Kerosene heater
Encyclopedia
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
-fueled, space-heating device. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
they are used mainly for supplemental heat or as a source of emergency heat during a power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
. In some countries, particularly in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, they are used as the primary source of home heat. Most kerosene heaters produce between 3.3 and 6.8 kW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
(11000 to 23000 BTU per hour).
Operation
A kerosene heater operates much like a large kerosene lampKerosene lamp
The kerosene lamp is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. This article refers to kerosene lamps that have a wick and a tall glass chimney. Kerosene lanterns that have a wick and a glass globe are related to kerosene lamps and are included here as well...
. A circular wick
Candle wick
A candle wick is a string, cord, or wooden object that holds the flame of a candle. A candle wick works by capillary action, drawing the fuel to the flame. When the liquid fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame it then vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the...
made from fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
is integrated into a burner unit mounted above a font (tank) filled with 1-K kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
. The wick draws kerosene from the tank via capillary action
Capillary action
Capillary action, or capilarity, is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity where liquid spontanously rise in a narrow space such as between the hair of a paint-brush, in a thin tube, or in porous material such as paper or in some non-porous material such as liquified carbon fiber, or in a...
. Once lit, the wick emits flames into the burner unit which heats air via convection
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
or nearby objects via radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
. The burner is designed to properly oxygenate and distribute the flames. The flame height is controlled by raising or lowering the exposed wick height inside the burner unit via an adjusting mechanism. The kerosene heater is extinguished by fully retracting the wick into a cavity below the burner, which will snuff out the flame.
There has been a technological advance in Kerosene Heaters, in some now use electricity to power a fan to force the heated air out, making it possible to heat up rooms faster. There is also thermostat controlled operation installed in modern kerosene heaters as well. However most kerosene heaters require no electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to operate. Most heaters contain a battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
-operated or piezo-electric
Piezo ignition
Piezo ignition is a type of ignition that is used in portable camping stoves, gas grills and some lighters, and potato guns. It consists of a small, spring-loaded hammer which, when a button is pressed, hits a crystal of PZT or quartz crystal. Quartz is piezoelectric, which means that it creates a...
ignitor to light the heater without the need for matches. If the ignitor should fail the heater can still be started manually.
The wick requires routine maintenance. Usually the kerosene heater is placed outdoors and allowed to operate until it runs out of fuel. Tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
and other leftover deposits on the wick are burned off. The wick will eventually deteriorate to the point where it will need to be replaced.
Details of Operation
A kerosene heater is an appliance in which kerosene is gasified by surface evaporation and burned. The amount of kerosene evaporated and heat generated can be increased in direct proportion to the area of the contact surface between the kerosene and air. The wick used in a kerosene heater consists of many bundles of fine fibers and, in accordance with the principle behind it, it is designed to provide a large evaporation area.A wick consists of bundles of thin fibers and countless capillary tubes. The kerosene is drawn up from the tank into the combustion area by these capillary tubes. As a result, if the kerosene becomes viscous or dirt and dust find their way inside the heater, the capillary tubes will become clogged. This will cause a deterioration in the drawing of the kerosene and combustion will no longer be possible.
Odors of Operation
Whenever filling a kerosene heater, there is an opportunity for the fuel to vaporize and create an odor in the air. This is why it is important to fill the heater in a garage or outside. When a kerosene heater is first ignited, it takes a few seconds to a few minutes for the fuel to mix with the air in the perfect ratio for complete combustion. For that space of time, the fuel to air mixture is quite rich. This results in a small amount of unburned kerosene. Once the heater is burning normally, no additional odor is created. An improperly adjusted wick causes smoke and odor. This is corrected by adjusting the wick-height. A wick with carbon build-up will also cause odor. A wick in this condition should be replaced. Odor may also be apparent when the heater is extinguished. The wick holder remains quite warm. When lowered, the wick continues to draw kerosene, causing a vaporization of the fuel which is detected as odor.Safety Concerns
Because kerosene heaters are usually unvented, all combustion products are released into the indoor air. Among these are low levels of nitrogen dioxideNitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula it is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor and is a prominent...
and carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
. An improperly adjusted, fueled, or poorly maintained kerosene heater will release more pollutants, particularly through incomplete combustion. Use of a kerosene heater in a poorly ventilated home, especially in modern well insulated ones, could pose a health risk. Most manufacturers suggest that a window be left cracked open. Kerosene heaters should not be left unattended, especially while sleeping. A kerosene heater, as any heater that uses organic fuel, when running out of oxygen can produce massive amounts of soot and carbon monoxide. Failure to abide by these precautions could result in asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
.
Hot surfaces on the heater pose a fire and burn risk. The open flame poses an explosion risk in environments where flammable vapors may be present, such as in a garage. Use of improper or contaminated fuel could cause poor performance, a fire or an explosion. There are the usual risks involved with the storage of kerosene and while refilling the heater.
Always use clear 1-K Kerosene. Use of impure fuel can cause extra soot. A risk of explosion is present with even trace amounts of gasoline mixed in the fuel, which is why it is illegal in many jurisdictions to dispense gasoline into unauthorized containers such as kerosene jugs; be sure to store in a container that has not been used with gasoline.