Wanted to hear from some people who've used kerosene for a while in the shop and see what everybody thinks. I'm currently running a 60,000 btu propane forced air space heater. Works great to knock the chill off fast but the dang thing is so loud, I can't stand to have it run all the time. Ive got an older 23,000 btu tower style kerosene heater I wanna use to run to supplement. I've been hearing radical things about combustion issues in a shop(gas fumes etc) What's the verdict?

 

1. Carbon monoxide
2. Noise
3. Fumes can leave sort of a oily residue.
Best to have something that can be vented to the outside.

 

I've got a good vent fan so no problem there. Tower type kerosene heater is silent. That's why Im hoping I can use it. The forced air propane I'm using now is just too loud.

 

Kerosene is stupidly expensive, usually at least twice the price of road fuels if not more.
Get a dual head propane radiant heater, it'll be silent, give off CO2 instead of CO, and will be cheaper to run. Plus having the heads up higher will reduce the risk of flammable vapor ignition, as most flammable vapors sink to the floor.

 

Good call! Can't believe I forgot about those. Like you use camping etc. I kno someone that has one I'm sure they'll let me borrow.

 

i use a 175,000 BTU "torpedo" style kero heater. but i run diesel in it.
24X26 shop with 12 foot ceiling. i have it on a thermostat set at 65 degrees. it runs for around 10 minutes per hour.


i also have a 120kBTU forced air natural gas furnace, but never bothered to run the gas line out to the shop.

 

Currently use a 75k forced air kerosene heater, it's loud, smells, and as mentioned, kerosene is outlandishly expensive. If the structure is insolated I would not work in an enclosed structure with this kerosene heater. I have a 'non insulated 20x20 metal enclosed corrugated structure and use the forced air heater 2-3 times a week, primarily in the winter to reduce the interior condensation, which I would describe as similar to a rain forest. Must admit, the this heater has taken a lot of abuse but it can heat the structure from 45 degrees to 70 degrees in a matter of a few minutes.

 

I have both a 65,000 Btu kerosene torpedo heater and a 18,000 Btu propane heater in my detached garage shop. I run a 50 / 50 kerosene + low sulfur diesel mix in the torpedo. Doesn't seem to stink much and is cheaper than pure Kero. I use the torpedo for 10 or 15 minutes to take the chill off the shop, and yes, it's loud and annoying. Then I switch over to the propane heater to maintain temperature. If its really cold out, the kerosene heater will kick on for 5 minutes or so every half hour otherwise the propane is enough. The one problem with an unvented propane in a cold shop is the large amount of water vapor it produces which tends to condense on cold steel machinery but this combo seems to work for me.
I also have a couple of the round, radiant kerosene heaters but I no longer use them. You can't "aim" the heat output as it rises straight up to the ceiling and since I have a two floor garage, the heater downstairs does a great job of heating the upstairs. They also are less efficient and produce even more water vapor.
Regardless which method you choose, invest in a CO detector as well!

 

^^This^^. Just use common sense. No painting or wood working with it running. Saw dust flying around is just as dangerous as gasoline fumes.

 

Been running the 60,000 btu forced air and the dual eye propane for the past week or so. Does great down to about 20-25f. Above this I can get by just running the forced air for 30 min or so to heat the large part of the area and using the dual eye with for close heat. Since it has hi and low and the option to use 1 or both eyes, I leave it running and adjust as needed. Only using about a tank or so a week.

 

I use the big noisy kerosene torpedo heater to knock off the chill quickley, and then use a propane small and quite version. Avenger Portable Forced Air Propane Heater - 40,000 BTU, Model# FBDFA40 - FactoryBuysDirect.com

 

barrel wood stove here ceiling garage propane heater big dawg i think its called. 32x50 mostly uninsulated polebarn 2 story

 

i have a 175k torpedo to knock off the chill while my big jack wood furnace gets up to temp, still doesn't get too warm though, I have a 40x80 uninsulated metal quonset.