a very large heating system, like a boiler system. A boiler system is perfectly and efficiently fueled by heating oil, so heating oil is a natural fuel option for heating purposes in these facilities. It is not at all uncommon for some facilities to have multiple boiler units in operation to provide heat to the building as well as hot water and possibly steam for certain industrial purposes or applications. For instance, some types of heavy machinery processes rely on steam to perform functions, such as cleaning stone before it is aggregated. 

Heating oil may be used to power some machinery. 

Some of the machinery inside of an industrial operation may be powered with heating oil as well. For example, if there is a large cone crusher in use, this type of equipment most often has an engine to power it instead of relying on electricity. Generators are also a good example of a type of machinery that can be powered with an engine. Pretty much any type of machine that has a diesel motor attached to power it can be powered with heating oil. 

Overall, heating oil is a major advantage for an industrial operation. Reach out to a heating oil service to find out more about how this fuel could serve your business.