Fueled Heaters - Are They Right for You?

As an alternative to electric heaters, fueled heaters such as those using propane or kerosene also have many benefits. Though these types of heaters may not suitable for home use because they need to be vented due to carbon monoxide emissions, if you are looking to quickly heat your patio, warehouse, or other large, well-ventilated area, these are a great option. Several sized propane and kerosene heaters are available for rapidly heating up large areas, and these types of heaters are very efficient because they use the heat from combustion to directly heat the space through convection.

Although heaters running on electricity may seem like a cost efficient and clean energy source, most electricity in the United States is generated by burning coal, which emits sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulates, and greenhouse gases. Some electricity is generated from natural gas, which burns cleaner, but at least half of the energy is lost in converting it to electricity and delivering it to your home. Therefore, although the initial cost of an electric heater may be significantly less than a propane or kerosene heater, the cost of fuel should be taken into account.

Propane Heaters

These heaters often come in the form of patio heaters and gas fired heaters, and they are relatively small for the amount of space they are able to heat. Because they do not require electricity to run, they are very cost-effective for warehouses and industrial settings where there is ample ventilation and when electricity may be too costly.

You can either buy tanks of propane according your consumption, or rent them from your propane supplier. In order to estimate your propane consumption, you can figure this out with a bit of math. One gallon of propane will produce 91,500 Btus of heat. If you have a heater that is rated at 25,000 Btus per hour, simply divide 91,500 by 25,000 and you will find that your heater will run for approximately 3.66 hours on one gallon propane when running at full capacity.

If you spend 80 hours a month in your shop or workplace, you will go through about 22 gallons of propane per month. See the following formula to determine propane consumption:
91,500 / Heater Btus per hour = Hours the Heater Will Run on One Gallon of Propane
If you are looking to buy a small portable tank instead of leasing a large one, keep in mind that propane tanks hold 80 percent of their rated capacity; therefore, a tank rated at 10 gallons would actually hold eight. With that in mind, for a 25,000 Btu heater, eight gallons of propane would provide you with over 29 hours of use (8 gallons x 3.66 hours per gallon), so you would have to fill it twice a month.

Kerosene Heaters

In addition to propane heaters, kerosene heaters are also another option. Though they use electricity, these have almost the same function as propane heaters and burn cleaner. These can also provide localized heat for tough industrial work areas and warehouses, and like propane heaters, they are not recommended for indoor use because of carbon dioxide emissions, risk of burns, ignition from flammable gases, and the obvious increased risk of fire. Using a kerosene heater requires good judgment and safety practices, and these must be adequately vented at four times greater per Btu/hour for unvented heaters than for vented heaters.

Jeanie Wong is a marketing writer with extensive knowledge of heating, cooling, and purification systems

By Jeanie Wong