Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

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Small Law Survivor
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Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Small Law Survivor »

I've been researching heaters I could use here in New England if we get a lengthy power outage. We've had a few over the years that lasted 10-15 hours, and it doesn't take long for the indoor/outdoor temps to equalize. We have a wood stove in one room that will heat that room nicely, but I'm trying to find the best way to quickly heat a second room.

I'm looking at kerosene heaters, specifically the 10000 BTU Dyna-Glow. Link here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W ... B002W00EHK

I focused on this after reading "How to Keep Warm in a Power Outage"
https://www.family-survival-planning.co ... ating.html

However, it's hard to get a good read on this product based on reviews/comments - some people love it, other say that it emits such a foul oder of kerosene that it's worthless.

Has anyone used one of these (or something similar), and might be able to give me their views on this product?

Thanks in advance.
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livesoft
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by livesoft »

I have not used a kerosene heater. But I have survived without heat for long periods of time. The link you gave has some good tips.

We just replaced a a non-working furnace in our house. This was the 3rd winter that we were going to not have heat from that furnace.

I have been snow camping many times for 7 to 10 days at a time. We never built fires while snow camping. We stayed toasty warm.

It is good to be prepared for a lengthy power outage, but that might simply mean driving to some place where there is no power outage. In the meantime, your wood stove, down comforters / sleeping bags should be enough to keep you warm. If not, then why not?
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jm1495
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by jm1495 »

Rather than using a risky and potentially dangerous kerosene heater, why not install a backup generator to provide electricity to the furnace? I'm assuming since power outages are thing that you've got a propane or natural gas furnace.
mrb09
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by mrb09 »

We lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains during the 1989 earthquake. We had only a wood stove and we lost our chimney, so no heat. While we were fixing the house (thank you, SBA) we had a kerosene heater that we ran for probably four months or so.

All in all, kerosene is kinda of a pain but better than freezing. You do need some space for them. The one we had was more like this one -- can't remember the model but I know it was round. You will need to keep some kerosene on hand and some extra wick, and you'll want to make sure whoever is using the heater is comfortable with filling the kerosene and changing the wicks. If you ever had decorative oil lamps, it is kind of like that but on a bigger scale.

Any house we've lived in since (and even the '89 house after we fixed it) we were able to use the woodstove enough to heat the house during an extended outage, although some rooms were warmer than others.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by likegarden »

When you use a wood stove then all exhaust escapes to the outside via pipes, and you do not have to breathe it in. When you use a portable Kerosene heater all exhaust gases stay in the room and you will breathe them in. Do people in rooms with a running Kerosene heater not get dizzy or sick? You surely can not open the windows or doors, or the room would get cold.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by jebmke »

We installed a gas insert in our main fireplace in Wisconsin when we lived there. It was handy a couple of times when the power went out. Had to encamp to the living room but not that big a deal. Kept the LR pretty well at normal temps.
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TravelGeek
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by TravelGeek »

After last year’s winter, i have been thinking of getting one of the indoor-usable propane powered Mr. Heater devices for emergencies. Our heat is electric (heat pump and secondary electric). Yes, we could bundle up and/or temporarily relocate if there is an extended power outage, but either an emergency generator or a propane heater might be a better alternative.
Last edited by TravelGeek on Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
3feetpete
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by 3feetpete »

I used a kerosene heater for a few weeks in a temporary office trailer. It smelled, I don't think I would like it in a house where carpet and furnishings might retain the smell. I think propane would be better. Or better still, natural gas if you have it in your house.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by lthenderson »

I've used a kerosene heater but found it very difficult to keep trimmed so that it didn't soot up the ceilings and also keeping the windows cracked to provide fresh air muted any heating ability it had. In the end, we bought several battery powered fans from Amazon that we distribute around the core of the house where the fireplace w/ blower is to blow the warm air into neighboring rooms. Don't have to worry about gassing yourself to death and they work quite well when attached to the top of the doorways so that it is pushing the warmer air from near the ceiling into the adjacent room.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by bhsince87 »

I've had kerosene heaters in the past. They can be difficult to adjust properly, but they do work. There will often be an odor, but the particulates are usually OK if it's adjusted properly. I have asthma, and am very sensitive to that.

But 3-4 years ago, I bought an indoor propane vent free unit. Mr Heat or Buddy or some such. I've only used it once, but I much prefer it. It can be switched between 4500 and 9000 btus, IIRC.

It runs off the small camping cylinders, but I also bought an adapter for 20lb cans. Check your local codes though. Some areas don't allow the large cylinders inside a house.

IMO, propane is much nicer to store, and it is more widely available. I always have 4-5 20lb cylinders on hand for my grills a propane camp burner.

The propane camp burner/stove also makes a nice back up cooking unit.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by BolderBoy »

This is the kind we had when I was a kid - we had 4-5 of them and used them every day each winter for 3 years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/aladdin-kerose ... 3298052403
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by iamlucky13 »

A small generator and a box fan in a doorway will move the heat from your wood stove around. Then you can also run lights, and plug the fridge in to keep your food good if the outage turns out to be long.

Be very aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It kills about 430 people per year, and using portable heaters indoors is one of the leading causes. You want to be sure the heater is rated for indoor use (it sounds like that Dyna-glo model is). Many are not indoor rated, and even if they are, a working carbon monoxide detector should be considered a necessary accessory, in case it is not burning cleanly.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6303a6.htm

Are you set on kerosene, or is propane an option? I think the Mr. Heater Buddy series are indoor rated, and is less likely to have unwanted smells.
jm1495 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:19 am Rather than using a risky and potentially dangerous kerosene heater, why not install a backup generator to provide electricity to the furnace? I'm assuming since power outages are thing that you've got a propane or natural gas furnace.
A hardwired generator costs a lot more. Regardless of whether he has natural gas or propane available, since he has a wood stove, it's understandable that it would be his main source of heat in an outage. It sounds like the portable heater idea is just for heating other room for convenience.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Epsilon Delta »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:55 am I've been researching heaters I could use here in New England if we get a lengthy power outage. We've had a few over the years that lasted 10-15 hours, and it doesn't take long for the indoor/outdoor temps to equalize.
Have you considered insulation and air sealing? The temperature need not equalize that quickly. I ride out power outages of less than a day with extra socks and blankets and without risk to the house plumbing. Only if I wake up the next morning and it's still out do I bother with the generator.

For what it's worth at 65F inside and about 30F outside* my house temperature drops about 1/2 degree per hour. At subzero temperatures it drops less than a degree per hour. My house is only 20 years old. For an older house that degree of insulation might not be possible without heroic efforts. I won't run combustion heaters inside my house because of the limited air turnover. This is less of an issue if the house leaks like a sieve.

In a different home I had a wood stove and multi-day power outages were common. I rigged some small fans to 12V batteries to get some air circulation. It was enough to make a couple of degrees difference in the more distance rooms.

* At least for me power outages are much more likely when it's near freezing than near zero. Wet snow and icing are harder on the lines than dry powder.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by mouses »

I bought a Mr. Buddy heater. I couldn't get it started. I took it back to the hardware store and the guys got it started after some struggling. I returned it, but later bought another one as the company swears that was unusual. I haven't tried to start this one since I don't know much about propane and don't want an opened canister around for a long time. I also bought four of the small canisters which should last for about 24 hours, which gives me some leeway. It got bitterly cold in the house during the last power failure, health endangering, when the outside temp was about 0.

The model I bought the company says is safe to use without venting. Nonetheless, I would be alert.

I'm going to get around to a natural gas generator when I stop procrastinating.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by DiamondplateDave »

I tried heating the upstairs of my house with a kerosene heater one winter. It was a pain-buying the kero, storing it outside, lugging the heater downstairs and outside when it needed filling, trying to keep it adjusted. Between the fire hazard and the fumes/soot I decided it wasn't worth whatever money I was saving. I finally put the heaters, cans, and siphon out on the lawn with a "free" sign. The only way I would consider kero would be if the natural gas failed and my pipes were going to freeze. I'm not sure how much kero you would need, perhaps only a five-gallon can? Still, you'd have to store it somewhere safely, and I have no idea what the shelf life of it is. I would look into the propane option- a higher initial investment, but I would think a BBQ tank of propane would get you through any power outage and I don't imagine it would go bad. The generator option to run the furnace would have advantages, as well.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Steven in NC »

I used to use them but stopped after I found our parrot at the bottom of the cage - dead. Literally a canary in the coal mine scenario. Not sure if I had a faulty one or not but that was enough for me to give them away and I told the guy what happened. I have wood as a source and also a generator if it gets real bad.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by livesoft »

iamlucky13 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 12:14 pm ..., and plug the fridge in to keep your food good if the outage turns out to be long.
:) We always just put our food out on the balcony to keep it cold.

That's another benefit of snow camping: Frozen steaks can keep all week in your pack.
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canderson
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by canderson »

Kerosene heaters are illegal in many, many, many municipalities. If you are looking into one, first make sure they’re even allowed.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

canderson wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:35 pm Kerosene heaters are illegal in many, many, many municipalities. If you are looking into one, first make sure they’re even allowed.
We had a kerosene heater my childhood home. But it was vented. Still, you could smell the kerosene. Ours had a blower on it, but if really didn't work all that well. We would get up in the morning, race to the heater and warm our backside for a bit, then our front for a bit, then rush to the bedrooms and change into our school clothes as quick as we could. The heater worked great... for one room. :oops:

I couldn't even think of burning a kerosene heater unvented in a home, just seems pretty dangerous.

If you had a fireplace you could go with vent-less gas logs, as they throw off a good amount of heat, and the heat doesn't all go up the chimney if the damper is closed.

A generator sounds like a better solution to me. Safer, as well, IMHO.

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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by mouses »

Steven in NC wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:44 pm I used to use them but stopped after I found our parrot at the bottom of the cage - dead. Literally a canary in the coal mine scenario. Not sure if I had a faulty one or not but that was enough for me to give them away and I told the guy what happened. I have wood as a source and also a generator if it gets real bad.
Oh, I'm sorry. I have heard in the past that birds are terribly sensitive to fumes from various sources not just this one. They don't talk about canaries in the coal mine for nothing. If there are toxic fumes in the mine, the canaries die first so the miners have more time to get out.

Scroll down on this page to fumes and birds in general:
http://www.naturechest.com/toptendaforb.html
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by whomever »

and I have no idea what the shelf life of (kerosene) is
FWIW, my inexpert experience from using kerosene in campstoves and lanterns:

1)The shelf life is long, in the sense that it will work to boil water OK (we've used some that's 10 years old, I'd bet). After a few years it doesn't burn quite as cleanly (there is a little yellow in the flame, vs. a pure blue flame) and stinks a little more.

2)As an aside on the smell - 'kerosene' covers a range of products. The cheapest typically smells the most. The most expensive ('deodorized lamp oil') smells the least, at least when fresh.

Disclaimer: just my impressions. We never payed a huge amount of attention, because it's not a priority for camping.

I'd look at other options first:
-generator to drive furnace blower (there are some pretty small/cheap ones out there)
-inverter off car battery to drive some fans to circulate wood stove heat
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by dratkinson »

Could research adding a direct-vent wall heater to the other room.
See: http://www.google.com/search?q=direct+vent+wall+heater

Ensure it can operate during a power outage. The ones using a standing pilot light + thermopile + millivolt thermostat should be able to. (This is the way a standing pilot light NG/propane water heater operates without an electrical connection.)
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Small Law Survivor
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Small Law Survivor »

Here are responses to some of the comments above -
Rather than using a risky and potentially dangerous kerosene heater, why not install a backup generator to provide electricity to the furnace? I'm assuming since power outages are thing that you've got a propane or natural gas furnace
We have oil. I have quotes, and the cost of a backup gen is around $15,000.
Any house we've lived in since (and even the '89 house after we fixed it) we were able to use the woodstove enough to heat the house during an extended outage, although some rooms were warmer than others.
Our wood stove in a finished basement room, so it won't heat the upstairs (first/second floors).
When you use a portable Kerosene heater all exhaust gases stay in the room and you will breathe them in
I would have thought so, but if you read the reviews and questions on the Dyna Glow heater I linked to, a lot people say it's perfectly ok indoors.
We installed a gas insert in our main fireplace ....
Unfamiliar with this process and cost
have been thinking of getting one of the indoor-usable propane powered Mr. Heater devices for emergencies
I looked into this - it seemed to be more dangerous than a kerosene heater. However, I'm ready to stand corrected on this.
But 3-4 years ago, I bought an indoor propane vent free unit. Mr Heat or Buddy or some such. I've only used it once, but I much prefer it. It can be switched between 4500 and 9000 btus, IIRC.
Sounds like this may be Mr. Heater? Another vote for propane.
It sounds like the portable heater idea is just for heating other room for convenience.
That's right. Wouldn't use the portable heater as the primary heat source.
Have you considered insulation and air sealing?
Our house is 40 years old. It has an inordinate number of windows. Don't think this is a practical solution.
I tried heating the upstairs of my house with a kerosene heater one winter. It was a pain-buying the kero, storing it outside, lugging the heater downstairs and outside when it needed filling, trying to keep it adjusted. Between the fire hazard and the fumes/soot I decided it wasn't worth whatever money I was saving
OK, kero is definitely losing its appeal :)
If you had a fireplace you could go with vent-less gas logs, as they throw off a good amount of heat, and the heat doesn't all go up the chimney if the damper is closed.
Do you mean convert the fireplace from wood burning to gas? Reluctant to do that.

Final note: I called my local hardware store, and spoke to the guy that works the floor. He said they had Mr. Heater's in stock (propane). When I asked him if they were safe for indoor use, he gave me an emphatic "no".

I'm at a dead end at the moment.
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TravelGeek
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by TravelGeek »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am
Final note: I called my local hardware store, and spoke to the guy that works the floor. He said they had Mr. Heater's in stock (propane). When I asked him if they were safe for indoor use, he gave me an emphatic "no".

I'm at a dead end at the moment.
Wouldn't you think that the manufacturer of Mr Heater devices would be in big legal trouble if they advertised them as "the perfect solution for heating enclosed spaces like large tents" (link) when that wasn't generally (*) the case? I will probably order one after the holidays, as a cheap "insurance" for emergencies. I wouldn't use it while sleeping, and it wouldn't be enough to keep the house at normal room temperature, but it should be enough to keep the pipes from freezing if moved around occasionally.

(*) generally meaning "used as intended" - I am sure you can use them in an unsafe fashion.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by whomever »

We have oil. I have quotes, and the cost of a backup gen is around $15,000.
I'm guessing that's for a pretty deluxe whole house setup. During outages we run our furnace off a Honda portable that cost $1000 or so, and it's kind of the Cadillac of little generators.
heating enclosed spaces like large tents
I'd think that even the tightest tent leaks a lot more air than the draftiest house.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Yooper »

TravelGeek wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:13 am
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am
Final note: I called my local hardware store, and spoke to the guy that works the floor. He said they had Mr. Heater's in stock (propane). When I asked him if they were safe for indoor use, he gave me an emphatic "no".

I'm at a dead end at the moment.
Wouldn't you think that the manufacturer of Mr Heater devices would be in big legal trouble if they advertised them as "the perfect solution for heating enclosed spaces like large tents" (link) when that wasn't generally (*) the case? I will probably order one after the holidays, as a cheap "insurance" for emergencies. I wouldn't use it while sleeping, and it wouldn't be enough to keep the house at normal room temperature, but it should be enough to keep the pipes from freezing if moved around occasionally.

(*) generally meaning "used as intended" - I am sure you can use them in an unsafe fashion.
Mr Heater works indoors as long as you meet the ventilation requirements (9 square inches for the small units). My limited understanding is that this provides fresh air for the combustion of the heater (not necessarily the occupants). The less fresh air it has the less efficient it becomes, and with loss of efficiency in burning comes carbon monoxide. But I could be wrong about the dynamics.

I mentioned this in another thread, but I put this (http://empireheaterparts.com/empire-hea ... eater.html) in a small cabin and it works like a champ. Direct vent so no problems with carbon monoxide, has a thermostat to control the temp, and uses no electricity. Put a 6" hole in the wall, run the chimney out, hook up your propane tank and you're good to go. Space requirements around the heater are minimal so it can be placed almost anywhere. I've got mine just off the floor in the corner. Very easy install - and I mean VERY easy.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by TravelGeek »

Yooper wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:12 pm Mr Heater works indoors as long as you meet the ventilation requirements (9 square inches for the small units). My limited understanding is that this provides fresh air for the combustion of the heater (not necessarily the occupants). The less fresh air it has the less efficient it becomes, and with loss of efficiency in burning comes carbon monoxide. But I could be wrong about the dynamics.
That sounds about right based on my cursory review of the manual.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by iamlucky13 »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am Our wood stove in a finished basement room, so it won't heat the upstairs (first/second floors).
You might be able to improve that with fans placed in doorways moving the heat around. Interestingly, due to poor duct design, our 1st floor wood stove heats the 2nd floor better than our furnace does, as long as we leave doors open, but that's in part because our stove is near the stairs.
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am Our house is 40 years old. It has an inordinate number of windows. Don't think this is a practical solution.
Generally, replacing all your old windows is something to do either if a couple of them need replacement, or you're doing other work that makes it easier, like replacing siding. The energy savings pay back only very slowly, but they improve comfort, too. If the old windows are starting to look old, they can also improve resale value.

You might find some opportunities to improve sealing for cheap, however, which can make small improvements in heat loss. There are numerous guides online for sealing and weatherizing.

Likewise, if you have an attic, it can be relatively cheap to increase the insulation there. My home had probably only R10 worth of cellulose blown-in insulation in the attic. It cost me a few hundred dollars to increase that to R30 on my own (and a crew would not have been much more expensive), which should pay for itself over a decade or so, in addition to helping with the upstairs temperature a bit.
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am Do you mean convert the fireplace from wood burning to gas? Reluctant to do that.
I'm not the person who suggested it, but I'd say don't do it to your wood stove. If in addition to the basement stove, you have an open fireplace on the main floor, you could have an oil or wood-burning insert installed. Figure $2000-3000 for cost for installing a wood insert. Be aware that inserts depend pretty heavily on their blowers to get heat into the room, but inserts that project out of the fireplace do better than flush inserts.

If you have access to a cheap supply of wood, and like wood heat, I'd consider doing this because you can burn throughout the winter to offset your oil bill. It's not for people who don't like dealing with wood, though.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by whomever »

Apologies for the diversion: Yooper, I'd be interested to hear about the practicalities of your heater - approx size and insulation of cabin, how much propane it takes per day/month/whatever in such an outdoor temp, etc. I'm wondering about a similar setup and don't have any feel at all oro the propane usage.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Yooper »

whomever wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:55 pm Apologies for the diversion: Yooper, I'd be interested to hear about the practicalities of your heater - approx size and insulation of cabin, how much propane it takes per day/month/whatever in such an outdoor temp, etc. I'm wondering about a similar setup and don't have any feel at all oro the propane usage.
I'd PM you but perhaps others might be interested as well.

Cabin size 12'x16' with 8' ceiling.
Walls insulated with R13 (2x4 studs), ceiling insulated with 12" of unfaced batts.
It's a 15,000 BTU furnace.
Temp rises approximately 15 degrees every 45 minutes.
Once it gets to whatever temp you set on the thermostat it will kick off, leaving only the pilot running. Kicks back on once the temp drops about 4 degrees. Again, no electricity required to initially start it or to run the thermostat.

Propane usage would depend on how big an area you're going to heat, how warm you have the heat set, and how well insulated the building is. For giggles and grins I ran the numbers to see how long a tank of propane would last, my numbers were:
20lb tank holds 4.7 gallons @ 91,500 BTU's per gallon. If my calculations were correct, a 20lb tank would run the furnace (constantly ON) for 29 hours. Of course this isn't realistic since it's off far more than it's on but it gave me an idea. Since it's a direct vent some of your heat is lost out the chimney, but that wasn't important to me since I don't have to worry about carbon monoxide or condensation (burning propane gives off lots of moisture) in the cabin.

The top of the furnace gets warm in the center (but you can put your hand on it with no discomfort whatsoever), however the outside edges of the top are cool to the touch. Sides are cool, grate in front near the top of course gets quite warm. Mine is about 3" off the floor and in a corner. I'm very very pleased with it.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by deikel »

OP clarified that his wood stove is in the basement - I think that is an ideal place for the heater since it will provide a warm space in emergencies, will make sure no pipes will freeze (that should sit in the walls and ceiling of the basement) and some of the heat will rise up into the first and possibly second floor - hopefully enough to prevent any freeze damage (if not comfortable).

For the emergency heat, the kerosene heater is just fine. I am using a different model than suggested (basically simpler and cheaper) and have used a couple of times. They do put out a lot of heat for a comparably small volume of liquid. As for the 'concerns' mentioned here:

- the use is limited for emergencies not constant use
- venting a room is not cooling the room down , its just air exchange and its back to comfy real quick
- yes, there is some smell, but its not that bad and the 'toxic exhaust' is mostly water and CO2. I have certainly never gotten a headache from them and many folks off grid use them or kerosene lights. Again, you are using them sparingly in an emergency. Arguably a wood stove emits more toxic stuff into your room every time you open the box, but we percieve that as nice wood smell.
- You can fill Kerosene burners with a hand pump in a safe and spill free manner, 5 gal of kerosene can be easily stored and last for a long long time (till the emergency) - compare to fuel for a generator ?
- A generator is laud and the exhaust is indeed an issue - so it needs to stay far away from the house plus requires constant refueling and oil exchanges (outside, in the adverse conditions that cause the emergency to begin with)

The OP suggested combination is what I do and I find it easy, effective and safe.
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dratkinson
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by dratkinson »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:57 am Here are responses to some of the comments above -
Rather than using a risky and potentially dangerous kerosene heater, why not install a backup generator to provide electricity to the furnace? I'm assuming since power outages are thing that you've got a propane or natural gas furnace
We have oil. I have quotes, and the cost of a backup gen is around $15,000.
...
I'm at a dead end at the moment.
Don't give up yet.

Many here have small portable backup generators that cost much less. And many report installing an automatic whole house generator for ~$10K. So I'm assuming your quote was for a larger unit (and propane tank?). Maybe you don't need something that large just to keep the oil furnace and refrigerator running. Can search forum for "backup generator" or "emergency generator" to see what others have done.


Disclosure. My little 5Kw gasoline generator is enough to run my home's essentials 2-3 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening. That enough time to bring the house back up to temperature (NG forced hot air central heat), run the refrigerator, and use the microwave (and a Coleman stove if I must, outside) to heat up something to eat.

The rest of the day I plan to use my (inefficient) wood burning fireplace for backup heat. It does a good job of keeping the front half of the house warm, and the rest of the house is okay.

For a while I considered the idea of purchasing a kerosene heater as a backup to my wood fireplace and found this website to be interesting. See: http://www.endtimesreport.com/kerosene_heaters.html

I eventually decided against the kerosene heat idea in favor of a NG direct vent wall heater (more expensive to install, but less hassle to operate). The plan is to install it in my basement, and for the heat to rise through a floor vent to set up a thermo siphon loop between first floor (ranch style home) and basement. It's on my list of things to do.

Thought I didn't buy a kerosene heater, I did buy a few kerosene lamps (flat wick, Aladdin, hurricane lantern) for backup light. They also put out some heat, especially the Aladdin, but probably not enough to offset a NE winter.

I researched different types of lamp fuel and eventually settled on Klean Heat (Home Depot). It has a low odor, high flash point, and does not freeze (congeal) at 40F as will many lamp oils. It's also recommended for kerosene heaters.



It wouldn't cost you much to experiment and see if a kerosene heater would work for you---probably <$200 for the heater and 5gal of kerosene. If you like it, great, problem solved. If not, sell it on CL.



Do we understand you correctly, you have oil heat, and cook with electricity? You don't have natural gas or propane in your home?



Edit. As a CYA, I tested my lamps/lanterns for production of CO. Results were encouraging so added one hurricane lantern (Feuerhand) and a small metal bottle of fuel to my vehicle winter survival kit. (If survival candles are okay, then a survival lantern should also be okay, and safer in operation.)

To test them for CO production, I lite one sample of each, set flame to max recommended, and shut them in a small bathroom with a digital-readout CO detector. Checked after 2-3 hours and found bathroom toasty warm and CO reading of "0".
Last edited by dratkinson on Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Valuethinker
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Valuethinker »

iamlucky13 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 12:14 pm A small generator and a box fan in a doorway will move the heat from your wood stove around. Then you can also run lights, and plug the fridge in to keep your food good if the outage turns out to be long.

Be very aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It kills about 430 people per year, and using portable heaters indoors is one of the leading causes. You want to be sure the heater is rated for indoor use (it sounds like that Dyna-glo model is). Many are not indoor rated, and even if they are, a working carbon monoxide detector should be considered a necessary accessory, in case it is not burning cleanly.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6303a6.htm

Are you set on kerosene, or is propane an option? I think the Mr. Heater Buddy series are indoor rated, and is less likely to have unwanted smells.
jm1495 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:19 am Rather than using a risky and potentially dangerous kerosene heater, why not install a backup generator to provide electricity to the furnace? I'm assuming since power outages are thing that you've got a propane or natural gas furnace.
A hardwired generator costs a lot more. Regardless of whether he has natural gas or propane available, since he has a wood stove, it's understandable that it would be his main source of heat in an outage. It sounds like the portable heater idea is just for heating other room for convenience.
I cannot emphasize enough the warnings about Carbon Monoxide.

In Emerging Markets, where this is all the heating people have (indoor stand alone units), CO poisoning is a major major killer.

Kerosene is just nasty stuff, chemically and in post combustion emissions. Far better to burn propane-- much cleaner burn. I haven't looked up the carcinogenic properties of spilled kerosene but I don't imagine they are good.
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Re: Kerosene Heater (for power-out emergencies)

Post by Valuethinker »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 8:55 am I've been researching heaters I could use here in New England if we get a lengthy power outage. We've had a few over the years that lasted 10-15 hours, and it doesn't take long for the indoor/outdoor temps to equalize. We have a wood stove in one room that will heat that room nicely, but I'm trying to find the best way to quickly heat a second room.

I'm looking at kerosene heaters, specifically the 10000 BTU Dyna-Glow. Link here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W ... B002W00EHK

I focused on this after reading "How to Keep Warm in a Power Outage"
https://www.family-survival-planning.co ... ating.html

However, it's hard to get a good read on this product based on reviews/comments - some people love it, other say that it emits such a foul oder of kerosene that it's worthless.

Has anyone used one of these (or something similar), and might be able to give me their views on this product?

Thanks in advance.
Please see warnings above about Carbon Monoxide (CO not to be confused with Carbon Dioxide CO2 which is only deadly at much higher concentrations). It is a silent and deadly killer. Speaking very informally without having researched it, your blood haemoglobin prefers CO to oxygen in its transport activities to vital organs, and thus you suffocate at very low concentrations and with no warning**.

Kerosene is also a fairly nasty stuff - both spilled kerosene and post combustion* have issues. Propane would be a lot better (but similar issues with CO).

CO detectors are not expensive and with lithium batteries last a long time.

* I am imagining US Consumer Protection laws make that latter less of an issue.

** a wealth of experts here who can explain that risk more correctly than I can.
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