Kerosene heater

[Vermont2014]

Hello all,

I just had a Yurt constructed in VT this summer. Have not had a chance to install a wood burning stove with a stove pipe yet. Is there a safe way to use a kerosene heater without a risk from carbon monoxide?

Thanks for any help you can provide.


Peter M

[Marshall Eppley]

We used a kerosun in our 16 foot yurt until i put in a 38,000 btu gas vent free heater.i also put in a co2 detector just in case.but never had anytroubles at all.

[cmwingfield]

If were me, I wouldn't sleep with it on. I would invest in a good sleeping bag, (Big Agnes) rated for your temps and sleep at night with that. Fumes can and will kill you. Admittedly I'm accused of being overcautious, but I'm not dead at 61 which has to account for something.

[Vermont2014]

Thanks for the helpful responses. The CO2 detector and higher rated sleeping bag as well as turning it off at night are great ideas.

When you have it on during the day would you open anything or crack the

dome

to let in some ventilation?

[Marshall Eppley]

when i was a kid growing up kerosene heaters is all we had to heat our house. i am 57 now oldest of 5 we all survived just fine. we used 2 perfection 500 kerosene stoves. down stairs during the day upstairs at night. the stoves they have today are so much better than they were back then.

[dennishl]

I have a 16' yurt with a single layer of

insulation

. A 23,000 btu kerosene heater brings the temp up to a comfortable 65F with outside temps at 10F or colder and high winds. I will not crawl into bed with it on (I like waking up in the morning, even if my boots are frozen to the floor).

[Vermont2014]

Thanks for all of your responses. All were very helpful.


Peter M.

[TKOAK]

Please do not sleep with the unvented heater on. It will KILL YOU. My unvented gas heater (30,000 BTU) used all the oxygen in my temp quarters (Connex) this past August in Alaska. The flame went out. I was up for the morning and when I realized what was going on, I opened the door. Everything started working again. That day we installed a thru the wall vented heater! We already had a CO detector. It never made a sound.
Unvented heaters are Illegal in Alaska!! Some stores still sell them!!

[Marshall Eppley]

Your heater shut down because of a safety feature called an oxygen depletion sensor. the heater used all the oxygen in the room so it shut everything down. same thing happens if the pilot goes out. the thermo coupling has to have constant flame on it or it shuts the gas valve down so no gas passes through the valve.

[TKOAK]

Thanks Marsshall!
No more unvented heaters for me!