Editing Heating oil (section)

== Technical characteristics ==
Heating oil consists of a mixture of [[petroleum]]-derived [[hydrocarbon]]s in the 14- to 20-carbon atom range that condense between {{Convert|250|and|350|°C|°F}} during [[Fractional distillation|oil refining]].  Heating oil condenses at a lower temperature than [[petroleum jelly]], [[bitumen]], [[Petroleum jelly|candle wax]], and [[lubricating oil]], but at a higher temperature than [[kerosene]], which condenses between {{Convert|160|-|250|°C|°F}}.  The heavy (C20+) hydrocarbons condense between {{Convert|340|-|400|°C|°F}}.

Heating oil produces {{convert|137500|BTU/USgal|MJ/L}} to {{convert|138700|BTU/USgal|MJ/L}} and weighs 8.2 pounds per US gallon (0.95&nbsp;kg/L).<ref>North American Combustion Handbook</ref> [[Fuel oil#General classification|Number 2 fuel oil]] has a [[flash point]] of {{convert|52|C}}.

Historically, the legal difference between diesel and heating oil in the United States has been sulfur allowance. Diesel for machinery and equipment must be below 15 ppm sulfur content while heating oil needed only stay below 500 ppm sulfur.  However, most heating oil in the United States is now "ultra-low sulfur heating oil" (ULSHO) and meets the same 15 ppm standard.