Kerosene

[modelflyer2003]

I have a backup heat source: Typical round kerosene heater that I have never had to use. I have owned it for two years but have never tried to heat the house with it. Each Fall season I have pulled it out, filled it up, and burned it for an hour. I have always burned it outside though. Yesterday I pulled it in and had it going for a few hours. Wife didn't like the smell and was concerned about carbon monoxide, so she brought out the already purchased but never plugged in CO2 monitor . So for the past two years I have been "collecting" 5 gallons of K1. My wife is so worried about our two cats around the heater. So much so that she doesn't want me to leave the room while the burner is going. I HAVE to stay in the room with the heater at all times. Yes, I know it sucks. Locks me in the room.

Now for the question: How long will the K1 stay good if it is kept in the blue plastic container in the garage? I am talking about through the summer heat and winter cold. I keep adding K1 to my garage collection. I just bought 10 more gallons today. If we don't have a big power outage this winter, come spring I will have 20 gallons of K1. The obvious answer would be to use it this winter to supplement my heating. I just put in a brand new high efficiency furnace and air conditioner in my home less than two years ago, so it would probably be cheaper for me to keep the kerosene strictly for emergency purposes.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

If you keep kerosene free of moisture, it will last for many years in storage. I use a steel drum for mine and I've never had a problem. The only time I've had problems with moisture, it was because I kept a heater in a humid location during the summer and the wick drew in moisture from the air.

 

[woodsie57]

Would the symptoms of bad fuel be a lot of black sooty smoke? Mine was out in a damp-ish garage with half a tank of fuel for a about a year, tried it afew weeks back- smokes to the point of being unusable.

 

[Brandon]

I've had mine in the garage for atleast 5 years. Haven't tried to burn it but I do use it periodicly to clean stuff with. This is only my guess - I am sure it would burn in an emergency.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

Would the symptoms of bad fuel be a lot of black sooty smoke? Mine was out in a damp-ish garage with half a tank of fuel for a about a year, tried it afew weeks back- smokes to the point of being unusable.

It sounds like you have the wick too tall. If you have an oil lamp you can see what I'm talking about, if you light it and move the wick up and down. I store my heater in the garage as well, along with the fuel and never had any problems.

 

[45fan]

Ive never been very picky about storage of the heater, or the fuel, and not had any issues with moisture in the fuel. Kerosene heaters tend to make a bit of smoke and odor when firt starting up, but after they get up to temp, are fairly clean burning. We have 2 cats, 2 large dogs, and not had the first issue with them and the heaters.

As far as the 20 gallons of fuel you have saved up, your wife will be eternally grateful that you have that in the event of an emergency, lol. Just dont expect it to last all that long. In our round heater, 20 gallons might last us a week, maybe week and a half running full out 24 hours a day.

 

[modelflyer2003]

Ive never been very picky about storage of the heater, or the fuel, and not had any issues with moisture in the fuel. Kerosene heaters tend to make a bit of smoke and odor when firt starting up, but after they get up to temp, are fairly clean burning. We have 2 cats, 2 large dogs, and not had the first issue with them and the heaters.

As far as the 20 gallons of fuel you have saved up, your wife will be eternally grateful that you have that in the event of an emergency, lol. Just dont expect it to last all that long. In our round heater, 20 gallons might last us a week, maybe week and a half running full out 24 hours a day.

Thanks for your reply. I have a fire place in my house. When we moved in I bought a cord of oak. My wife was so worried that the cats would get hurt by it that I, of course, had to stay in the room with the fire the whole time, unless I closed the glass. Finally I just gave up on it, as the wood became a sanctuary for ground squirrels. I moved my wide screen TV over and now it's too close to burn anything without risking melting the TV. I should add that the TV is a very heavy 50" DLP on a 100 lbs. metal stand and not a modern LCD screen. [Read: Not mobile.] After 10 years of watching the wood dry up into nothingness, I finally gave it away to someone that needed it more than I did. She's an awesome wife, don't misunderstand me. She just worries about our cats and she thinks they are SPED.
Anyway, the plan during a power outage is to move into one half of the house and burn about 12 hours per day and live with cooler temperatures until the power situation normalizes. Your reply gives me an estimate as to how much time I may expect my 20 gallons to get me.

 

[guns and groceries]

milesstair.com Just about everything you could possibly want to ever know about kerosene and kerosene heaters. I do not have pets but do have several heaters. Yes they get hot and yes you are burning a fuel so there will be a slight smell and minimal "danger" involved. Maybe consider one of those baby cage/fence things to keep the cats away?

I had one of the big 23K BTU heaters but it was too hot for my small house so I bought and rebuilt some older, smaller heaters. I have a 9400 BTU radiant and a 13K round convection heater. The key is wick adjustment. It will take time to learn the heater and dial it in to the sweet spot and with a new wick it will take a tank or two to "burn" it in right.

I went 3 days without power last winter at -16 outside and no back up heat. That problem has been solved and I now store 40 gallons of K1 in the garage. Some in plastic and some in metal cans. I get about 20 hours to the gallon with my smaller heaters and have been running them quite a bit in the last month. You will have to maintain your heater and wick from time to time especially if you do not use it on a regular basis. I would highly recommend the milesstair.com site and he has great wicks and fantastic customer service. Also, read up on additives for your older kerosene that will eat the water and allow the wick to burn right. I use unscented Methyl alcohol every other tank full. About a 1/3 of an eye dropper per tank. Very very very little per tank.

 

[Tactically Fat]

If you're using a CO2 monitor, you're gonna have a hard time.

I presume it was a typo...

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Would the symptoms of bad fuel be a lot of black sooty smoke? Mine was out in a damp-ish garage with half a tank of fuel for a about a year, tried it afew weeks back- smokes to the point of being unusable.

The most common sign of bad fuel, which is to say water in the fuel, since that's the only fuel problem I've ever had, is the heater will light right up, then go out, maybe with some smoke and soot, sometimes making a slight popping crackling sound. If your heater lights up, stays lit and burns sooty and smokey, you've got a problem with your wick or the wick adjuster.

ALSO: Like G & G says, go to Milesstair.com if you want to know anything and everything about kerosene heaters, kerosene, wicks, and all other manner of related stuff.

 

[woodsie57]

Thanks for the advice- new fuel and a new wick solved the problem! Runs better than new

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Wife didn't like the smell. I HAVE to stay in the room with the heater at all times. Yes, I know it sucks. Locks me in the room.

What is the problem? Set up the heater in a room with internet for INGO, a beer cooler and you are good. The wife stays in another room so no nagging and is likely cold and wants snuggling. So when you're in the mood for "snuggling" kill the heater so the cats are safe, and go warm her up. Maybe splash on a bit of cologne to cover up the kero smell. Make sure that the room with the heater is not the kitchen though, she needs to be able to make you a sandwich when needed. Sounds like a win win situation to me.