Kerosene heaters are a great option for heating interiors, but you might wonder if they’re safe.
The short answer is – yes.
Still, you must take certain precautions to use a kerosene heater inside your home safely.
You’ll discover all the tips to guarantee safety for everyone in your home, but let’s first reveal what you might not know about kerosene heaters.
What Is A Kerosene Heater?
The kerosene heater isn’t quite your typical heater.
It produces heat by burning kerosene drawn from a tank using capillary action.
Although older kerosene heaters weren’t efficient or strong, technological advances have improved them, and they can quickly heat bigger rooms now.
What’s interesting about kerosene heaters is that they don’t need electricity, so you can start them manually even if the ignitor fails.
Kerosene is the most economical fossil fuel and is much more affordable than wood-burning inserts.
If you’re looking for a more efficient kerosene heater that can heat smaller and bigger rooms, the one below is for you.
Best Kerosene Heater: Mr. Heater MH75KTR
Mr.Heater is currently the best kerosene heater on the market, with everything you need.
It can operate on a full tank for more than 11 hours and is very efficient, with a 75,000 BTU output.
Believe me, it won’t take long for this beast to heat the whole room (or even the house).
How To Safely Use Kerosene Heater Indoors
Always frequently service your heater
This might sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many people forget to maintain their kerosene heaters.
If there’s any kind of leaking or error, you’ll quickly notice and fix it before it can cause severe damage.
You should maintain it regularly because kerosene heaters emit more carbon monoxide than any other type of heater.
My advice is to service it every 4-6 months.
Air out the room
Whether heating a smaller or bigger room, you should always allow fresh air.
You can open windows occasionally, but we suggest always leaving the door open so the air can come through.
It’s not recommended to heat the rooms that don’t have windows. Another thing worth mentioning is using a filter to lower carbon monoxide emissions.
Never place it close to furniture
As with other heaters or electric fireplaces, you should never place it close to furniture that can catch fire – such as sofas, beds, curtains, etc.
Also, never put anything over a heater. This is common sense, yet many times, the most essential things are what causes a fire.
Never blend with other fuel types
Kerosene fuel isn’t dangerous when used on its own. However, you should never blend it with different fuel types as it can cause hazards.
Even when you store the fuel (which we’ll cover later), ensure that the container or tank has not been used for any other fuel type.
When different fuel types are blended, it can damage the heater, making it less efficient and increasing the safety risk.
Install a smoke detector
If there’s one thing I’d like you to remember from this article, it would be this one.
When you have a smoke or carbon monoxide detector, you’ll be alerted before any more serious damage happens.
I’m a bit paranoid, so I immediately bought this smoke detector when I first got in touch with kerosene heaters. Believe me, it does give you an extra feeling of security at night.
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Click here to get a FREE Cheat-SheatHow To Store Your Kerosene Heater Safely in The Spring/Summer?
When storing a kerosene heater in the fall or summer, you must discard all the fuel from the tank. Kerosene changes chemically and spoils over the summer, so you shouldn’t use the same kerosene in fall/winter.
Most likely, the wick will be dirty, so clean it appropriately. Once you’re done with it, clean the heater and discard batteries if you’ve been using it for a while.
Place your unit in a dust-free container and keep it there during the summer. Another thing you can use is the box your heater came in – if you haven’t thrown it.
Remember to fill the tank with fresh kerosene when you take it out of storage in the fall.
I recommend reading the user manual for more safety features the manufacturer mentioned.
If you have friends or family members using kerosene heaters, share this article with them to keep them safe and educated.
Download this FREE cheat sheet to find 28 tricks that can help you save on your electricity and heating bill each month.
Click here to get a FREE Cheat-Sheat
