Heater fumes question

notjustair · Dec 30, 2017

I am welding gates for the new catch pen and decided I deserved a new present - one of those bullet heaters. After all, the high is in the single digits. I can't stand the cold like I used to be able to. Especially standing for hours welding and not moving to keep my body warmed up.

The machine shed isn't air tight so I'm not worried about running the bullet heater, but I just know I'm going to catch all heck when I walk in the house. My bibs and coat will smell like kerosene fumes. The wife can smell things like that a mile away. She can tell if I flooded the chore truck starting it that morning!

So what fuels are most "refined" to produce the least obnoxious fumes. It doesn't bother me mind you, but my winter clothes hang in the cellar stairwell. I assume dyed diesel is one of the worst just because it's diesel and then there is dye to burn up (never mind that there is 2000 gallons of it right out in the tanks). I went ahead and bought a bunch of kerosene, but I am not familiar with fuel oil. Where does it stand. What about jet fuel? I do have an outlet for that.

jeffcat · Dec 30, 2017

This was in another tail a couple of days ago. Go and see if you can find REAL K1 kerosene. Has almost no sulphur in it and that is what makes the stink. At Lowes and Depot you can buy this stuff. The true synthetic on the left is no sulphur and no ash. Makes no stink at all. I use it in my kerosene lamps with terrific results. The bottle on the right is the K1. That is what those Japanese space heaters were designed to run on. Makes a real big differance in how clean the wick stays and the smell. Give some a try. Couple of gallons worth just for giggles.

ss55 · Dec 30, 2017

Propane heaters seem to burn cleaner than other fuels.

grizz02 · Dec 30, 2017

Like jeffcat said use only k-1 kerosene it does not have the sulfur in it

jimg.allentown · Dec 30, 2017

As long as you burn kerosene, you will have fumes to some level. Some fuels generate less fumes than others, but they all do to some extent. I use a bullet heater in my workshop. It only gives off fumes when starting and stopping. In between, it runs cleanly with very little smell if any.
One thing that you will find is that if you use diesel or fuel oil (#2 is the same as diesel), you will likely have problems with getting good ignition in the cold. My heater was given to me by a fellow that simply did not like the fumes. It was filled with #2 fuel oil. It ran good, made a LOT of heat, but when the temperatures dropped, it would not start up. I had to use another smaller heater to heat up the big one to get it going. Next fill up was straight K-1 kerosene.
If the fumes are a concern, I would recommend just sticking to propane or natural gas. Both are cleaner burning and will give off a minimum of fumes and no strong smells.

hd6gtom · Dec 30, 2017

Guys #2 fuel oil is not the same stuff as #2 diesel. Hasn't been the same since 1960. #2 diesel has the additives in it to burn in today's diesels, #2 fuel oil doesnot.

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Dec 30, 2017

My personal experience has been that the modern low sulfur highway diesel burns cleaner and less smell than kerosene. Tat being siad, when my old kero burner finally gave up the ghost after around 25 or 30 years I replaced it with a propane burner. operating costs are about the same and it is cleaner burning.

Bob M · Dec 30, 2017

Burning sulfur-free K-1 is spendy, but results almost no smell.

I find starting my heater outdoors then letting it run several minutes (until the nose cone glows bright red) before bringing it inside eliminates most of the residual smell on clothing, etc - even when burning diesel. Likewise move the heater back outside before shutting it down.

Also keep your heater in top condition (clean filters, etc).

paul · Dec 30, 2017

'Here' it effectively is the same; I don't know a coop stocking heating fuel, the trouble of having a separate bulk tank and hauling it separate would cost more than just using diesel fuel for both.

Having #1 and #2 diesel in road and off road configurations is enough for them.....

I understand your point, but effectively we only have diesel fuel here.

Paul

GordoSD · Dec 30, 2017

Get apropane heater?

504 · Dec 30, 2017

I brought a propane one twenty years ago, and the only thing I would change is my 35,000 BTU is too small.

Leroy · Dec 30, 2017

I would have no problen getting kerosine, probably have to pick up as would be too far for then to deliever it.

MF#1 · Dec 30, 2017

I don't know what jet fuel would smell like in a heater but I guarantee you won't like getting behind a running jet waiting for takeoff. BTDT too many times, Oxygen 100%! JP-8 is the worst. Jet-A without Prist may be less stinky.

Andy Martin · Dec 30, 2017

Nobody addressed jet fuel.

I knew it was kerosene and has no sulfur, but I asked a chemist at the refinery I was working at about burning it in kerosene lanterns. He said it would do fine. I had a cousin working at a small airport and they had several hundred gallons of water contaminated Jet A to give away. Came out of their sewer separator. I've used it for years, and can't tell it from kerosene.

New jet fuel should be a lot cheaper than kerosene and is cleaner than K-1.

MtMan · Dec 30, 2017

The biggest problem with smell from this type of heater is, it's burning the same air over and over again. Put a big funnel with a good size hose on it on the air draw side and draw air for it to use from outdoors and it does away with most smell form the exhaust. Try it and you will see a big difference. The reason is, it's not burning the same air over and over.

buickanddeere · Dec 30, 2017

Carbon Monoxide will kill you dead even with a couple of doors wide open and the room oxygen at 20+ percent .

rusty6 · Dec 30, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:05:51 12/30/17)
One thing that you will find is that if you use diesel or fuel oil (#2 is the same as diesel), you will likely have problems with getting good ignition in the cold. My heater was given to me by a fellow that simply did not like the fumes. It was filled with #2 fuel oil. It ran good, made a LOT of heat, but when the temperatures dropped, it would not start up. I had to use another smaller heater to heat up the big one to get it going. Next fill up was straight K-1 kerosene.

That is exactly the problem I have been experiencing with my heater. Years ago when new it would start right up on winter diesel, no matter what the temp. The past five years or so it has been difficult if not impossible to start when really cold. Tried it the other day at around -15F and it would not start until I unscrewed the cover and opened it right up. Then it starts easy. Let it run a minute to warm up, replace cover, and it is good to go on the next start. I wonder if kerosene would help this one?

Bob · Dec 31, 2017

There's simply NO health benefits in breathing the byproducts of the combustion of various hydrocarbon fuels from unvented heaters, regardless of how much they do or do not "stink". If your wife notices the smell when you enter the house, what does that say about what has been absorbed into you lungs and bloodstream?

If you are young and dumb, and "bulletproof" you can get by with it. Been there, done that.

IIRC, you are no longer young (same as me) so just DON'T do it.

Blackhole49 · Dec 31, 2017

Buy a propane model and run it off a 20# bottle. Huge difference.

David G · Dec 31, 2017

Propane is relatively stink less, but still produces CO.

Any combustion produces CO and some H2O, a catalyst converts most of the CO to CO2 and H2O

MARK ROBKE · Dec 31, 2017

I did not see where any one else addressed this : what about the smoke from welding all day?Mark

IA Roy · Dec 31, 2017

My son and his boss use jet fuel. I Don't know what grade. Probably A-1. About half the price of kerosene.

Keith Molden · Dec 31, 2017

I had a 230,000 btu Lawn Boy heater that I sold the other day. It worked great and would heat up my shop quick. But with my lungs, I would cough all day and all night when ever I used it. I went to Propane heater and I don't cough anymore when I'm in the shop working. You be the judge of why. I'm just an old man with COPD that smoked for 50 years telling this. P.S. I haven't had or wanted a cig. in 5 years now.

buickanddeere · Dec 31, 2017

With a simple burner all other factors “equal”. The LP heater will produce less CO than kerosene. #2 diesel will produce more CO than kerosene.

Heater fumes question

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