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There are different types of heating oil. The main type of heating oil used in most homes and commercial applications is number two heating oil. Number six heating oil is rarely used and is being phased out of use because it contains a lot of sulfur and other pollutants. There six different types of oil used in heating applications. Number two heating oil is used in most residential and commercial heating oil systems and it shares the same classification as diesel fuel. Number 1, number 2, and number 3 fuel oils are referred to as distillate fuel oils because during the refining process the oil is heated until it evaporates and the then condensed. These oils are distilled from raw crude oil. Number 4 fuel oil is a blend of distilled oil and heavy or residual fuel oils like number 5 and 6 fuel oils. Number 6 fuel oils are often the residual of what is left over after refining gasoline and the distilled fuel oils.
Residual fuel oils are the least common fuel oil used today for pollution reasons and because it requires that the oil be heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit before it can be pumped from the holding tank to the boiler. While residual fuel oils are still used today for generating electricity and heating applications
