Do Kerosene Heaters Need To Be Vented? (How Much and How To)
Keeping warm is a situation that has people looking for economical methods to keep the cold outside of their RVs. Kerosene heaters are portable, easy to use and the fuel is not always that expensive. The key is to make sure your area is not enclosed.
Do kerosene heaters need to be vented? Yes, kerosene heaters do need some sort of ventilation system. They produce carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide gases. The cost can be as little as a nice house fan price as that would be the least amount of ventilation you would need.
To learn more about ventilating kerosene heaters, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to make sure you are safe through the heater’s operation. The best thing to do is to get a carbon monoxide detector to help you monitor safety levels.
Do you Need to Vent Kerosene Heaters?
Do-you-Need-to-Vent-Kerosene-Heaters
Yes, you should do this and you should not cut corners when you do. The number of dangerous gases the heater produces makes ventilation a mandatory act. These gas emissions are harmful to the following people- pregnant women, asthmatics, individuals with cardiovascular disease, elderly persons, and young children.
Plus, the heaters burn up oxygen so you would need to replace the oxygen supply in your RV or tent. It is also best not to leave the heater on overnight as anything could go wrong and you would not be awake to rectify the situation.
If you didn’t know, kerosene is labeled as #1 diesel fuel. It is not the same fuel you would place in your truck engine if it has a diesel engine. Also, it does not burn as hot as diesel #2 does. Its power output is about 135,000 BTUs whereas Diesel #2’s power output is registered at 139,000 BTUs.
Those figures are per gallon not per tank. Diesel #2 can be used in place of kerosene which may help you avoid some of those dangerous gases kerosene puts out.
How Much Ventilation for Kerosene Heater
Now that you have read the bad news, there is a little good news to read. The cheapest way to ventilate your room when you want to use a kerosene heater is by cracking a window or two.
To make the ventilation work even better, you can strategically place a fan in the room to make sure there is enough airflow. While you are leaving the window open about 1 inch, you should invest in a carbon monoxide detector to double your safety protection.
You do not need any special piping or ducting to handle the ventilation. All the experts warn to not use the heater overnight as anything can happen. The heater could tip over or some part may malfunction and you would not be in a position to do anything about it.
Also, if you are going to use the heater at night, do not close any windows. You need to keep the oxygen coming in. if you close the windows, the carbon monoxide will replace what has been consumed and be dangerous for you.
How to Vent Kerosene Heater
There are many different designs for kerosene heaters and some may come with their own venting system. You would have to specifically check how the heater is vented before you purchase any model.
If you are thinking that there is a long stove pipe coming out at the top like an old wood stove, we have seen only one model with that design. The best way to ventilate your room holding the kerosene heater is by opening the doors or the windows.
Never close either as that will stop new oxygen from entering the room and place the occupants at risk. Using a fan will help, but the fan should be placed near the open doors or windows to help bring in the new air and create good air circulation.
It is possible to add a filter to the heater. This filter should be designed to trap carbon monoxide gas. That will lower your risk factor somewhat. However, a filter does not replace the need for good ventilation.
Other people use their chimneys but RVs and tents, etc., do not have that option available.
Kerosene Heater Vented Outside
There seem to be few models available that directly vent the gases to the outside air. This does not mean that they do not exist, you just may have to go to a heating specialist to get the materials or help in constructing one for your situation.
There was a direct to the outside kerosene heater made from the 1970s to 2014 but the Japanese company discontinued it in 2014. Rinnai filled that void and does offer one but it may be too powerful for trailers and RVs.
However, their model may burn on propane only. It is not common to find direct to the outside kerosene heaters as most people prefer portable models that they can easily store.
Then most of those options are designed to heat traditional homes, not RVs and trailers. It is possible to DIY your own venting system but that would depend on the design of the heater you own.
If you use one of the smaller versions it would mean cutting a hole in your RV or trailer. That opens up another can of worms as you would need something to prevent birds and other small animals from using the opening for their own purposes.
Vented Kerosene Heaters Indoors
This type of heater is designed to be ventilated by opening a door or window. We looked at many models and there was no attachment provided to direct any of the gases emitted by the heater to the outside.
When you want portability and easy use, then you will have to make adjustments to your heating lifestyle. It is not easy to add piping or ducting that would send the fumes into your RV’s existing duct system.
When you use a portable heater, you have the ease of moving the heater where you want. But no matter where you move it to, you would have to have an open window, door, or even a fan on hand.
Kerosene heaters can save you money but for the most part, the direct to outside heaters are made for traditional homes. There may be somewhere you can attach the venting system to your current RV duct system but again, they may be too powerful for your situation.
Kerosene Heater Chimney
There are lots of materials on the market to help vent different heaters. The question is, will they work on your kerosene heater. For almost all portable models the answer would be no they won’t.
Not because the materials are designed to handle the heat but that the kerosene heater is not equipped to accept the pipes. Most kerosene heaters that are designed to accept pipes are also made to be permanently installed in your home.
We checked a kerosene heater accessory website and they did not have any chimneys that would exhaust the fumes to the outside. In traditional homes, some people use their fireplace to hold their heater. Then adjust the flue to direct the fumes outside while keeping the heat inside.
Most heater designs have the exhaust pipe go through the wall in a straight line from the heater. They do not have chimney attachments to them.
Homemade Kerosene Heater
This is possible to do if you are talented in construction heaters. One person used a mason jar, a burner, and a wick. he put the three items together and can heat up a fair-sized room with one while using little kerosene. If you copy this design, you would need the glass chimney you see on oil lamps to help the wick burn correctly.
In that vein, you could use an old oil lamp. Instead of filling it with oil, you fill it with kerosene. The setup is the same and you just light the wick to get a little heat and light at the same time.
Some people use a tin can over top of a propane-type tank but fill the tank with kerosene instead. There are lots of photos and ideas on this website. They should provide you with some inspiration when you are looking to heat smaller areas and save on utility costs.
Some Final Words
If you are going to go with the Kerosene heating option it is best to vent the room. There are just too many different harmful gases emitted by burning kerosene safely without using a ventilation system.
Kerosene is safe to use as long as you use it correctly. Kerosene does not explode on you if you place alighted match in it. The match will simply go out. All you need to do is burn the fuel correctly and you should be safe.
