5 Best Smallest Kerosene Heaters (Reviews & Buying Guide)

Do you want to find the smallest kerosene heaters for indoor or outdoor use?

Portable kerosene heaters are great heating alternatives during emergencies or power outages. They are also easy to move around from one room to another, which makes them more convenient.

Kerosene heaters can also efficiently heat large spaces, including garages, studios, and other areas where you don’t have an electric outlet.

Since you’ll find many options on the market, we have reviewed some of the best kerosene heaters. The most crucial factors to consider before selecting a heater are coverage area and heat output.

You want to make sure the heater can produce enough heat to keep the room at your desired temperature. We’ve gone into more details in the buying guide.

Best Small Kerosene Heaters Reviews

How Much Space will a Kerosene Heater Heat?

Kerosene heaters, like natural gas and propane-burning heaters, can provide adequate warmth in areas that are as large as 4,000 square feet. This heating capacity is higher than that of standard electric space heaters.

Kerosene heaters can warm large areas because they have fans. The fans serve the critical function of spreading the heated air across large areas.

Because of this characteristic, kerosene heaters can be beneficial in heating large outdoor spaces, including garages, small sporting areas, and workstations.

How Big of a Kerosene Heater Do you Need?

The size of a kerosene heater that you need depends on the space that you would like to heat. The number of BTUs that you need to warm any indoor or outdoor space is directly proportional to the size. You will need large amounts of BTUs to heat big garages with kerosene heaters and less BTUs for small indoor spaces.

Kerosene heaters come in different BTUs from 10,000 to 200,000. To select the right size of a heater for your space, first, measure the area in square feet. If your garage measures 20 by 20 feet, then its size will be 400 square feet.

Once you have the area of the space that you would like to heat, multiply the figure by 20. A general rule of thumb is that one requires 20BTUs to heat every square space.

If your garage has 400 square feet, then the total amount of BTUs needed to keep it warm will be 12,000. However, you may have to consider other factors before settling on a kerosene heater’s right size.

If the garage has many open spaces that allow warmed air to escape quickly, you may consider getting a heater with a higher BTU level than 12,000. This capacity will help you address the unique heating requirements of the space.

Also Check – How to Change Kerosene Heater Wick

How Long will a Kerosene Heater Run?

The length of time that a kerosene heater runs depends on the amount of fuel in the tank. A kerosene heater is designed as a highly efficient source of supplemental heating for outdoor and indoor spaces.

The most efficient kerosene heaters are more economical than electric space heaters because the kerosene price is lower than that of electricity. It will cost you less to keep a kerosene heater burning as a source of supplemental heat in your home than using any electric space heater.

The fuel tanks of kerosene heaters that are available on the market are of various sizes. Standard kerosene heaters come with fuel tanks that can hold up to 1.2 gallons or 4.5 liters of kerosene. When such heaters are used to provide warmth with full fuel tanks, they can run for up to 14 hours.

Remember that your kerosene tank’s actual fuel consumption rate depends on the level of heating at which it runs. If you maintain your heater at a high-temperature level, it will consume the kerosene faster than when you keep it at a lower temperature.

Is it OK to Use a Kerosene Heater Indoors?

Kerosene heaters produce different gases, including carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Whereas some of the gases may produce foul smells, some, such as carbon monoxide, are entirely odorless yet very poisonous.

If you use a kerosene heater in the house, you will have to assume the gas risks. Carbon monoxide has been known to cause many deaths due to asphyxiation.

However, when enough amounts of oxygen are supplied, then the production of carbon monoxide subsides. When enough oxygen is provided, the carbon monoxide is quickly converted to the less deadly, carbon dioxide form.

The logic of using a heater that burns kerosene or any other type of hydrocarbon fuel indoors is to ensure that there is enough supply of oxygen. This strategy helps minimize the amount of carbon dioxide produced when the heater burns the fuel.

If you decide to use the quietest kerosene heater indoors, ensure that the room is adequately vented. When there is an adequate supply of oxygen across the room, no carbon monoxide will be produced.

Kerosene Heater Safety

Although it is necessary to observe general safety rules when using any heater, this need becomes urgent when using a kerosene heater.

Having a kerosene heater around your home or anywhere else poses many dangers. The heaters produce a lot of moisture when operating. Excess humidity may cause significant problems if you are using them to provide heat in closed spaces.

Also, using kerosene heaters means that you have to assume the risk of fires. If the heaters are used in environments that are full of flammable vapors, then explosions can occur at any time.

Moreover, the surfaces of the heaters become very hot after a long time. If the surfaces come into contact with highly combustible materials such as papers and fabrics, they may cause fires.

To prevent fire hazards and gas poisoning when using kerosene heaters, follow the following simple safety tips.

• Use a carbon monoxide detector to help you know when the gas levels get to dangerous levels. This will eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when you use the heater in indoor spaces.
• Keep the wick of the heater wholly immersed in the kerosene. This will ensure that the wick keeps burning and that nasty fumes do not evaporate into the atmosphere. We have a troubleshooting guide for a kerosene heater wick that won’t raise
• Do not leave the kerosene heater unattended to. Always switch it off if you are leaving the room even for a few minutes.
• Keep all combustible materials away from the heater. Because the heater’s surface becomes typically quite hot, it can easily ignite any flammable material that comes into contact with it.

How Do you Neutralize the Smell of Kerosene?

The best way is to deal with the causes of the foul odor. Primarily, the bad smell of kerosene occurs when the vapors of the fuel escape into the air. If you can keep the vapors from evaporating into the atmosphere, you would have effectively dealt with kerosene’s foul odors.

One way of doing it is ensuring that the heater always runs at high temperatures. Typically, if the heater runs at low temperatures, the amount of fuel available for burning exceeds the heater’s capacity. This leads to foul odors as the unburnt kerosene escapes into the air.

Another way is to light the heater outside. Before heaters reach the perfect temperature, the ratio of fuel and air is relatively high. Thus, a small amount of kerosene always escapes into the atmosphere when the heater is starting. If you light it from outside, then the bad smells will not permeate the room.

Best Small Kerosene Heaters Reviews

1. Sengoku KeroHeat 10,000-BTU Indoor/Outdoor Portable Radiant Kerosene Heater, CTN-110

One of the most notable features of the Sengoku KeroHeat is the advanced inbuilt safety features. The heater has an automatic switch that gets activated when the temperature rises to dangerous levels. This feature keeps you safe and prevents the occurrence of fires as a result of overheating.

Also, this kerosene heater switches off immediately if it gets knocked down accidentally. Such knocks can quickly occur when you are using the heater indoors or outdoors.

Moreover, fuel spillages as a result of the heater falling can be quite dangerous. Luckily, the tip-over switch prevents such fire outbreak risks from occurring by automatically switching off the heater.

The only notable drawback of using this heater relates to its heating capacity. Ideally, people choose kerosene heaters for their efficiency and excellent heating capacity.

At a small cost of buying kerosene and maintaining them, the devices can successfully heat large indoor and outdoor spaces. But the Sengoku KeroHeat has a relatively low eating capacity of 10,000 BTUs. This capacity is not enough for heating vast indoor and outdoor spaces.

Pros

• Advanced inbuilt features, including an automatic shutoff system and tip-over switch
• It is sold with a siphoning pump and 4 c batteries for great convenience

Cons

• The heater has a limited capacity of only 10,000 BTUs

2. Dura Heat DH2304S 23,800 BTU Indoor Kerosene Heater

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The Dura Heat Indoor Kerosene heater can be an ideal source of supplemental heat for indoor spaces. Apart from providing heat that is enough to keep whole rooms cozy, the heater can provide light.   You may not need to worry when there is a power outage, and you have this heater in your house.

This heater has a 360-degree design that complements its high heating capacity of 23,000 BTU rating to provide enough warmth for large spaces. You do not have to move or turn it around to ensure the adequate heating of the entire house.

However, the design of the heater makes it quite vulnerable to accidents. Because of the small base, the heater quickly falls when it gets knocked. Because such accidents can occur in any home with people moving about all the time, you will have to consider it before you choose this heater.

Pros

• Ideal for indoor heating because it provides both heat and light
• Its 360 degrees design and 23,000 BTU rating provide heating enough for large indoor spaces
• It has a metal guard for general protection against burns in the event of one accidentally touching it

Cons

• The heater can easily fall when knocked because of its small base area

3. Sengoku HeatMate 10,000-BTU Portable Indoor/Outdoor Omni-Radiant Kerosene Heater, OR-77

Several features make this heater one of the best choices for indoor and outdoor heating. Primarily, it is designed to provide heating for small indoor spaces.

It has all the convenience and ease-of-use that you would expect to find in a heater made for warming small spaces. You do not need access to electric power to use the heater. Moreover, it is easy to control the heater’s heating capacity by using the conveniently positioned EZ flame control buttons.

Although the Sengoku HeatMate is designed to be a very portable heater, it lacks a handle. One finds it difficult to move the heater around the room for zonal heating.

It is proper to use the heater in small indoor and outdoor spaces only and move it around when it is off and has cooled down properly.

Pros

• The control features for switching it off and controlling the flame are conveniently positioned
• The heater has a specially-designed burner for minimal disruption and efficient performance

Cons

• It does not have a handle for easy portability

4. Dyna-Glo WK24BK 23,800 BTU Indoor Kerosene Convection Heater

It is effortless to use the Dyna-Glo WK24BK kerosene heater, thanks to the ergonomically-positioned controls. You can use the one-touch switch to switch the heater on and off at your convenience.

Moreover, it is relatively easy to adjust the burning level of the heater’s flame and heating capacity using the properly-positioned knobs on the front surface of the heater.

Dyna-Glo WK24BK has all the standard safety features inbuilt. If its temperature rises to dangerous levels, the automatic switch gets activated to prevent fire accidents. Also, tip-over control is very useful in avoiding fire outbreaks if the heater falls accidentally.

The only significant weakness of this heater is that its surface gets quite hot. The sudden rise in the temperature of the heater’s surface can pose a substantial danger to kids and pets if you use the heater indoors.

Pros

• Easy control using the one-touch on-and-off switch
• Great convenience because the heater runs for 12 hours on the full-tank mode
• Inbuilt advanced safety features

Cons

• The surface of the heater becomes quite hot

5. Mr. Heater 175,000-BTU Forced-Air Kerosene Heater, F270370 MH175KTR

If you are looking for a commercial-grade kerosene heater for outdoor use, then the MH175KTR may be the right choice.

With a heating capacity of 175,000 BTU rating and an embedded high-power fan, this heater can provide sufficient heat to keep large outdoor spaces comfortable.

Besides, it can run for up to 10 hours when the 1.9 gallons kerosene tank is full. Thus, you can comfortably use the heater to provide warmth in large outdoor spaces where access to electricity is limited.

Sadly, this heater is not designed to be moved easily from one place to another. Although it has two wheels supposed to aid maneuverability, the heater’s size and shape make it difficult for anyone to move it around quickly.

Pros

• Great heating capacity, thanks to the 175,000 BTU rating and the use of a forced-air system
• Long runtimes of more than 15 hours
• The wheels make the heater very portable

Cons

• The large size compromises ease of use and movement

Also read about propane reddy heater troubleshooting

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Wrap Up

Choosing the best small kerosene heater shouldn’t be a complicated process. But it can be if you don’t know what to look for and what to prioritize.

If you already know the size of your room, use that to determine the right BTU level. Pick a kerosene heater using this BTU level. Don’t go for a small or large heater because it won’t heat efficiently.

All of these portable kerosene heaters will provide the required warmth if you size them in your room. However, if we’d recommend only one product, it’d be KeroHeat 10,000-BTU Indoor/Outdoor Portable Radiant Kerosene Heater. It’s ideal for indoor and outdoor use, has automatic ignition, fuel gauge and siphon pump, and all safety features.