Backup heaters: Kerosene or Propane?

[FTL_Ian]

Do you have a preference and favorite model?  Ups and downs?  Where does one buy kerosene?

Here's a kerosene unit for sale at Home Depot.  Anyone have something like this?

[MaineShark]

Do you already have gas (either LP or natural) on-site?

If you do, the ventfree gas "woodstoves" are very nice.  With a properly-sized unit, it will throw enough heat to keep you toasty-warm in an emergency, but it can also be a nice decorative touch, without the hassle of actually having a woodstove (eg, having to actually connect to a chimney).

Now, on the other hand, kerosene (available at many gas stations - look for signs for "K-1")(kerosene is #1 fuel oil - your home furnace runs on #2, which is the same as diesel - you can burn #1 in your furnace if needed without much difficulty) is somewhat safer to store, but the kerosene heaters will give off a definite aroma.

Spilled kerosene is a stinky mess.  "Spilled" propane is an explosion hazard.  That may matter to you, but if you already ahve gas on-site, then I would assume that you aren't paranoid about it, the way some people are.  As long as the installation is done correctly, a decorative gas stove or fireplace insert is a very nice thing to have.  Most do not require electric power to operate, but many are equipped with blowers for better heat distribution, if you do want to supply power.

Joe

[KBCraig]

If your house is already plumbed with gas lines, I'd recommend gas over kerosene. As Joe pointed out, kerosene smells up the house.

If you get a gas space heater, I strongly recommend one of the infrared heaters, rather than the blue flame style. An open flame heater has a burner bar (sort of like a gas grill), with ceramic elements above the flame. The flame heats the elements, which then radiate some heat into the room.

But with the infrared heaters, the ceramic elements are the burners. When they ignite, there's a brief flicker of blue flame, and then the entire surface becomes a small flame, radiating heat right into the room. They're very efficient.

Go to Home Depot and look at the Charmglow (or other brands) infrared heaters in LP or natural gas (as suits your situation). The five element heater is good; it has a pilot with piezo ignition, requires no electricity, is thermostatically controlled, and will light 1, 3, or all 5 elements as needed.

Kevin

[FTL_Ian]

Hmm.. yes the hot water heater operates on gas.  Thanks for the reminder.  Should I contact NHGas about one of these ventfree "woodstoves"?

[KBCraig]

Hmm.. yes the hot water heater operates on gas.  Thanks for the reminder.  Should I contact NHGas about one of these ventfree "woodstoves"?

I don't have any experience with those.

[David]

fireplace and patio furnishers may have them. 

[FTL_Ian]

What about "Gel Fuel"?

Home Depot's Selection

[FTL_Ian]

I've been looking into the Gel Fuel.  Each 13 oz can runs for 2.5-3 hours and provides 3,000 BTUs per hour.  This does not sound like much especially compared to the Charmglow which claims 30,000 BTUs, though doesn't specify a timeframe.

Is 3,000 BTUs enough to heat a room?  If not, it would seem the gel fuel fireplaces are more for looks than anything else.

I like the natural gas option, but I don't know if it's worth the money to have a gas line installed into a new room for something I'm only going to use in emergencies, considering I'm in the city and it's unlikely we'll lose power for too long.

A case of gel fuel cans will last for 3 days using one at a time.  But 3,000 BTUs sounds kind of weak.

[error]

3,000 BTU should keep a single room nice and toasty. I think.

[mvpel]

http://hearth.com/calc/btucalc.html - BTU calculator

It shows a tightly-insulated 10x12 room needs about 2,880 BTU/hr max, 1,440 min in a cold Vermont/Michigan climate.

[Spencer]

Ian,

If you are concerned about only having 3,000 BTU (I know you want the room to feel a bit like Florida), then rest assured that the BTU per hour figure is apparently per can and this gel fireplace says:

3000 btu/hour per can, one can burn up to 3 cans

[FTL_Ian]

Ian,

If you are concerned about only having 3,000 BTU (I know you want the room to feel a bit like Florida)

No, actually this is only for emergencies.  We have yet to use heat this year.  My furnace is set to kick on when the house drops below 50.  I just didn't know anything about BTUs.

[MaineShark]

I've been looking into the Gel Fuel.  Each 13 oz can runs for 2.5-3 hours and provides 3,000 BTUs per hour.  This does not sound like much especially compared to the Charmglow which claims 30,000 BTUs, though doesn't specify a timeframe.

Is 3,000 BTUs enough to heat a room?  If not, it would seem the gel fuel fireplaces are more for looks than anything else.

I like the natural gas option, but I don't know if it's worth the money to have a gas line installed into a new room for something I'm only going to use in emergencies, considering I'm in the city and it's unlikely we'll lose power for too long.

A case of gel fuel cans will last for 3 days using one at a time.  But 3,000 BTUs sounds kind of weak.

3000 btu's is pretty weak, indeed.  I don't recall the number, but I'd expect your furnace is in the neighborhood of 130,000 - 150,000 btu's

As far as the gas stoves, well, they only really make sense if you are going to use it more than just in emergencies.  The idea is to have a nice "woodstove" to sit in front of, without the mess of wood.  Backup heat is an added bonus, not the primary purpose.

Joe

[KBCraig]

For emergency use, the infrared heaters that mount directly on the LP tank aren't bad, and they're affordable. There are several varieties, from those that mount on the small camp-style bottles, to those that mount on big LP tanks like used for a gas grill.

Most have a caution not to use in enclosed spaces. I wouldn't use one in a room with all windows shut, without a good CO detector.

Speaking of... in an electrical power outage, you need lights. The propane lanterns that use Aladdin-style mantels produce a huge amount of light, and a good bit of radiant heat along with it.

Kevin

[Pat K]

I know if I wait a while Joe or Kevin will be along to explain or correct.

yes I am Lazy.