Is there an equation to compare heating costs of propane versus electricity to heat a bedroom?

Growing up, we had a couple of kerosene space heaters but we apparently weren't worried about carbon monoxide because the house was a bit drafty. When the power would go out during a blizzard, we'd use kerosene lanterns because candles wouldn't stay lit.

My mother used to say that we lived in a corn crib, but I'm guessing most won't get that reference.

That system seems like what I installed in my house that had natural gas. There was a natural gas furnace for thr house. At one end was a single carport that was enclosed, no heat or AC except what would com in by the open door to the house.

I intalled a ventless heater that had 3 panels and you manually selected the amount of heat by using one, two, or 3 panels.

I had tried heating that area with one of the kerosene heaters but it left a smell in the house. The heater worked well otherwise.

I can't answer your question. Have you looked at heaters for recreational vehicles? Those might be enough for your climate. A 20 gallon or so propane tank sounds way too small to be useful. You'll spend a lot of money getting refills. Rumor has it gasoline in California ain't cheap. I definitely wouldn't want a propane tank inside no matter the size.

Does the propane Big Buddy heater have the same kerosene smell? I hope not.

I've smelled propane generator in action. They stink too. Different. Not the mercapthol (or whatever they put in the unburned propane to make it smell like rotten eggs but the burned smell is not like a wood fire is).

Does the Big Buddy stink that burned propane stink? Or does the catalyst remove that burned propane stink too?

I think I have the answer to the heating costs efficiency questions thanks to the starting point conversion factor Ed & others provided.

Unless I did the math wrong, that particular $80 Costco Big Buddy propane heater will cost the same per hour as that Costco electric heater will.

But that particular Costco propane heater will output about 1-1/2 times (on low) more heat (BTU) to 1-3/4 times (on high) more heat in that same hour.

The propane equipment also costs ~3X more and has inherent risks indoors. It's portable though. And works during a power outage.

But portability & power outages was never the goal. The goal is indoor room heating (and to return one of the two I bought).

The box says it will last 108 hours on the 20-pound tank (set to low). But I'd probably want to use the 1-pound canisters (5.4 hours on low).

In the OP I mentioned a sturdy ~$50 Home Depot refill jig for the 20-pound to 1-pound refilling (which comes with one Flame King one-pound refillable propane cylinder) but brass refill adapters are less than $10 online.

The 3rd choice for refilling a Flame King 1-pound cylinder is a $25 hose.

From the Home Depot test jig, I'm guessing you refill them upside down.

I paid $3.95/gallon for 4.4 gallons at the local U-Haul. The guy named "Wilson" filled it up in just a few minutes. No waiting.

I thought they'd cool the tank (like they do when refilling scuba gear) and then weigh the before and after, but Wilson has a machine (much like a propane truck does) that measures output in gallons on a big odometer.

Typical with Costco, a six-foot hose comes with the package that adapts the

I think a problem with that adapter hose might be potential fitting leaks. But we can assume a leak will stink as long as the room is being attended.

Be sure to advise your insurance company - if you plan to use portable propane heaters in your home .. John T.

A friend of mine has one that he uses in his house. He's in a retirement community and his unit has electric heat. I would use one of those temporarily in some place with ventilation, like a house under construction while working inside, that kind of thing. But I wouldn't use one regularly for heating a home. I haven't been there when it's going to see if there is any odor. Also he has to get clear kerosene for it and it's about 20 miles to the nearest place for that. Apparently regular kerosene clogs up the wick somehow.

Another factor in favor of electric, no tank refilling. Having to haul that tank around to get it refilled will become a pain, IMO.

The issue isn't hauling the tank around to get it refilled since the tank only weighs 20 pounds empty. The refilling process is a five minute wait. And the price of four dollars per gallon seems reasonable to me (is it?).

But having a forty pound (full) tank attached to the heater by a six foot hose is a bit of an issue if you move the heater around from room to room.

The room I want to head has a fireplace in the middle so that's where I'd put it. There isn't any electricity outlets on that central stack.

But now that I know the propane costs less per BTU but less than twice as less, I may return the propane heater to Costco. I'm stuck with the tank.

What can you do with an already filled brand new 20-gallon propane tank? It has to be hydro tested every 12 years according to Wilson at U-Haul.

I will probably buy a Flame King refillable 1-pound propane cylinder and the ten-dollar brass adapter to refill it from the 20-pound propane tank.

At the rate I use the 1-pound propane cylinders (mostly for copper pipe repairs or for heating things to bend them or melting stranded rope ends.

Buy a propane grill and cook outside. Year round in the bay area.

What's with the ridiculous fabrications of scare tactics?

Do you work for "climate science" politicians? Everything they say is like what you say. Lies. And scare tactics.

Completely baseless dire warnings of death and destruction. Completely made up. All lies. No facts. Only scare tactics.

Did you notice that it says "for indoor use" on the OP's box?

When I was a kid you could always tell who was heating with kerosene. I don't mind the smell but it's distinctive. Coal stoves had a similar odor.

Not that I have noticed but that may be me. My kitchen stove also uses propane. A couple of times the pilot light has blown out and I can smell the raw gas but not when it's operational.

The common tank used for grills and so forth is 20 pounds, not 20 gallons. I've used 100 pound tanks for stock heaters. The tanks weight about 70 pounds plus 80 pounds of propane when full. They weren't too bad to unload from a pickup and get into place but i was a lot younger then.

Run some soapy water over all the connections. I make up a little in a spray bottle for convenience.

See it to a neighbor with a gas grill or patio heater. It's good to have a spare when the fire goes out and the steak is half raw.

When you file a claim, your homeowners insurance company will investigate the circumstances that caused the fire. If your insurance policy has exclusions or limitations involving primary and secondary heating sources, any claim where the space heater is the primary heating source could be denied.

How do you know they are baseless?

How do you know that?