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KEROSENE
HEATERS
Select
The Correct Size Heater
-
Convection
Heaters - Radiant
Heaters
There are many excellent kerosene heaters
available new, and excellent used heaters can
still be found at garage sales or on eBay...most simply need
routine maintenance and a new wick to work perfectly.
Be sure to read ALL of this page to see the
differences between convection heaters and radiant heaters, plus
recommendations for various heaters. If I do not like a
particular heater, it does not get my recommendation. Others
may like those heaters just fine. I do not sell kerosene
heaters and therefore have no "axe to grind" or profit to make
from my recommendations.
Kerosene heaters have been used for
over a century in complete safety. I have talked to experts in the
field, and no one has ever been able to find a single
instance of a house fire blamed on a kerosene heater. The same
certainly cannot be said for electric space heaters! Kerosene
heaters also have UL approval, and they could not attain that rating if
they were dangerous.
Kerosene heaters require no electricity to operate, and
kerosene can be safely stored for years in proper containers. The
freedom of having a means of heating your home without having to go to
town for fuel or depend upon others for your heat (the power grid and
natural gas) is liberating - and provides a considerable amount of safety
and security in your life. Look at the advertisement for "Perfection
Oil Heaters" from 1918. There were more than 3,000,000
Perfection Oil Heaters in use in 1918! The background of the ad
shows people lined up in the snow to purchase coal. The first line in the
advertisement is: "Perfection Oil Heaters saved the situation last
winter." What happened in 1917? The great influenza pandemic
after WW I. People who had a Perfection Oil Heater did not have to
line up with strangers to purchase coal...and catch the deadly flu that
killed millions of people. Those with a kerosene heater and a supply
of kerosene could avoid crowds - and survive. That message applies
equally today. With the current
situation of "Homeland Security" being very unstable, with
Muslim terrorists just waiting for the
chance to release a biological or chemical attack on our cities, and all
the warnings about a coming Avian flu pandemic, kerosene
heaters could again save the day for those smart enough to have a kerosene
heater and a supply of kerosene on hand.
SELECTING THE
CORRECT SIZE HEATER
FOR YOUR HOME
The design efficiency of almost all kerosene heaters occurs within a very
limited heat range: your choice of heating from 90% to 100% of the maximum
designed production. If a unit is rated at 22,300 BTUs, it will NOT
operate efficiently at much below 20,000 BTUs. That is a lot of heat, so
the choice of which model to purchase becomes critical to long term mental
stability. Generally, if you live in a temperate climate area,
use a factor of 10. If you live in an area that gets really cold, use a
factor of 20. Multiply that factor by the square footage of your
home. Let us say you have a 1000 square foot house. In a
temperate area, a 10,000 BTU/hr heater will heat that home on all but the
coldest days of the year - 1000 x 10 = 10,000 BTU/hr required.
If you live in a very cold area, like the upper mid-West or Canada where
the winter temperatures often fall into the teens or lower, then you need
a 20,000 BTU/hr heater (1000 x 20 = 20,000 BTU/hr required).
Of course you are never going to find a heater
with precisely the right heat output, but the idea is to come close.
And one (1) heater does not need to be used to equal the BTU's required.
In Canada, where it can get really cold, the best selling
wicks are #9 and #24 - wicks for small radiant heaters with an output in
the 8,000 BTU/hr range. The reason is they have long experience with
heating in cold weather, often off the grid, and know that using multiple
small heaters separated as far as possible in the house results all areas receiving
a relatively even heat. When the temperature is in the 40's, only one of the
heaters needs to be used to keep the house warm. Using one 23,000
BTU/hr heater would mean overheating one room in the house while the rooms
furthest away from the heater are still cool, and on warm days the large
heater would have to be turned off, then on again, in an attempt to
maintain an even heat. There is more on this subject below,
including list of wicks groups into sizes, and thus heat ranges which can
be expected.
THE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF KEROSENE HEATERS
"Pure" kerosene heaters have a dual combustion unit (catalytic converter)
with up to 99.9% fuel efficiency. Once broken in, a kerosene heater
produces virtually odor-free heating; only at start up and shut down do
they produce fumes, and then only for a few minutes. A couple of windows
opened for 5 minutes during that time takes care of the fumes, and then
need only be cracked an inch or so during normal operation of the heater.
Kerosene heaters themselves can be
classified into three distinctive subtypes: radiant, convection
and omni-directional radiant.
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Toyotomi DC-100, aka Kero Sun, Toyostove, a
unique combination of radiant and convection. Toyotomi no
longer exports heaters. There was nothing sacred about their
heaters, and many other excellent heaters are readily available.
"Double Clean" was their registered trademark, a marketing tool, not
some magical technological breakthrough.
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Both radiant and convection kerosene
heaters use a circular
wick to transport fuel via capillary action from the tank to the burner
unit, sometimes called a catalytic converter. That burner unit is the
heart of the heater.

The wick height must be adjusted correctly for
clean burning, and it the same for both convection and radiant heaters.
A radiant heater has the
catalytic converter encased in a
glass cylinder (usually), with a half circle of reflective polished stainless steel behind it. The burner glows red and
reflects infrared heat waves directly to things (like people) - almost
instant heat output. Radiant
heaters
do produce some convective heat, but that is ancillary to their primary
design. Radiants are usually rated at 10,000 BTUs or less and project
that heat forward only; therefore, they may be placed against a wall or
window.
Convective heaters heat the air, which then heats the environment. The
burner unit is encased in a steel sleeve, not glass. Convective heaters
are generally rated at 20,000
BTUs or more and radiate heat in all directions. They need at least three
feet of clearance all around from combustible materials, or your home
could become uncomfortably hot.
One reason for knowing
the differences between radiant and convective units is because
radiant heaters provide heat to people in their path very quickly, whereas
with a convection heater, people must wait for the air itself to be
heated. BTU/hr
output is directly related to fuel consumption: radiants use only half
the fuel of convective heaters but put out only half the heat.
Another design feature which is unique is the focused
heat from a radiant heater. Objects feel the warmth almost
immediately, so while the air temperature in a room can be still be cool,
the people in that room are warm. The heat from a
radiant heater can feel wonderful to people with arthritis, for example.
But just as people feel that heat output almost immediately, so do plants.
If you need a heater for a greenhouse, use a convection heater...a
radiant heater with a glass chimney can burn the plants, but
radiant heaters with a metal catalytic converter do not have that intense
radiated heat.
As most kerosene heaters have one
optimum position for efficient operation, choosing the proper size heater
for the space to be heated is important: there is no low or medium heat
position, just "high" as the most efficient for the particular design.
Sorry. Open windows to regulate the household temperature. That is
why two radiant heaters spaced in different areas of the house are more
versatile and provide more even heat than a single large convection
heater...one or the other, or both radiant kerosene heaters can be used as needed.
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Toyotomi WC 105
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Corona from Manning |
Dyna-Glo from Northern |
CONVECTION
HEATERS
These heaters are
generally characterized by their circular tower design and safety
grillwork. Heat is distributed omni directionally, so they should be placed at least 3 feet
from any combustible surface -- often the middle of a room. The
Perfection (patented before 1849) and the Aladdin Blue Flame were the first widely distributed kerosene heaters,
but most of the units available now are visual clones of the Toyotomi (Toyostove
or Kero-Sun)
model WC-105. These units are 99.9% efficient with only a few fumes at
start up and shut down. They can be used as a primary heat source. Most
of the units now have an electric (battery powered) igniter, so they are
extremely easy to use.
There are a few problems
with using a convection heater. Most new
convection heaters are large - the heat output is over 22,000
BTUs. And they don't adjust down much, either. With an outside temperature
of 45 F and an inside temperature of 65 F, a Toyotomi WC 105 will drive
the temperature in our large home up to 75 F within 2 hours (set on
"low"!!!), and then must be shut down for 6 hours or so until needed
again. I now use the WC-105 to heat my uninsulated shop in the
winter, and for that purpose it is magnificent. People with large
homes in really cold country would find these heaters perfectly safe and
capable of heating their entire home quite easily, but one part of the
house may be quite warm while areas away from the heater are too cool.
Those with small homes or not living in the north would have more
versatility using two smaller heaters (usually radiant heaters) placed in
different areas of the house.
Small (10,000 BTU) convection heaters
used to be common, and can often be found at flea markets, on eBay, etc. Make sure they are
in good condition, and you must know the make and model
number precisely. With that information, you can then
find which wick fits the heater. Wick size is directly proportional to heat
output, as the capillary action of the wick determines the amount of fuel
burned...the smaller the wick, the less fuel is burned, and the heat
output is lower.
The small diameter wicks
are from 2 to 2 15/16" in diameter, and are numbers 4, 4A, 4B, 6, 7, 12, 19, 24, 25, 30, 31,
34A, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 and
42A.
If you live in the far North, you are probably using a
heater with a large diameter wick during the day for
maximum heat output. The
large diameter wicks are from 4 1/8"
to 4 3/4" in diameter, and are numbers 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3X, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5X, 8, 13,
14, 18, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 32, 33 and 40.
Medium diameter wicks would be a good choice for nighttime
heaters in the far North and daytime heaters in more moderate climes. Medium diameter wick
numbers are 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 22, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36.
So, when you purchase a heater for a specific purpose,
check the "All Heaters"
list by wick number to see what size wick that heater uses, and compare that
with the lists above of comparative wick diameters.
As the buyer of a heater, you have
your choice from thousands of different models. Choose wisely.
A heater that has been used can be
easily
cleaned and rebuilt, whereas a heater that has been abused is not a
good investment. You also have your choice of not buying heaters
that take certain wicks:
try to avoid heaters that take wicks
#15 or 16, 20, 20A, 20B because the wicks are expensive and not available
at times. Wick #16-2P and #45 and above are no longer manufactured.
The list
alphabetical list
of heater wicks is a convenient way to find the precise wick for your
heater. I have the wicks in stock for immediate delivery at my
Wick Shop.
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Most new convection
heaters are large and heavy, and the requirement of being placed in the
center of a room means they must be moved at times -- like outside for
refueling, or merely aside when not in use. I solved that problem by mounting
the wheels, axles and tongue assembly from a discarded child's wagon (courtesy
of the local county disposal site) onto a piece of 3/4" plywood measuring
18" x 24." The heater fits on the flat surface of the cart and can be
easily towed instead of being carried.
Building a cart
is easy.
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Most convection heaters
have a fuel tank of about 2 gallons in capacity and will burn for 9 to
12 hours on one filling. The prices range from $125 to about $220, generally,
and wicks cost from $10 to $40 each, depending upon where you purchase
them and the design of the wick. Plan on purchasing at least 4 spare
wicks, just for the sake of safety.
The Corona model #23-DK is an excellent, quality
heater and easily the best convection heater now available. The
Corona 23-DK can be found on eBay and is available new from
Manning Service - www.msiwix.com.
The KeroHeat Model CV-2230 is an good large convection heater - and it takes an unpinned
wick. This particular KeroHeat is identical to the "Heat
Mate" convection heater because it is made by Heat Mate. These heaters also have the
model numbers HMHC-2230, KH-250 and Mega 230. All are recommended
because they are all the same. An owner's manual can be
downloaded at
http://www.sengokula.com/manuel.htm .
CV-2230 = HMHc-2230 = KH-250 = Mega 230
= the same heater with different decals.
The DuraHeat DH2300, the KeroHeat CV-2300 and the Dyna Glo CV2300
(RMC95C3 & C4 & 2301 to -4, also sold by Wal Mart,) are
one in the same - whatever the name or model number, they are all
identical heaters made by Dyna Glo, and are not recommended by me
when compared to the Heat Mate CV-2230. This heater uses a
pinned wick and some people have told me they sent them back as
defective: That may be a small percentage of all Dyna Glo
heaters sold, but nobody has told me they had to send a Heat Mate
2230 back because it was defective. Look at the
image of a DynaGlo to see the
distinctive "feet" and igniter lever - an easy way to determine if a convection
heater is a DynaGlo or a Heat Mate
convection heater.
Quite a few people have asked me what I think
of the Kero-Sun Omni 105 convection heater. Actually, the
KeroSun Omni 105 cannot be considered as "a" heater, but rather a
syndrome of heaters which look remarkably similar on the exterior.
The early Omni 105 models E, F, G, H and I are
highly recommended, as they take pinless wicks and were of
very high quality. The later models J, K, L, M and N require a pinned
wick. They are no longer imported into the US. As such, Omni 105's
encountered are usually used. I would recommend an
Omni 105 over the Heat Mate and Dyna-Glo convection heaters if
it were in good condition and the price was right.
FIXING A
LOOSE CARRY HANDLE ON A CONVECTION HEATER (See
Regular Maintenance)
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Aladdin Tropic |
Heat Mate HMHR 1101 |
Corona SX-2E |
RADIANT
HEATERS
Radiant kerosene heaters project their heat in one direction, so they may
be placed against a wall, and they generally produce less than 10,000
BTUs. For small apartments
or homes, radiant heaters are the obvious choice, as they don't need to be
in the middle of cramped living space, and their heat output is not
overpowering. This allows continuous burning (and therefore eliminating
the constant shut off and restart that would be necessary for larger units
-- the major source of fumes from kerosene heaters) with the same or with
less overall fuel consumption. Choose a radiant kerosene heater to fit
your particular application, based upon your room design and the design of
the heater itself.
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"Tony Sun" radiant heater. Unusual design with a bottom fuel
tank. This particular heater is not recommended. Note: NEVER use a radiant heater with a glass
chimney to heat a greenhouse! Radiant heaters with a metal
chimney are fine, as the radiated heat is not as intense. The
intense radiant heat from a glass chimney radiant will burn the plants.
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The
design of most radiant heaters
allows for the convenient removal of the fuel tank for refilling, and the
quality of the units is such that they could be the primary heat source
for small homes or apartments. In larger homes, several radiant heaters
placed in different rooms (or as far apart as
possible) should provide enough heat for comfort. And dual units allow one
to be cooled down for refueling while another is still operating;
redundancy equals safety. Most of the radiant heaters will operate for 12
to 15 hours on one filling (approximately 1 gallon) of the fuel tank.
My personal prejudices on radiant
heaters centers on the quality (and price) of the heater and the shape of the
reflector. I have an inexpensive,
Chinese made Heat Mate HMHR-1101, a Toyostove RCA-87, a Corona
SX-2E, a Sharp-Pechka HSR-70F, two Aladdin Tropic's,
an Everglow P-E12 and an Aladdin TR2000. The Heat Mate is the only radiant
heater of the bunch which is still currently manufactured at an affordable
price.
Those with arthritis will appreciate the focused heat from a radiant
heater - it warms you directly, and that includes your stiff arthritic
joints, relieving pain and swelling.
The
instructions that come with kerosene heaters warn not to burn them at
night unattended. For my opinion on this, read
Burning
Kerosene Heaters at Night.
The
Corona SX-2E is unique is that it has a very deep parabolic
reflector, approximately 9" deep and 11" wide. It is ideally
suited for heating a long, narrow room if the heater is placed at
one end, as it projects focused radiant heat much better than
other radiant heaters with a shallow reflector. The Corona has a
small diameter wick with clips and the wick has a notch for the
igniter, so it is not adjustable at all and is almost impossible
to light with a match. However, the very high quality of the
Corona itself overcomes my built in prejudices about the wick. If
the D cell batteries that power the igniter are replaced every
year or two, the wick ignites easily. The Corona is also unique
in that it has a very tall, narrow catalytic converter. Combining
a small diameter wick with a tall catalytic converter means the
Corona burns exceptionally clean without any adjustments required.
Available from Manning Service,
and can be found on eBay. I also stock Corona heater wicks at my
Wick Shop.
The Heat
Mate HMHR 1101 actually burns cleaner (after adjusting the
wick height and centering the central air pillar wick gap) than the RCA-87,
as the catalytic converter is taller, thus having more surface
area to properly burn the hydrocarbons (kerosene) brought up via
the wick. The approximately 7" deep, 14" wide reflector is typical
of most kerosene radiant heaters, and works well in a typical
square room. The Heat Mate HMHR 1101 uses unpinned wicks, so wicks
can be trimmed 1/4" and readjusted higher several times, so wicks
last longer in use compared to pinned wicks. [Note: Some unpinned wicks can be trimmed,
depending upon the length.] I have used a Heat Mate HMHR 1101 for
6 winters now as our primary heat source.
The Heat Mate HMHR 1101, KeroHeat CT-1101 and the KeroHeat CT-1101
(Canada) are identical because they are the HMHR 1101 with a
different decal. The KeroWorld RF1140 is the same heater
with an electric fan to distribute the heat.
The CT-1101 (or clone) should be
considered the "best buy" of new radiant heaters, considering
price and quality, if the Corona SX-2E is not available.

Heat Mate at left, Dyna Glo on the right. Note oval face plate on
the Dyna Glo
Notice the difference in the appearance of the heaters above.
The Heat Mate on the left has a flat front with a vertical sliding
shut-off switch to the left of the wick raising knob. The
Heat Mate is recommended because it is an excellent heater.
The Dyna Glo heater on the right has a distinctive oval face
plate.
The Dyna Glo RMC55R can be found with a wide variety of names,
such as KeroWorld CT-1104, and sometimes even with a Wal Mart
label. I don't care what the decal says - if it has
an oval face plate it is a Dyna Glo.
I recommend the Heat Mate instead of the Dyna Glo - they cost the
same, so why not get the superior heater?
OMNI-DIRECTIONAL RADIANT HEATERS
The Sengoku OR-78 OMNI-Radiant kerosene heater:
Early models were not recommended, but the latest incarnation is
pretty good. Notice the height between the top of the
catalytic converter and the fuel tank in the image above?
That is a long way for the wick to suck fuel to the top. It
is best if this heater is lighted on a full tank of fuel.
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Used radiant heaters which are excellent
include the Aladdin Tropic, EverGlo P-E2, and too many others to
mention. The Aladdin Tropic, EverGlo P-E2 and Sharp-Pechka
are excellent little radiant
heaters for use in a motor home or travel trailer, as they are all
metal. That's right...even the catalytic converter chimney
is metal, yet they are a radiant! The Tropic is round, not
rectangular as are almost all other radiant heaters. They have a bottom fuel tank rather than the usual radiant drop-in tank, so there is no open sump to spill when being moved in a
motor home or trailer. Best of all, their low heat output of
7,800 Btu is sized correctly for the smaller areas encountered in
motor homes or travel trailers. These heaters also do not
have an insulated top plate, so they can be used for heating water
and rudimentary cooking. Finding one of these heaters is not easy, but they can be found at times on eBay
or garage sales, Saturday markets, etc.
Size matters!
Radiant heaters have handles near the top of each side - they are designed
to be carried. The Corona SX-2E is only 16" wide - a dream to carry.
The Heat Mate HMHR 1101 is 20" wide - still easy to carry. Toyotomi
likes to make them large - the RCA-87 is a full 24" wide: just try to
carry one through a door frame without barking your knuckles!
The instructions that
come with kerosene heaters warn not to burn them at night unattended.
For more information on this, read
Burning
Kerosene Heaters at Night.
NOTE:
All of the heaters mentioned above have an electric start mechanism using
batteries (usually two "D" size) to ignite the wick by heating a coil in
what appears to be a flashlight bulb without the glass globe.
Sometimes the heating coil will fail, but replacement is easy (push it in
and twist 1/4 turn) and the cost is less than $3.00 each.
If the electric start system fails,
DO NOT use a kitchen match to ignite the wick!
Kitchen matches are too short (2 1/8"), and they have the nasty tendency
of the head falling off - right into the space where the catalytic
converter must seat firmly for proper combustion. Available at
almost every grocery store are bamboo skewers, and a pack of one
hundred 12" long skewers costs less than $1.30. Just light one end
of a bamboo skewer, raise the catalytic converter and light the wick.
Blow out the skewer, rub off the charred end, and it can be used dozens of
times...a single pack of skewers will last for years. Bamboo skewers
can also be used to light the stoves listed below.
Please
remember that all kerosene heaters need
regular maintenance.
Why have kerosene heaters at all?
First, they operate without the use of electricity, so your house can be
warm and livable even if the electric power goes out during a winter
storm. Second, kerosene itself can be stored in large quantities for
a long time, so you are not at the mercy of a utility grid in a prolonged
crisis. In actual use for heating a home, a gallon of kerosene will
provide about the same heat output as a wheelbarrow load of wood! If
everything went to heck in a hand basket, a hundred gallons of kerosene
and a good radiant heater would keep you safe in your home over a winter
without attracting attention, and that should be enough to keep your
family alive. If you are interested in preparations for emergency
situations, please visit my other web site,
www.EndTimesReport.com.
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A MOST UNUSUAL KEROSENE HEATER
From the 1940's through
the 1960's, "Sports Heater Company" of Denver produced
little kerosene heaters to heat engine blocks during cold
weather. The auto motor heaters were sold under a wide
variety of names, but I suspect Bunsen in Denver actually
made them all. Used properly, these little heaters can be
used to heat a greenhouse, pump house or small building.
Over time, the
instructions for how to use these heaters became lost, but
the auto motor heaters themselves can often be found at
garage sales and on eBay. So, I give you the
original instructions that came with the heaters.
Instead of scanning the 6 point type on the instructions, I
have typed them...at least they will be readable.
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ANOTHER UNUSUAL HEATER
The British greenhouse
heater shown (left) has been made virtually unchanged since
1906. It uses two, 1" wide flat lamp wicks to produce
about 2,000 BTU. This heater is NOT for indoor
use. This heater
can be used to keep well pump houses from freezing,
and
if placed inside a sturdy hardware
hardware cloth cage with a secure access door, can be used
as a poultry house warmer to keep their water from freezing.
Available delivered airmail for about $50.00 USD from Norfolk Products, 55
Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Hertforshire SG4-OTW, England (UK).
E-mail
laurencenicholls@btconnect.com
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Comment from a
visitor, dated Feb. 17, 2004
You have know idea how much I have saved this winter on
gas bills!!! We have a very, very cold winter this year. A lot of temps
below 10 degrees at night. My bills would have been a killer. I bet I
would of had $250.00 to $300.00 per month. I used about $80.00 in kero and
my gas bill ran about $28.00!!!!!!! So I got off so cheap. I would not
have tried Kero heaters if not for reading your site. And both selections
of heater I made on the basis of your recommendation and have been "more
than pleased." Big thumbs up to you. And my house has been WARM!!!!!!
Something it has never been since I built it five years ago. It was always
a big battle over the thermostats. I would turn it down and my wife would
turn it up!!!!!! Now we are both happy and WARM!!!!!
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A question from
a visitor to this site, dated October 21, 2004
I just checked on kerosene and it is about $2.50 per gallon in a 55 gal
drum, $3.05 if you buy a gallon at a time. Doesn't look to reasonable.
Thanks, Bill A.
Answer:
It is absolutely true that the price of kerosene is
more than double what it was last year. Last month I had my tanks topped
off, and it cost me $2.04 per gallon. A year ago the price was $1.05 per
gallon, delivered, with a 100 gallon minimum. Last winter we heated the
house for less than $300.00, and this year would be double that. In some
parts of the country, kerosene is much less expensive than in Oregon. But
everywhere, electricity and natural gas are up in price quite a bit as
well.
Our Corona SX-2e will burn 3/4 of a gallon of kerosene
per 12 hours of use, but because the radiant aspect heats the walls and
furniture, the heater need not be on all the time as the residual heat
keeps the house warm for a long time. Because the heater is at full heat
output within minutes of being lit, people are warmed by the radiant heat
immediately, then the convection heat produced heats the air and the whole
house warms up. Therefore, we need not burn the heater at night except on
extremely cold nights when the temperature drops below freezing. On the
coldest nights of the winter, we can heat the house up to 70 F in the
morning with only an hour of burning a convection heater, then a radiant
heater will maintain that heat throughout the day.
The cost of electricity here is $0.06 per KWH, plus a
$33.00 per month meter charge. Natural gas is not available. Those who
heat with electricity often see electric utility bills of $200 to $300 per
month. Even at the inflated price of kerosene in this winter of 2005, our
monthly heating costs during the coldest months should not exceed $60.00
per month...considerably less than the cost of heating with electricity.
The heat output obtained from a gallon of kerosene
burned in an efficient kerosene heater is approximately the same as a
wheelbarrow full of wood. Firewood is over $200 per cord, so unless
firewood can be obtained for free, heating with kerosene space heaters is
less expensive than heating with a wood stove.
The cost savings of heating with kerosene space heaters
used to be phenomenal, but the high price of kerosene this year has
definitely cut into the tremendous advantage available in previous years.
Because of the war in Iraq and the unsettled conditions in the oil fields
of Nigeria, this winter of 2004/2005 will see unheard of prices for
kerosene. But the price of oil, now approaching $58 per barrel, will also
be reflected in increased costs for electricity, and natural gas is
already priced at an all time high.
This may well be a winter when mixing heating sources
could be advantageous. On days when the temperature is moderate, heat the
house quickly in the morning with a kerosene heater, then perhaps maintain
the heat during the day with a small electric space heater. Reading the
electric meter and keeping a record of those readings will let you know
when the point is reached when using an electric heater in no longer cost
effective.
Everyone will pay more for heating their homes this
winter. Kerosene space heaters are still very cost effective when compared
to other methods of home heating, plus they have the advantage of
providing heat when the electricity is out. And electricity WILL go out
this winter, either from storms or from terrorist actions. When that
happens, a kerosene space heater could keep your house warm and prevent
all the plumbing from freezing, resulting in a huge bill to replace broken
pipes, frozen and cracked toilets and water heaters, etc. Plus, you can
stay safely at home when others must go to a public shelter and get sick
from the crowded conditions!
Miles
Pages on this web
site:
Complete Site Index
Information on Kerosene Heaters
and Wicks
Kerosene tank cradles
(photo)
Building a Cradle
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