Best Kerosene Heater For Emergencies & Safety Tips

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When it comes to emergency heating, kerosene has some advantages. For starters, you can buy kerosene at most any gas station so as long as petrochemical supplies are consistent, it is hard to beat for convenience. A 5 gallon can of kerosene provide a lot of heat and costs less than $15 normally.

Heaters that run on kerosene are budget friendly for the amount of BTUS you get.  For shop spaces and garages it can be the best bet for maintaining a temp above freezing. If you have a building that you use infrequently or that has limited power or need for heat, then kerosene can be set up fast.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through a few things to consider when choosing and purchasing a propane heater.

Total BTU Output

There is a limit to any heater. The more BTUs the more fuel you are going to consume. More BTUs means you can reasonably heat a larger space.

Get a little more heater than what you need

It is advisable to have a few extra BTUs. If your room is on the larger side of what a heater is rated to heat, then it is going to take a while to get to temperature. Either have two heaters or get one that is larger than the estimate.

Forced Air or Not

A fan helps a lot in terms of circulating heat. Forced air is going to make any space more comfortable especially larger ones. Putting the heater in a central location allows for more even distribution of heat at a faster pace.  A lot of decently priced heaters have this feature built in already.

Weight

There is a big difference in the empty weight of heaters. More BTUs often means more weight. Generally speaking, most emergency kerosene heaters are under 50 lbs and those on the heavier side of that often have handles and wheels to help with movement.  The first heater on our list, the Dura Heat, only weighs about 27 lbs but it only produces 23,800 BTUS whereas the 70,000 BTU heater on our list weighs 40 lbs.

Insulation

How well insulated the space you are trying to heat will, of course, have a big impact on how well your kerosene heater performs. In the case of a very well insulated structure, you may be able to get away with less of a heater. In this case, if you are on the larger end of what a heater is rated to, you may be able to get away with it.

Smell

While a lot of heaters are listed as low odor, brace yourself for at least some smell. It is that way with a lot of different heat options. Even though I have a good wood stove, sometimes a whiff of wood smoke is inevitable within my house. The smell of kerosene should be faint if you smell it at all. Sometimes when you first start a heater the smell is stronger and then goes away. If it is unbearably strong then you should check for leaks or any other issue.

For spaces with lots of division like walls and rooms, more than one heater may be better than a single large one. During an emergency, you may also want to condense down your living space. There is a reason why back years ago people would sleep in smaller spaces or crowd into a single room.  The closer you are to the heat source, the warmer you are going to be and stay.

Excellent (and Safest) Kerosene Heaters

Below you will find some of great kerosene heaters that are not only efficient and can head a space well, they’re safer than some other units on the market.

As always please remember that this list is subjective. Everyone’s needs will vary, so it’s worth doing the research before making a purchase.

Dura Heat DH2304 Indoor Kerosene Heater

• BTUS: 23,800
• Heats up to 1,000 sq ft
• Weight: 27.3 lbs
• Fuel Consumption: Runs for 9-12 hours on 1.9 gallon tank

Mr. Heater Corporation  Kerosene Radiant Heater

• BTUS: 70,000
• Heats up to 1,750 sq ft
• Weight: 40 lbs
• Fuel Consumption: 5 hours on a full tank.

Will run on kerosene or diesel fuel.

Pro-Temp PT-70T-KFA Kerosene/Diesel Forced Air

• BTUS: 70,000
• Heats up to 1,875 sq ft
• Weight: 28 lbs
• Fuel Consumption: 9 hours on a 5 gallon tank

Will run on kerosene or diesel fuel.

This heater provides a lot of heat for your money. If you are looking for something to heat a larger space it is worth a look. While 9 hours on 5 gallons may seem like a lot of fuel, keep in mind that that is total run time. If you have a warmer period during the day then you might not need to run it or have as high of a temperature setting.

The forced air feature helps it spread the warmth around more readily. I do have to say that if you have a lot of rooms and barriers within a building, without more fans, it may have a hard time getting heat to the furthest reaches of your space.

Dewalt Kerosene Portable Heater

• BTUS: 190,000
• Heats up to 4,200 sq ft
• Weight: 77 lbs
• Fuel Consumption: 8-10 hours of heat from a 14 gallon tank.

Will run on kerosene or diesel fuel.

For really big spaces this is quite a heater. This is used for construction sites mostly but I can see how it would be useful at emergency shelters and big spaces. Dewalt is a trusted brand.

This heater has never flat wheels which is handy if you’re planning to move it around outdoors. For really cold places or if you needed to heat a metal building that is being used as a major shelter, this is a behemoth of a heater that will get the job done.

Storage of Kerosene

Storing any fuel is something that really needs to be addressed before buying a heater. Having a 5 gallon can or two of kerosene on hand is one thing but keeping enough around for a long-term emergency or even enough for a week is another matter entirely. You can get large tanks and store it on your property. The gas or heating oil company closest to you will deliver kerosene to you but there is usually a minimum order of 100 gallons to get them to come out.  Of course, then you have a  big tank of kerosene that is likely in very plain sight.

Having fuel reserves stored in plain sight could get you targeted during an emergency or you may have to deal with people trying to trade for or buy your kerosene. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending. Fuel is a good trade item in some cases.

If you are storing in 5-gallon cans then you need to have the right type of can to fill it up at the gas station or similar. The cans are usually blue like that one below. Some places are more lenient and don’t really seem to care if you show up with a red gas can but legally speaking I do believe you are supposed to just use the blue ones.

Briggs & Stratton Kerosene Gallon

This is your typical can. These are generally available at any hardware store or places like Wal-Mart. Auto parts stores are another option. Of course, Amazon sells them too.

Kerosene Heater Options Are Limited

Researching these heaters for you has made me realize that kerosene heaters are more limited than some other heater options. I know in some of my posts I have included a lot of different products for you to choose from but there are really just a few basic types of kerosene heaters out there. The biggest difference seems to be the amount of heat produced/BTU rating and if they are forced air or not. A lot of the forced air ones have options like a thermostat you can buy separately.

Over the years the demand for kerosene heaters seems to have gone down. There seem to be a few options in the 23,000 BTU range and then it jumps to 50,000 BTUs or more. This means that you are faced with the dilemma of either concentrating your living area into one or two rooms or having multiple heaters that are spread out to distribute the heat.

Safety Concerns

Kerosene heaters get very hot so those with small children, mobility issues, pets, etc need to take extra caution. You could set up a barrier of baby gates or use panels like those used for dog playpens to create a barrier that is safe. Anything that is close is going to get warm so I recommend using metal and keeping it a good distance away. Even if the metal gets a little warm, it is not going to be like touching a super hot heater.

Foldable Metal Playpen

Here is an example of what I am talking about using as a barrier. Please note these types of pens come in various heights and sizes so make sure you get one that has measurements that are okay for your kerosene heater. Some have doors and some do not.

Always keep heaters out of main pathways

While you want to have your heater where it distributes heat well, use some common sense about placement.

Avoid leaving your kerosene heater unattended

These heaters are for emergency and supplemental use. Do not turn on a kerosene heater and then leave it for hours. Running outside for a minute is one thing but leaving for any major length of time is not safe. Turn it off if you are unsure of when you will be back.

It only takes a minute for something to happen and if you have a busy household or workspace the risk can be even greater.

Maintenance

Don’t think that any heater is maintenance free, especially a kerosene heater. The truth is that you need to periodically inspect your heater. Wicks don’t last forever. Check your heater model number and keep some replacement wicks on hand.

Any leaks need to be noted and dealt with. Never keep a heater on hand that you think is a major safety hazard. The basic units in this post are under $150 which is nothing compared to your safety.

If you are storing your heater for the long-term or just keep it around for true emergencies then you need to take some steps to prepare it. A lot of people do this when they get into the warm months of their region. It is important to remind yourself to do this because it is honestly hard to think about that stuff when it starts being nice outside and you have other stuff on your mind.

Regular Maintenance Tasks

• Check wick monthly when in use. You should have a wick that is made for your model of heater for best results. While my experience is limited, I have heard some negative comments about people being sold generic wicks that don’t offer good performance.  If you have some comments about this then please let us know in the comment section. I always have to wonder if things like this are true or if it is something appliance salespeople say to get more business!
• Drain or burn up the fuel you have in the heater. Storing a heater with fuel in it is not as safe as storing it empty.  Burning your wick dry is recommended when putting your heater into storage for a while. Check out this post for some tips on doing this. Never put any water in your kerosene heater tank. You can use a small amount of fresh kerosene to flush a tank clean for storage.
• Check for signs of rust and treat.

Is a kerosene heater really the right choice for you?

Kerosene is not right for everyone. If you have read through this and realized that it is not for you then you should consider propane heaters. Sure propane is a fuel that has to be purchased and stored but it keeps well in grill tanks that are a manageable size, can be bought at any grocery store or gas station, and doesn’t have the odor of kerosene if it is properly hooked up.

If you don’t want a tank that is above ground you can get underground tanks installed and use that for your back up heat.  This keeps the fact that you have fuel on hand a bit more hidden.

Wood heat has its advantages but the weight and hassle can be hard for some people. I did a post on wood-fired furnaces and other back up heat options that might be worth looking at if you are thinking about a renewable fuel solution.

Do you have a favorite kerosene heater? Any tips for using them? What do you do to keep safe when using kerosene?  Do you use a kerosene heater regularly for work?