fuel for space heater

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xjnco

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Mead, CO 80542
I'm gathering things necessary to replace ball joints on Monday (UPS schedule) and a buddy loaned me an older kerosene space heater cause it's gonna be cold. Lowes and Ace want $45 for a 5 gallon can of kerosene.
The local farmer's coop says kerosene hasn't been available in bulk since Hurricane Katrina. They also said others have used their #1 grade clear diesel fuel but i think it would stink up the garage. Does anyone have experience with this fuel?

Mead, CO
 
Don't use anything but Kerosene in a Heater. Fuel oil will just about kill you due to the particulates in the Fuel. It will also eventually clog the injector.

Use fresh Kerosene. Kerosene absorbs water and it will sit on the bottom of the tank causing the heater to malfunction.

Some gas stations have Kerosene, but not many.

A LP powered bullet heater will run you in the mid hundreds for a 80,00 btu model, and fuel is available everywhere. If you plan on using your garage alot, that would be a reasonable investment. Don't work in the garage too long with a bullet running, eventually the CO will give you a headache.

OT: How you been?
 
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Thanks for that information. What kind of fuel does the bullet heater use, kerosene also? I thinl I may wait until the 40 degree temps come back again, on Christmas day and the day after.
 
Mike, Bullet Heater, or Torpedo Heater is the generic term for that kind of ram-jet looking heater. They can use a number of different fuels based on their design. I prefer the LP powered ones. They always start and the fuel doesn't suffer from contamination issues. You can even put them on a thermostat.

Look over this link http://www.reddyheaters.net/

They also make this sort of heater in a vent type of configuration where the exhaust goes up a chimney and the hot air is the only thing which stays in your environment.
 
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It should run on # 1 diesel, but it will stink and smoke on #2. #1 is usually the same as kero or close enough.

Some newer heaters will supposedly run on #2 as well, but the older ones won't. Trust me on that!

At any rate, #1 diesel should work well enough to ignite and not damage the heater, so if you are in doubt about whether it will burn clean, just get a little bit and try it. Even clear kero will stink a little.
 
Kero clear should be available in most gas stations, up here is varies in price from $2.47 down in the valley to $3.99 up here in the pokes. I've used a 50,000 btu unit to keep my cellar comfortable for the past 18 years. I use a round type that sits in the middle of the floor and runs for about 19 hours on a tank of about 1-1.3 gallons.
I noticed that Home depot had a small LP powered bullet style, powered, one for $99 that you just plug into your gas grill tank, they also had a kero one a bit bigger that. The bullet style heats a garage fast, the mid size ones will get a garage up to 90 in about 20 minutes and you are down to Tshirt.
Those types of heaters are illegal in NJ so kero can be hard to get/find but while 7 out of 10 stations up here carry it maybe 2 out of 10 in NJ do. The $45 for 5 gallons is a ripoff IMO.
 
The absolute worst place to buy Kerosene is any hardware store. I've found them to be about 2x as high as buying it outta the pump. Diesel will stink up your garage to high hell.

By the way, the OP said he couldn't but Kero in bulk, so despite the fact that its a rip-off at $45, you're still better off.
 
I use red dye diesel in bullet heaters just about everyday when its cold for a few years now. no smoke. no noticeable fumes. usually used in smaller spaces with little ventilation... idk. just my experience with it.
 
I work part time at a local Home Depot and in my dept which is the tool rental we sell both the LP and kerosene reddy heaters and also the big jugs of kerosene. All of these use oxygen, in the 100,000 btu kerosene heater booklet it says to leave the door of a single car garage open 7 inches for ventilation. And everyone who rents the kero heaters and runs diesel in them always complain about the smell.
 
I've always wondered about the difference between kero and diesel. Up here we have two kinds, K1 clear and K1 dyed, seems the stations with short hoses to the kero pumps use clear, long hoses seem to all use red dye, the dye is for 'non road use' and up until a couple of years ago was half the price of diesel, now it costs more then diesel. Wonder how used cooking oil would burn in a heater.
Saw a short video on CNN monday or tuesday of some guy in Va that runs his VW bug diesel on a 1:5 gallon mix of Gasoline/french fry oil, he just mixes the stuff then pumps it thru one of those $30 whole house water filters to clean out the junk from the fryer then dumps it in the bug. Says he's been doing it for the past 2 years with no issues.
 
Evan463 said:
I use red dye diesel in bullet heaters just about everyday when its cold for a few years now. no smoke. no noticeable fumes. usually used in smaller spaces with little ventilation... idk. just my experience with it.
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That's what I use. Not nearly as bad as kerosene. JIM.
 
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