Kerosene space heaters are an ideal solution where electricity is very costly or scarce. These are also viable options that can be used when electricity fails, such as during a winter storm. Kerosene space heaters date back over a century.
In terms of efficiency, a gallon of kerosene is able to generate as much as heat as a wheel barrow full of wood. Kerosene when burnt generates fewer harmful byproducts as compared to wood. Kerosene heaters can operate at an efficiency of 90% to 100%.
Kerosene heaters come in both radiant and convection varieties. A common component of both these heaters is a circular fiberglass wick. This wick transports kerosene fuel via a capillary action from the tank to the burner or catalytic converter. The burner or catalytic converter design varies depending on what type of heater it is.
In a radiant heater, the burner is enclosed in a glass cylinder with a reflective stainless steel portion just behind it. The burner glows red hot and reflects infrared energy directly into the room. Radiant heaters take a longer time for the burner to start up. The startup delay for getting up to working temperature can be up to 6 minutes. These heaters should ideally be placed against a wall or window. In terms of fuel consumption these heaters use half that of a convection heater. The drawback however is the fact that the heater is able to produce only half the amount of heat.
In a convection heater, the burner a steel sleeve replaces the glass cylinder. Convection kerosene heaters are identifiable by their circular tower design. These heaters have a safety grillwork which prevents people from accidentally burning themselves. The heater radiates heat in all directions. A convective heater takes a shorter amount of time to heat up. These heaters are large and the amount of heat generated can easily warm the room. These heaters can suitably be used in large homes though the areas close to the heater will be found to be warmer than the periphery of the house.
In order to maintain your heater, ensure that the wick is cleaned on a regular basis. Tar build up on the wick tends to affect the rate of combustion. In order to ensure that the heater runs smoothly, only water-clear ASTM 1-K kerosene for kerosene heaters should be used. A disadvantage of kerosene heaters on a whole is their inability to have variable heating settings. Today the popularity of kerosene heaters has lead to larger kerosene based heaters. These heaters often have external kerosene tanks and can easily meet a family’s heating needs.