I just bought a kerosene heater. I'm in southern Ontario. Ice storms are a concern. I have 4 foster kids under the age of 4. I gotta keep them warm and be able to feed them! Kerosene will keep us warm and feed us if necessary!
Great info, but I feel compelled to tell my story. What you said about the stability of Kerosene is true, UNLESS it is really hot. I have no sources to cite, but an experience. I've always known that Kerosene does not "explode" like gas, so one night, when I had accidentally let my wood stove go out (but the metal was still very hot), I added a bit of kerosene to the wood that I added. Some of that dripped down to the metal at the bottom of the fire box. Luckily, I threw in a match instead of putting my arm inside, and it literally blew a flame out the door, and singed my entire arm. It was pretty much exactly what you would expect from gasoline. Thank God I didn't have my face in front of it. Anyhow, that's my story, if it helps anyone. No matter how "safe" the fuel, treat it with great respect.
Yeah it’s odd how kerosene reacts. You can put an open flame on just kerosene and it doesn’t ignite, but once you add other things like say wood in your instance, or if you put some kerosene on a cotton ball and light it, then it acts as other combustible liquids and burns very well and pretty hot. Idk why but I’ve always found it to be interesting. Can’t really explain why it reacts that way but definitely something to keep in mind.
Great video, love the secondary containment. I went with the drums with the small screw openings because they're sealed and air tight. With the large lid and spring clamp, the drum isn't air tight and you'll lose your kero through evaporation and get moisture contamination as heat and cool cycling brings in outside air. Worth the extra trouble, and there are inexpensive manual pumps available, or even a length of hose to siphon fuel out.
I can get the k-1 at a gas station near me at a pump for $3.49 a gallon. It cost me $17.50 every 2 weeks to run my heater all winter unless it’s warm some days. I figured up a very cold year and saved all my receipts and it ended up costing me $280! I added up the year before using my heat pump still a cold winter with my electric bills. It was $800 for 4 months. After the heater I ended up saving $230 a year using the heater. Very happy with it.
Just bought another 5 gallon container at $2.97 per gallon here in northern Ohio. But kero does go stale just as gasoline does.When using it in a kero heater the fumes or vapors coming off the top of the wick is what is burning. Stale kero is very difficult to light, burns colder, and gives off large amount of soot(unburned hydrocarbons). You need to continuously rotate your supply by burning at least 10-20 gallons a year.
A kerosene heater is a good backup for your central heating system during *any* winter. The controller board of our then 3-year-old, very high tech, very high efficiency gas central furnace died. In January., with overnight lows in the teens. The "3 day" turnaround for a new board took 2 weeks but we stayed comfortable. We closed off some rooms and heated the rest of the house with the gas logs in the fireplace and a 15-year-old 22,000 BTU kerosene heater (purchased in 1999 with Y2K in mind and used in an ice storm that January - our own local Y2K event). Easy to heat multiple rooms when the kerosene heater is in the kitchen and a fan on the counter blows the hot air immediately above the heater down the hall to a bedroom and bath. We did the "light and extinguish outside" that you mentioned in another video and had no problems with the smell. Two people using one hand each can easily move the heater in and out through the double doors to the screened porch (with gloves to protect hands from the hot bail). My first novel is about the recovery from a "things breaking" apocalypse-type event. If you like PAW fiction, it's here: amazon.com/dp/B01LVU5ILA
Many thanx for a great video Gene, very informative. I live in a small apartment in London, England. With me not having a yard/garden, i have to store the paraffin(thats what it's called in England) in a cool spare room. It comes in a plastic 4 litre container and costs about 10 English Pounds. As the price of Mains Gas used for heating/cooking over hear is very expensive, i tend to use kerosene/paraffin for my heating. Many thanx, take care and greetings from London.
Miles Stairs Wick Shop has extensive information on kerosene one can download. Then print out a hard copy & make a binder dedicated to kerosene & appliances. I keep all my info in a huge 3 ring binder. I put my equipment booklets in there also. Hope this helps someone. God bless.
I store mine in the detached garage, hot, cold, whatever outside environment is. Some in original unopened plastic jugs, another in metal jug. My intent is for lantern use for the most part. Or maybe starting a wet fire if necessary. Since unopened, they should last 20 years...
good video starting to try to find a good way to heat my home when power goes out and found your videos like them but we're can you find k1 kerosene and will this work in oil lamps
Some gas stations sell kerosene. I found one that has clear (some call it white) k1 for just over $4. per gallon. Just be careful not to get the kerosene that has red dye in it or it will mess up your wick.
Older-style "Perfection" and "Aladdin" heaters that use all-cotton wicks can use dyed kerosene with no problems. The "Omni-15," "Moonlighter," and "Rainbow" heaters can use an all-cotton wick, too.
In New York City where I live, no supplier can legally deliver K-1 kerosene; in fact, no one will deliver ANY kerosene to me at all; and in 2019 kerosene will cost me about $45.00 for 5 gallons.
I live in Willow Alaska where the temperature will get to -30 to -40 below zero in the winter .. I want to start stockpiling 5 gallon cans of kerosene . Can I safely store them outside at those temperatures in the winter ?
When I search for "kerosine storage tank" I get a bunch of random tanks of all types. Some people say, "use a metal tank", some say "use the blue tank", which is better than knowing nothing, but still unsettling when making a big purchase. I am not comfortable with "metal is better", or "use the blue tank". Why is there no clear and definitive STANDARD container information for kerosine storage?
Madison Hang Hello Madison Hang. You are lucky. I just got my order from St. Paul Mercantile and am looking to do a bunch of reviews on kerosene products. Thanks. Gene
Can't get a straight answer on the internet for the shelf life of kero. Every thing from 6 months to 25 years to forever. I live in the south in the very humid city of New Orleans. I'll be happy if I can get 3 to 5 years out of it.
In Mobile I'll keep some for about a year. I'll make sure it is burned the next year before I buy. I buy quality white kero from a farmland service station pump at $3.30 ($3.00 summer) and buy about 11 to 20 gals in the summer and replace as used in the winter. I always have about 6-4 gals left by March which I make sure I burn first in Dec. It is not that cold in our area so that method should do you. Great heat for winter storms and it does keep my heat pump from having to switch to emergency mode which is like plugging in ten space heaters when the bill comes. Also kero heat feels warmer on cold wet days.
Nice! The wife and I are building a place in the pines of NW Montana and I appreciate your suggestions. If people keep their heads up their boo boos, and keep voting democrat, we may have to go Old School to stay alive.
Lite outside , let your flame stabilize . Set flame height for proper thorough combustion . Extinguish outside ( or beneath a vent ) otherwise ... Warm the house before you go to sleep . Extinguish before bed time . If k1 smells , you've not set the wick correctly or its clogged , air flow is choked , or the heater air intake is in a draft .
Hi BipolarPics, the answer is yes, I probably would not. Diesel is cheaper. Kerosene does not have enough lubricity not to cause damage. I heard there is an additive Stanadyne. Also heard in mines, they use it because of the cleaner burn for emissions so as not to kill off the miners, again with shorter life on equipment. As far as life of kerosene in storage, if kept out of the sun, kept full to reduce condensation, I've heard ten to twenty years. Gene:)
David H yes, I know of some in very cold EU countries that add kerosene to their diesels so they don't gel in the extreme cold and are fine. I don't know the ratio though.
11 dollars a gallon!! where we live kerosine is super cheap, coming in at .85cents in euro for a litre which works out as 3.37 dollars a gallon...and thats from todays rate which is extraordinarily low!!!!
***** Hello hippiechickite and thanks for the comment. If we buy in bulk from a heating oil company it is in that area ($4 per gallonish). It is when you buy a gallon of kereosene from a big box store that it marches up. Gene
Gene Lonergan ah! ok then! because here, in Cyprus, we can go to any gas station at get how much we want, i usually get 20 litres at a time for our heater which can cost me around less then twenty euro, but we can never buy it when the stations are closed, because it deters people from putting kerosene into their diesel engines since diesel is now a 1.29 euro a litre and its illegal to use kerosene in our vehicles. Sometimes if i fill up my fifty litre tank, i will put around three litres of kerosine just to clean the engine every once in while....but we cannot do that at the gas station!
K-1 Kerosene can be stored at least 5 years, with no additives. It's not like gas. The ethanol they now put in gas has screwed with the storage life and I put storage additives in my gas cans, before I fill them. Even then, I wouldn't trust stored gas with ethanol beyond 6 months(we can no longer get gas without ethanol in my state). I buy my kerosene from TSC(K-1), who sell it in 5 gallon sealed drums. I have used kerosene for over 30 years(also, they no longer sell cotton wicks, where you were able to trim the top, just the bottom is cotton today, that forces you to buy new wicks). It's great for supplemental and emergency heat, as I live rural, in northern MI(they have saved my bacon on quite a few occasions over the years) . Today, in 2021, K-1 runs about $40. for 5 gallons, I got mine for $36. on sale, a few months ago. You can get a cheaper kind, some gas stations sell the red dyed type of(they don't even call it kerosene)fuel for less, but it doesn't burn as clean, has more of a smell/smoke and you'll need to change your wick more often. However, it's less expense and will work, just make sure you fill outside, start and stop outside, as it helps with the smell. Always ventilate when using a kerosene heater.
Kerosene is supposed to be stored in BLUE containers only. That way, it will be separated from gasoline (red container) and diesel (yellow container). Otherwise, I really enjoy your videos.
Rockefeller came out of his grave to hear the good news about kerosene, he is walking around some where saying i told you so, you still need kerosene LOL, i agree with that old god fearing baptist the moses of fuel
First things first this guy's not too too bad he's okay but he's real foolish on a couple things don't go paying no $11 a gallon I know all areas are different but here in Northern Kentucky Cincinnati tri-state area we can do the same get it for about $3 a gallon if you buy a hundred gallons from the local dealer or there are a few gas stations even though they are quite a bit of a drive to do it for about $4 an hour so grab yourself up three or four 10 gallons if that gas station is a little bit of a John more than a couple miles and get you a little supply going like he's saying here but don't go paying $11 in gallon that's crazy I've never ever heard of that but then again I'm not dumb enough to try to go to Lowe's and buy it buy the gallon and a special little can and use all that markup
I just bought a kerosene heater. I'm in southern Ontario. Ice storms are a concern. I have 4 foster kids under the age of 4. I gotta keep them warm and be able to feed them! Kerosene will keep us warm and feed us if necessary!
May God bless you.
Great info, but I feel compelled to tell my story. What you said about the stability of Kerosene is true, UNLESS it is really hot. I have no sources to cite, but an experience.
I've always known that Kerosene does not "explode" like gas, so one night, when I had accidentally let my wood stove go out (but the metal was still very hot), I added a bit of kerosene to the wood that I added. Some of that dripped down to the metal at the bottom of the fire box. Luckily, I threw in a match instead of putting my arm inside, and it literally blew a flame out the door, and singed my entire arm. It was pretty much exactly what you would expect from gasoline. Thank God I didn't have my face in front of it.
Anyhow, that's my story, if it helps anyone. No matter how "safe" the fuel, treat it with great respect.
Yeah it’s odd how kerosene reacts. You can put an open flame on just kerosene and it doesn’t ignite, but once you add other things like say wood in your instance, or if you put some kerosene on a cotton ball and light it, then it acts as other combustible liquids and burns very well and pretty hot. Idk why but I’ve always found it to be interesting. Can’t really explain why it reacts that way but definitely something to keep in mind.
Great video, love the secondary containment.
I went with the drums with the small screw openings because they're sealed and air tight. With the large lid and spring clamp, the drum isn't air tight and you'll lose your kero through evaporation and get moisture contamination as heat and cool cycling brings in outside air. Worth the extra trouble, and there are inexpensive manual pumps available, or even a length of hose to siphon fuel out.
There are 55 gallon drums that have a seal in the lid and have an ring around it and it is chemical proof, water proof etc etc.
Thanks for the information. I just bought a kerosene heater just in case of a winter emergency.
I can get the k-1 at a gas station near me at a pump for $3.49 a gallon. It cost me $17.50 every 2 weeks to run my heater all winter unless it’s warm some days. I figured up a very cold year and saved all my receipts and it ended up costing me $280! I added up the year before using my heat pump still a cold winter with my electric bills. It was $800 for 4 months. After the heater I ended up saving $230 a year using the heater. Very happy with it.
Just bought another 5 gallon container at $2.97 per gallon here in northern Ohio. But kero does go stale just as gasoline does.When using it in a kero heater the fumes or vapors coming off the top of the wick is what is burning. Stale kero is very difficult to light, burns colder, and gives off large amount of soot(unburned hydrocarbons). You need to continuously rotate your supply by burning at least 10-20 gallons a year.
InstaBlaster
A kerosene heater is a good backup for your central heating system during *any* winter.
The controller board of our then 3-year-old, very high tech, very high efficiency gas central furnace died. In January., with overnight lows in the teens. The "3 day" turnaround for a new board took 2 weeks but we stayed comfortable.
We closed off some rooms and heated the rest of the house with the gas logs in the fireplace and a 15-year-old 22,000 BTU kerosene heater (purchased in 1999 with Y2K in mind and used in an ice storm that January - our own local Y2K event). Easy to heat multiple rooms when the kerosene heater is in the kitchen and a fan on the counter blows the hot air immediately above the heater down the hall to a bedroom and bath.
We did the "light and extinguish outside" that you mentioned in another video and had no problems with the smell. Two people using one hand each can easily move the heater in and out through the double doors to the screened porch (with gloves to protect hands from the hot bail).
My first novel is about the recovery from a "things breaking" apocalypse-type event. If you like PAW fiction, it's here: amazon.com/dp/B01LVU5ILA
Many thanx for a great video Gene, very informative. I live in a small apartment in London, England. With me not having a yard/garden, i have to store the paraffin(thats what it's called in England) in a cool spare room. It comes in a plastic 4 litre container and costs about 10 English Pounds. As the price of Mains Gas used for heating/cooking over hear is very expensive, i tend to use kerosene/paraffin for my heating. Many thanx, take care and greetings from London.
Thanks for sharing.
How long will stored kerosene last for if unused?
Greta video, thank you. I am stocking up on kero currently.
Good to be prepared.
Miles Stairs Wick Shop has extensive information on kerosene one can download. Then print out a hard copy & make a binder dedicated to kerosene & appliances. I keep all my info in a huge 3 ring binder. I put my equipment booklets in there also. Hope this helps someone. God bless.
I store mine in the detached garage, hot, cold, whatever outside environment is.
Some in original unopened plastic jugs, another in metal jug.
My intent is for lantern use for the most part.
Or maybe starting a wet fire if necessary.
Since unopened, they should last 20 years...
I keep my kerosene stored at the fuel station unpaid for. Saved me lots of money and room doing it that way
Practical advice. Refreshing approach. Thanks.
Wouldn't you have atmospheric water contamination from regular opening of the barrel?
good video starting to try to find a good way to heat my home when power goes out and found your videos like them but we're can you find k1 kerosene and will this work in oil lamps
Some gas stations sell kerosene. I found one that has clear (some call it white) k1 for just over $4. per gallon. Just be careful not to get the kerosene that has red dye in it or it will mess up your wick.
David H
Older-style "Perfection" and "Aladdin" heaters that use all-cotton wicks can use dyed kerosene with no problems. The "Omni-15," "Moonlighter," and "Rainbow" heaters can use an all-cotton wick, too.
In New York City where I live, no supplier can legally deliver K-1 kerosene; in fact, no one will deliver ANY kerosene to me at all; and in 2019 kerosene will cost me about $45.00 for 5 gallons.
Siphon pump= I use one. for 43 years. amazing !
Thanks for the comment.
I live in Willow Alaska where the temperature will get to -30 to -40 below zero in the winter .. I want to start stockpiling 5 gallon cans of kerosene . Can I safely store them outside at those temperatures in the winter ?
Hi, I would like to find this out as well. Did you get an answer on if Kerosene can be stored in -30? I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.
When I search for "kerosine storage tank" I get a bunch of random tanks of all types.
Some people say, "use a metal tank", some say "use the blue tank", which is better than knowing nothing, but still unsettling when making a big purchase.
I am not comfortable with "metal is better", or "use the blue tank". Why is there no clear and definitive STANDARD container information for kerosine storage?
THANKS! Great information
any body answer me pleaser how long you can store kerosene ?,does its expire?can I save it for 3 years ?
$4.00 a gallon? I'm in Virginia and buy crystal clear k-1 for $3.00 anytime
Where do you purchase your kerosene ?
Hi...Does Kerosene needs a product like STA BIL when you are storaging for a long time??? Thanks!!!!
I honestly don't know.
When's ur next vid? Great vids btw
Madison Hang Hello Madison Hang. You are lucky. I just got my order from St. Paul Mercantile and am looking to do a bunch of reviews on kerosene products. Thanks. Gene
Can't get a straight answer on the internet for the shelf life of kero. Every thing from 6 months to 25 years to forever. I live in the south in the very humid city of New Orleans. I'll be happy if I can get 3 to 5 years out of it.
It depends on how you store it as to how long it will last. but it will not last forever.
In Mobile I'll keep some for about a year. I'll make sure it is burned the next year before I buy. I buy quality white kero from a farmland service station pump at $3.30 ($3.00 summer) and buy about 11 to 20 gals in the summer and replace as used in the winter. I always have about 6-4 gals left by March which I make sure I burn first in Dec. It is not that cold in our area so that method should do you.
Great heat for winter storms and it does keep my heat pump from having to switch to emergency mode which is like plugging in ten space heaters when the bill comes. Also kero heat feels warmer on cold wet days.
A siphon has no moving parts, and less dripping.
Kerosene does go bad like any fuel does. This was not mentioned at all. Can says 5 yrs max
Thanks for sharing.
Liked the info.
Glad you liked it
Thanks again buddy. You rule!
Nice!
The wife and I are building a place in the pines of NW Montana and I appreciate your suggestions. If people keep their heads up their boo boos, and keep voting democrat, we may have to go Old School to stay alive.
How to make deodourised kerosene sir? If u have any idea, reply me...
Lite outside , let your flame stabilize . Set flame height for proper thorough combustion . Extinguish outside ( or beneath a vent ) otherwise ... Warm the house before you go to sleep . Extinguish before bed time .
If k1 smells , you've not set the wick correctly or its clogged , air flow is choked , or the heater air intake is in a draft .
Don't have the room to store 100 gallons of kerosene so I'll have to pay the 11 bucks.What is the shelf life of that stuff? It needs to be worth it.
I just went to my local farm store and they sell it by the gallon for about 7 bucks (if you take in the container)
onetwothree57
Wow, cool! I read somewhere that a diesel generator will run on kerosene. Does anybody know if this is true. Gene, Have you heard this?
Hi BipolarPics, the answer is yes, I probably would not. Diesel is cheaper. Kerosene does not have enough lubricity not to cause damage. I heard there is an additive Stanadyne. Also heard in mines, they use it because of the cleaner burn for emissions so as not to kill off the miners, again with shorter life on equipment. As far as life of kerosene in storage, if kept out of the sun, kept full to reduce condensation, I've heard ten to twenty years. Gene:)
BipolarPics kerosene will mess up the injection pump on a diesel. but it would be a safer bet to mix some kerosene into the diesel fuel.
David H yes, I know of some in very cold EU countries that add kerosene to their diesels so they don't gel in the extreme cold and are fine. I don't know the ratio though.
11 dollars a gallon!! where we live kerosine is super cheap, coming in at .85cents in euro for a litre which works out as 3.37 dollars a gallon...and thats from todays rate which is extraordinarily low!!!!
***** Hello hippiechickite and thanks for the comment. If we buy in bulk from a heating oil company it is in that area ($4 per gallonish). It is when you buy a gallon of kereosene from a big box store that it marches up. Gene
Gene Lonergan ah! ok then! because here, in Cyprus, we can go to any gas station at get how much we want, i usually get 20 litres at a time for our heater which can cost me around less then twenty euro, but we can never buy it when the stations are closed, because it deters people from putting kerosene into their diesel engines since diesel is now a 1.29 euro a litre and its illegal to use kerosene in our vehicles. Sometimes if i fill up my fifty litre tank, i will put around three litres of kerosine just to clean the engine every once in while....but we cannot do that at the gas station!
Excellent.
How long does kerosene keep?
K-1 Kerosene can be stored at least 5 years, with no additives. It's not like gas. The ethanol they now put in gas has screwed with the storage life and I put storage additives in my gas cans, before I fill them. Even then, I wouldn't trust stored gas with ethanol beyond 6 months(we can no longer get gas without ethanol in my state). I buy my kerosene from TSC(K-1), who sell it in 5 gallon sealed drums. I have used kerosene for over 30 years(also, they no longer sell cotton wicks, where you were able to trim the top, just the bottom is cotton today, that forces you to buy new wicks). It's great for supplemental and emergency heat, as I live rural, in northern MI(they have saved my bacon on quite a few occasions over the years) . Today, in 2021, K-1 runs about $40. for 5 gallons, I got mine for $36. on sale, a few months ago. You can get a cheaper kind, some gas stations sell the red dyed type of(they don't even call it kerosene)fuel for less, but it doesn't burn as clean, has more of a smell/smoke and you'll need to change your wick more often. However, it's less expense and will work, just make sure you fill outside, start and stop outside, as it helps with the smell. Always ventilate when using a kerosene heater.
Kerosene is supposed to be stored in BLUE containers only. That way, it will be separated from gasoline (red container) and diesel (yellow container). Otherwise, I really enjoy your videos.
Tom Jones I'm sure since it's only him (or family) using the fuel, they all know it's Kero. No confusion there.... smh🤔
Thank you fuel Nazi . Cause not all of us were afforded an overbearing nanny . Good thing you breath air .
how long will it store for
Great question. Too bad good old Gene didn't bother to answer it.
@@tribulationprepper787 Miles stairs wick shop has extensive info on kerosene. I downloaded a large amount if it & printed it out for hard copy.
@@elizabethcope1502 For sure. I buy my wicks from Miles' store. Lot's of good info on his site AND he does respond to the messages we send.
KEROSINE NOISES
Hej, Hej
ok, but the retainer need to be protected with a roof from the rain because will fill up with rain water and becomes useless if the barels leaks...
Rockefeller came out of his grave to hear the good news about kerosene, he is walking around some where saying i told you so, you still need kerosene LOL, i agree with that old god fearing baptist the moses of fuel
First things first this guy's not too too bad he's okay but he's real foolish on a couple things don't go paying no $11 a gallon I know all areas are different but here in Northern Kentucky Cincinnati tri-state area we can do the same get it for about $3 a gallon if you buy a hundred gallons from the local dealer or there are a few gas stations even though they are quite a bit of a drive to do it for about $4 an hour so grab yourself up three or four 10 gallons if that gas station is a little bit of a John more than a couple miles and get you a little supply going like he's saying here but don't go paying $11 in gallon that's crazy I've never ever heard of that but then again I'm not dumb enough to try to go to Lowe's and buy it buy the gallon and a special little can and use all that markup