Kerosene Heaters

The majority of kerosene heaters on the market today do not require an external source of power to operate. This makes these portable heating appliances a superb reserve in the event of an electrical failure during a storm in the winter. Kerosene heaters are very economical with efficiencies of up to 99.9 percent since the heat produced, including combustion gases, remain within the area heated and not taken away by a flue or chimney. Modern kerosene heaters are constructed with catalytic converters that reduce the toxicity of products of combustion when they are operating. Convection and radiant kerosene heaters are the most common forms of portable heating appliances and are discussed in further detail below.

Convection Kerosene Heaters

Generally, convection kerosene heaters work by heating the air that surrounds them. This is achieved when the surfaces of convection kerosene heaters become hot and begin to heat the air directly next to and above it. When air becomes heated it expands and becomes lighter and therefore rises. As the warm air rises, cooler air around the bases of a heater is pulled into and around the appliance where this air then also becomes heated. This process is repeated over a period of time where the heat generated by convection kerosene heaters produce a convection current that eventually distributes heat across the desired area. The majority of convection kerosene heaters emit in the region of 23,000btus which is quite a considerable heat output and is enough to heat a room within a modern home that measures approximately 1000ft2. Popular convection kerosene heaters include the Sengoku KeroHeat CV-2230 and Kero World KW-24G, which are both easy to use and economical to operate.

Radiant Kerosene Heaters

Radiant kerosene heaters work differently to their convection cousins. Radiant heat is transmitted by infra red waves generated by radiant kerosene heaters. These portable heating appliances are comparable to the way the sun heats our planet. Heat emitted, in the form of infra red waves that move in straight lines, by radiant kerosene heaters is more efficient than the heat emitted by convection heaters since heat is only transmitted when it comes into contact with another surface. In general terms, this means heat is transferred from radiant kerosene heaters directly adjacent to the floor and above it while convection heating transfers heat to the air above the appliance which naturally rises towards the ceiling where it becomes wasted. Most radiant kerosene heaters emit in the region of 10,000btus that is enough to heat a room within a modern home that measures approximately 380ft2. Popular radiant kerosene heaters include the HeatMate HMHR-1101 and MegaHeat MEGA-110 models from Sengoku, which are both simple to operate and economical to run.

Kerosene Heaters And The Combustion Process

Kerosene heaters are heating appliances that burn kerosene fuel using a process known as gasification. The liquid fuel within kerosene heaters must be turned into a vapor and mixed with air before it can be correctly combusted. Combustion in kerosene heaters takes place when kerosene fuel makes contact with a supply of oxygen at a high enough temperature to facilitate the chemical reaction to take place.

The elements of combustion of fuel used in kerosene heaters comprise of carbon, hydrogen and a little sulphur that when burned with adequate oxygen produce heat and products associated with combustion. Products of combustion emanating form kerosene heaters will usually consist of water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Since nitrogen is also present in the air and kerosene itself, nitrogen oxides (NO2), are also emitted from kerosene heaters when in use.

The most visible result when kerosene heaters are operating is the flame. The flame is made up of hot gases, which are created when the carbon and hydrogen in the kerosene fuel mixes with the oxygen in the air. The chemical reaction produced in kerosene heaters give off vast amounts of heat and the consequential flame gases generally have a temperature between 2000°F and 3000°F. The heat flowing from these combustions gases in kerosene heaters is used to produce warm air for space heating.

The combustion gases, H2O, CO2 and NO2, that are emitted by kerosene heaters are created in fixed amounts. For perfect combustion, which is never really achieved when using kerosene heaters, 2.42lbs of water vapor, 7.05lbs of carbon dioxide and 24.47lbs of nitrogen are created when 2.2lbs of kerosene fuel is burned.

Kerosene heaters that do not operate correctly can produce a further gas known as carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is often a result of poor combustion stemming from carbon formation inside the heater and usually found within the combustion area. CO can be caused by a number of things which include blockages inside kerosene heaters that prevent the gases from freely escaping, poor condition of wicks and contaminated fuel. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is highly toxic to humans and animals even in small quantities. Consequently, operators of kerosene heaters must be alert to this important safety issue when using these appliances in confined areas without proper ventilation.

Kerosene Heaters And Fuel Quality

Sourcing and using the correct fuel for kerosene heaters is essential to maintain their proper operation. As discussed above, there are always small amounts of sulphur found in fossil fuels. Unfortunately, sulphur can produce an unpleasant smell, which is not desirable when running kerosene heaters in homes. K-1 kerosene is the appropriate fuel for kerosene heaters as it is refined to practically do away with the smallest of sulphur deposits and therefore prevent or just about prevent the ‘bad egg’ odor associated with sulphur when it is burned.

Like with any other fuel such as gasoline and diesel, kerosene stored in cans and kerosene heaters over long periods of time will quickly lose its physical properties for burning as water condenses inside of the storage container. As of a consequence, kerosene heaters will be prevented from working correctly and/or produce dangerous carbon monoxide emissions.

Poor quality fuel that is contaminated with water, traces of other types of fuel oils or sulphur may cause problems with kerosene heaters that include difficult lighting, poor flame retention, sooting and damaging carbon deposits left on the wick. Naturally, if you ever come across any of these problems when using kerosene heaters then the fuel should be checked immediately for contamination. If you are unsure as to the quality of the fuel then it would be advisable to replace it with fresh kerosene and then make an attempt to relight your kerosene heaters to discover whether the fuel was the problem.