Kerosene heaters are generally preferred due to their portability and efficiency. However, one major drawdown of these heaters you need to know is that they emit poisonous gases, which may be harmful to you.
This is why kerosene heater needs to be vented because it helps prevent the gases it emits from becoming too much and leading to health hazards or even death.
Burning a kerosene heater reduces oxygen and produces gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. This is why adequate ventilation is necessary for the safe operation of a kerosene heater.
Why Is It Important to Ventilate a Kerosene Heater?
Ventilating a kerosene heater is necessary to prevent hazardous issues that may be brought by the emission of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, among other gases emitted by the unit.
When you burn kerosene, it consumes oxygen, which is hazardous to one’s health. This is why it is crucial to ensure your home is well ventilated when running a kerosene heater.
You should also follow the manufacturer’s instructions provided to offer adequate oxygen for combustion. In most cases, you’re required to open windows or doors leading to another room.
If the manufacturer hasn’t listed any specifications, one general rule is to ensure that there is at least 1 square inch window opening for every 1,000 BTUs of the heater rating. For instance, a 20,000 BTU may need to open an outside window 20 square inches to provide the necessary air intake.
If your home happens to be energy-efficient, it is necessary to have additional air intake. You should also ensure that the heater is never used as the only heat source.
The only exception is if there is an emergency. You should also never operate your heater when you’re sleeping because it might malfunction and cause asphyxiation.
What Happens If You Don’t Ventilate a Kerosene Heater?
To answer the second question, when you fail to ventilate a kerosene heater, oxygen in the air could be reduced to a dangerous level. When this happens, it can lead to suffocation and even death.
Another thing you need to keep in mind is that your heater should never be left unattended. It would help if you also placed the heater away from the traffic flow to prevent it from causing any harm to other people in your home, such as kids.
Kerosene Heater Ventilation Requirements
Here are some of the requirements you need to know when using a kerosene heater.
1. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Ventilation is essential when using a kerosene heater. This is mainly because the gases emitted by the heater tend to reduce oxygen levels in the air, which can be quite hazardous. Therefore, you need to ensure that there is proper ventilation in your home to be safe.
When there is proper ventilation, it helps to replace the reduced oxygen and removes gases to prevent respiratory problems. As mentioned earlier, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Allow the Heater to Cool Before You Refuel
Always allow the heater to cool for about 15 minutes before you decide to refuel it. Most heaters have a surface temperature that can go as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kerosene also has a flashpoint, which is the lowest temperature at which liquid provides enough vapors to form an ignitable mixture of about 110 degrees Fahrenheit and an ignition temperature of 410 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you spill kerosene on the heater, it might ignite and result in a fire. This is another crucial ventilation requirement you need to adhere to for safety purposes.
3. Keep Your Windows and Doors Open
Whenever you’re using a kerosene heater, it’s highly recommended to keep the windows and doors of your home open to allow air in and out. Even if you don’t want to open your doors and windows wide, you can open them a bit to have enough space where air can enter and leave, to allow the poisonous fumes produced by the kerosene heater be removed.
Also, you need to avoid overfilling the heater when refueling it to leave sufficient space for fuel expansion. You can follow the manufacturer’s refuel instructions found in the unit’s user manual or on the nameplate.
Other Safety Precautions to Take When Using Kerosene Heaters Indoors
When it comes to using a kerosene heater indoors, it’s important to adhere to safety precautions to prevent any health hazards from occurring. Here are some of the other safety precautions you need to consider.
- Avoid using a substitute like gasoline or camp stove fuel. Using such fuels in a kerosene heater can cause a fire or an explosion. Therefore, if you want to avoid the risk of fire, ensure you place the heater a few feet away from curtains, furniture, clothes, and papers, or other things that can cause a fire.
- Another thing you need to ensure is that you use only the listed heaters. These are heaters that have been tested and listed following the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) Standard 647. The listing should be shown on the nameplate of the heater.
- Proper maintenance – Consult the manufacturer or provide manual instructions for proper maintenance and upkeep to ensure the heater operates appropriately. Proper maintenance involves regular cleaning, trimming the wick, cleaning soot and carbon, inspecting fuel leaks, and other maintenance recommendations provided by the manufacturer.
- If you have children, make sure to warn them of the dangers posed by the hot surface of the kerosene heater. For safety, you can consider putting the heater far away from the children’s reach.
- Install a smoke detector or a fire extinguisher in your home. Ensure these safety equipment are kept in a visible and accessible place.
- You can also come up with an evacuation plan if a fire erupts caused by the kerosene heater. This is a plan that you should develop and practice with everyone in your home. Remember, the plan is only good when everyone knows it and has practiced it to the core.
Conclusion
Venting kerosene heaters are mandatory, and also adhering to more safety precautions will help you keep you and everyone in your home safe. Ensure you follow all the tips that I’ve offered here and maintain your kerosene heater properly to serve you better and for longer.
Feel free to add more insights in the comments section below or ask any questions that you might have about kerosene heaters. Alternatively, you can reach out to me through email, and I’ll be happy to respond to you.