Posted on 01/06/2014 12:27:07 PM PST by virgil283
Advise for back up heat for house...kerosene or propane ? Price vs BTU output ...other ?
Bulk Kero [my container] is $4.95 gal here vs prop. $19 refill of 20 lbs tank
Is propane cleaner for indoor use?
Smell of either?
kerosene heaters seem to have issues with the wick [uneven, smoke, needs burn off] ?...
propane hazards?
using a hose to outside propane tank
needs fire proof surface to stand on?
need to crack a window?
what size for say 1000 sqft ?
breathing fumes from unvented heater?
any experienced advice is welcomed...{can't cut holes in roof or walls.]
I’m VERY interested in this myself; thanks for posting this thread.
Kerosene heaters can be a bit smelly. Plus, an advantage of propane is, if you have a fair amount of fuel left after a mild winter, you can use it up in your gas grill.
Whichever you use, only use a heater indoors rated for indoor use.
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=116
http://www.ehow.com/about_6560608_propane-vs_-kerosene-heaters.html
for my situation propane is better because kerosene is hard to find. And I can always use the propane for something else.
Note for the heater I linked above:
This heater requires a vent area of 18 square inches
(example 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 opening) minimum for adequate
ventilation during operation.
No comparison. Propane all the way. Propane is easier to store and will basically last forever. Ever burn a kerosene space heater? They’re sooty, they smell, and they suck all the oxygen out of the room.
Propane is cleaner burning, although of course, it emits deadly CO2 gas and will kill, but it is easier to manage than with a kerosene burner.
When I lived in the mountains, we had a propane tank outside. Truck came to fill it now and then. It did not smell, it gave wonderful heat, we never had a problem, seemed cheap enough. For what it’s worth.
A large kerosene heater needs filling about every 12 hours and it can have an odor but it cranks out more heat.
I have both, propane torpedo requires power and doesn’t smell.
Kerosene is a good heater, when we lost power, I cooked on the top of it and even made coffee. Very safe and little smell.
I have a Kholer 20kw genset on Natural Gas. I love it. If I spend a little more money, I’ll make it dual fuel with a propane conversion kit. Our HOA doesn’t want propane tanks, but they are the best fuel storage out there. Diesel gensets are the best, last a long time, and good fuel storage with sta-bil, but a nightmare to store fuel.
Also, go to your local box store to find larger propane tanks. You can readily get 20lb, 30lb, 40lb, 60lb, and 100lb tanks, although the bigger the tank the less convenient it is to move around.
If you are talking about unvented heaters, kerosene produces less humidity then propane. If you use it a lot this could be an issue. The smell of kero is noticeable but perfectly fine for emergencies- just don’t spill it.
For emergency use only, with a window cracked, I use;
If Nat Gas is still flowing I use a battery array and inverter to fire up the furnace.
Does it do co-generation with the waste heat?
The same thing is happening with a propane heater for the same reason.
it emits deadly CO2 gas and will kill,
You are likely thinking of CO, carbon monoxide. CO2 is emitted when burning properly but not toxic. CO is usually from improper burning (bad flame tip or the like).
I but I would also choose propane inside my home over kerosene, if only for refueling.
Sine Wave inverter? (That's my major plan. I've only used the setup to run the refigerator and lights in the summer. I assume my furnace will eat the power output too.)
Diesel cars (with a large tactical Diesel fuel reserve) provide battery recharge/load coverage.
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