Garage heater - kerosene vs propane

[JC]

I'm looking for a basic, occasional use heater for my garage. The garage is single car, 410 square feet, uninsulated. Use of the heater for short term emergency (power outage) indoor heating would be a plus.

What are people's experiences with kerosene vs propane for cost, effectiveness, safety, cost, etc.? What BTU rating has worked well for people in similar situations?

Thanks in advance.

[hotblues20]

I am interested in this one as well. My garage is now my gym, and below 30 degrees, fugheddaboutit.

But the garage is not insulated...the box heater I use in there now is good only if you stand in front of it. Somehow kerosene and a wood garage frightens me.

Bluesman

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've not use kerosene so I can't comment on that.

I have a garage about the same size. I use a 30,000 Btu propane heater for a 30 degree temperature rise. This is just fine when it is 20 to 30 degrees, but when we get a spell of single digits, I don't even try to use it. Over the summer I added some insulation. Too soon to tell what it is going to do, but it seems to have helped. It does take 15 to 30 minutes to get comfy on a very cold day. Ed

[effi]

supposedly catalytic propane heaters are safe in a way that (noncatalytic) propane heaters and kerosene heaters are not

byproducts from burning fuel in propane heaters or kerosene heaters can kill humans in high enough concentrations, so venting is part of those systems

catalytic propane heaters supposedly don't produce those byproducts and are thus supposedly safe indoors for humans provided they are fed plenty of fresh oxygen from outside (otherwise humans suffocate) and are attended,,,,check with manufacturers for specific application questions

some rv heaters sold are catalytic propane types

you didn't mention if your car or other flammable stuff will be stored in yoru garage,,,,,,,,,,the advisability of using *any* kind of heater in an enclosed garage with a car or other potentially explosive storage containers etc. is best left to experts, check with them too

[rck]

Unvented propane heaters of today are a lot different than the unsafe ones of days goneby. Today, they have an oxygen sensor which will shut the heater down if oxygen falls below a safe level. They are approved in all but six states for use in residential heating when not used in a bedroom. They are very common here in Tennessee and have a good safety record. Add a CO detector and provide a fresh air intake of one sq in per 1000 BTU. Disclaimer: I'm not a professional heating technician, I'm reading my manual.

Bob

[Ignoramus27451]

Kerosene is cheaper than propane, I believe, and can be stored more cost effectively in larger quantities (think 5 gallon cans).

I bought a kerosene heater for my garage yesterday, and am very pleased with it. It produces several kilowatt of heat rather cleanly, no annoying scents etc.

I have a 23,00 btu heater, a 500 square feet half insulated garage. This heater, helped by a 1.5kw space heater raised garage temp from 40F to 70F in about 2 hours, with outside temp at 5F.

i

[effi]

(noncatalytic) propane heaers and kerosene heaters make carbon monoxide, the same stuff in car exhaust and used in gas chambers in ww2

catalytic propane heaters supposedly don't make carbon monoxide

noting both catalytic and noncatalytic propane heaters have many other potentials for danger that should be addressed if used

for instance, campers in tents during rain using catalytic propane heaters have noticed the rain seals the tent from outside oxygen and creates air uninhabitable to humans, suffocating them

looking at hits on google like those at

dangers of using propane or kerosene

[George E. Cawthon]

I don't have either but just ordered a propane type because it is cheap and should easily heat my insulated 2 car garage. A kerosene heater easily heated a friend's large garage (actually a shop) with 11 foot ceilings and produced way more heat than the smaller propane heater, or so said the friend. I have also observed a propane catalytic heater being used to heat a 26 foot trailer. The owners needed heat that didn't require electricity while camping to make sure their many birds didn't get cold. It worked very well and was economical to use.

In any case, you probably should mount the burn surface at least 18 degrees above the floor to meet code requirements. I wouldn't worry much about CO or lack of oxygen with any modern kerosene or propane burner as the garage is likely to leak lots of air. If it doesn't you can always open a window, doesn't need to be more than a crack.

[Duane Bozarth]

...

I'm surprised they noticed... :)

[Phisherman]

The combustion heaters are a safety concern, and I don't use them. An infrared lamp is quick and works well if you are not moving around a lot. Great for sore muscles or a bad back too!