Home heating options used to be limited. The home you bought most likely used either oil or gas, unless you were unlucky enough to have an electricity-powered heating system, and that was it. You stayed with whatever you had.
Today, a broader array of options are available from ductless heating to high-efficiency furnaces. Even alternatives to oil and gas exist, like Bioheat®.
So, what is Bioheat®? A blend of biodiesel and heating oil that is ultra-clean, more energy-efficient and more environmentally friendly. Biodiesel is made from renewable plant-based oils like canola, palm, soybean, and refined vegetable oil rather than purely petroleum-based fuel so it’s more environmentally friendly. The plant-based portion of Bioheat® uses materials grown domestically so it provides our nation’s farmers another market source for their crops.

Is it Easy to Switch to Bioheat®?

If you’ve been using conventional heating oil you can switch to Bioheat® without any changes to your heating system because biodiesel and Bioheat® can be blended with any type of heating oil including #2, which is commonly used for residential furnaces, and #6, which is commonly used for industrial boilers as well as ultra-low sulfur heating oil. Put simply, that means you can add Bioheat® to your fuel tank regardless of how much conventional heating oil is already there – no need to drain the tank when you switch.

How is Bioheat® Made?

Bioheat® is made by blending traditional heating oil or low sulfur diesel with renewable, ultra-low carbon plant-based oils.
While some of the oils used are best known for their kitchen use, the plant-based portion of Bioheat® is made from plant byproducts and waste so it doesn’t interfere with food production. Everything that usually ends up on your dinner table still does with Bioheat® production. In fact, in the Pacific Northwest, it’s very common for Bioheat® to be made with recycled and purified commercial kitchen cooking grease instead of sending that to a landfill.
Even though soybean, canola, and palm oils are very commonly used, Bioheat® has been made using a variety of plants and byproducts from plants such as:

How Does Bioheat® Work?

Bioheat® works just like any conventional heating oil, but it’s more environmentally friendly. In addition to using renewable, plant-based oil, it’s naturally low carbon. It’s non-toxic and biodegradable. Even better, carbon monoxide, smoke, sulfur, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter are all reduced when Bioheat® is burned, though the amount of the reduction varies by the formula.
Bioheat® isn’t new. It’s been used safely in Europe for more than 20 years and has been growing in adoption in the United States in recent years. Homes in Pennsylvania have been using Bioheat® since 2005. Harvard University has also been using Bioheat® for some time as part of its Green Campus Initiative.

What Is Bioheat® Used For?

Bioheat® can be used in any conventional, oil-burning furnace, boiler or heating system that normally uses regular home heating oil or diesel. In 2017, New York state even passed a law providing tax credits for those who use biodiesel or Bioheat®.

Tragar of Long Island Can Help You Switch to Bioheat®

If you have any other questions about Bioheat® the experts at Tragar can answer them all. Whether you’re looking for a new, high-efficiency furnace or want to use Bioheat® with your existing heating oil-based boiler, Tragar can handle it all. Contact us today.