David
E. Baker
University of Minnesota Extension Service
Dramatic
increases in home heating costs have resulted in a significant
expansion in the sales and use of portable kerosene heaters.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates 3,500
heaters were sold in 1974 compared with an estimated 4.5 million
in 1982. The CPSC also estimates there may be as many as 9
million kerosene heaters in use in consumers' homes. Of those,
5.5 million are unvented heaters.
Most
portable kerosene heaters are similar in design. They include
a wick so kerosene can be drawn from the tank to the combustion
area, a device for igniting the wick, an automatic tip-over
device designed to extinguish the wick if the unit is kicked
or turned over and a fuel tank.
Manufacturers
praise the units as a "new generation" of portable kerosene
heaters because they are equipped with such features as battery-powered
ignition devices, automatic extinguishing devices, fuel gauges,
protective metal grills, leveling indicators, carrying handles,
lift-out fuel canisters and decorator finishes. Many also
have a wide base to prevent easy tip-over.
However,
many fire officials, government agencies and safety specialists
feel the heaters are not hazard-free and feel kerosene heaters
present hazards not found with other heating systems. The
major hazard is fire that could result from the use of gasoline
instead of kerosene in the heater. Carelessness while refueling
and improper storage of combustible liquids are also hazardous.
Many health officials are also concerned about health hazards
from the pollutants an unvented kerosene heater puts into
the building.
Before
purchasing or using a kerosene heater, consumers must learn
the safety and maintenance procedures necessary to safely operate
a kerosene heater.
Before
you purchase a heater, make sure local building and fire codes
permit its use in residential structures. Check with your
insurance carrier to determine what impact the use of these
heaters may have on your homeowner's policy.
To ensure
the safe operation of the heater, every adult member of the
family must become an informed consumer and operator. Adults
should be aware of the equipment maintenance, safety considerations,
operating procedures, emergency procedures and fuel storage
requirements. Never allow children to operate the unit! The
best source of information for the unit should be the owner's
manual. Read, heed and follow the procedures and safety alerts
in the owner's manual before you attempt to operate, service
or perform maintenance on the unit.
Follow
these recommendations when buying and using a portable kerosene
heater.
Use
only listed heaters. Only heaters that have been tested
and listed in accordance with Underwriters' Laboratories (UL)
Standard 647 should be purchased and used. This listing should
be shown on the name plate of the heater.
Use
the correct fuel. The National Kerosene Heater Association,
the American Petroleum Institute, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission and others recommend only 1-K kerosene be used
in these heaters. According to American Society of Testing
and Materials Standard D-3699, "Standard specifications for
kerosene," there are two types of kerosene fuels, 1-K and
2-K. The primary difference is sulfur content. Type 1-K contains
0.04 percent sulfur by weight and 2-K contains 0.30 percent
sulfur by weight. The higher sulfur content of 2-K fuel tends
to adversely affect proper fuel wicking and increases sulfur
dioxide emissions. The use of 2-K kerosene creates the need
for frequent wick cleaning and maintenance that, if not carried
out properly, may produce a fire or explosion hazard.
The
distinction between 1-K and 2-K kerosene fuels cannot be made
through visual examination. The terms "water clear" or "clear
white" are often used to describe the type of kerosene that
can be used in the unvented heater. Although water clear or
clear white kerosene may be 1-K in most cases, color should
not be used as a sole indicator. The type of crude from which
the kerosene is refined, temperature, aging and contamination
can all cause kerosene to yellow and become darker. So if
the retail dealer does not specifically market the kerosene
as the 1-K type of fuel, you should assume the product is
not 1-K kerosene. Find a dealer who can certify you are buying
1-K grade kerosene.
In addition,
never use diesel, jet "A" fuel, No. 1 fuel oil, No. 2 fuel
oil or gasoline in your heater. The use of any of these fuels
could result in a fire or explosion that could cause death
or injury.
Proper
clearances from combustible material. The heater should
be kept a minimum distance of 36 inches from all combustible
materials such as curtains or furniture unless otherwise specified
by the manufacturer. If fewer than 36 inches are acceptable,
the manufacturer will specify on the name plate. Do not use
flammable solvents, aerosol sprays or lacquers near the heater.
Do not operate the heater in the same room where other flammable
liquids such as gasoline are stored. Don't operate in dusty
environments. The surface temperature of some units can exceed
500° F, which can ignite flammable liquids, combustible
liquids, flammable vapors or grain dusts and result in a fire
or explosion.
Provide
required maintenance and upkeep. Consult your operator's
manual for instructions or recommended maintenance and upkeep
to ensure the heater's proper operation. Required maintenance
should include periodically cleaning the unit, trimming the
wick, cleaning off soot and carbon, inspecting for fuel leaks
and other maintenance procedures recommended by the manufacturer.
If you suspect the heater is not working properly, extinguish
it immediately and allow it to cool. Then perform the necessary
maintenance or take it to a qualified service center for repair.
Don't take a chance! An improperly operating heater can result
in a fire or can generate an excessive amount of the by-products
of combustion: soot, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
Provide
adequate ventilation. Adequate ventilation is necessary
for safe operation of the kerosene heater. Burning kerosene
consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide,
nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases. Ventilation
must be provided to replace oxygen as well as to remove gases
in order to prevent asphyxiation or respiratory problems.
The manufacturer's recommendations should be followed to provide
adequate oxygen for combustion; in many instances, this ma
require opening a window or a door leading to another room.
If no specifications are listed in the manufacturer's literature,
one rule of thumb is to provide 1 square inch of window opening
for each 1,000 BTUs of the heater rating. An example - a 10,000
BTU heater may require opening an outside window 10 square
inches to provide the necessary air intake. In an energy efficient
home, additional air intake may be necessary.
Use
only as supplemental heat. The heater should never be
used as the only heat source, except in an emergency situation.
Don't operate it while you are asleep because heater malfunction
could cause asphyxiation. Do not leave a heater unattended.
Keep
the heater out of the traffic flow. Place it in areas
where there is little chance someone will bump into it. UL
Standard 647 requires that in the tipped over position, the
burner "flame shall not continue to burn longer than 30 seconds."
The standard also requires "that kerosene discharged from
the reservoir or the burner shall not be ignited" as a result
of the heater tip-over. Although equipment must meet a strenuous
test before it is "listed" by nationally recognized testing
or anizations such as UL, the equipment could fail or malfunction.
So take care to prevent the potential for heater tip-overs.
Allow
heater to cool before refueling. The heater should be
allowed to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes before refueling.
The surface temperature of many of the heaters can be as high
as 500° F. Kerosene has a flash point (lowest temperature
at which a liquid gives off enough vapors to form an ignitable
mixture) of approximately 110° F and an ignition temperature
of 410° F. If kerosene is spilled on a hot heater, it
could ignite and cause a fire.
Refuel
heater and store kerosene outdoors. Always refuel the
cool heater outside in a well-ventilated area away from other
ignition sources. Refueling should also be done in an area
where small spills can be cleaned up quickly. Fuel should
be stored outdoors in an approved blue safety can. "Kerosene"
should be lettered on the safety can in a readily visible
location. Never store kerosene in a red container that could
easily be mistaken as a gasoline storage container.
Never
overfill heater. When refueling the heater, leave sufficient
space for fuel expansion. Follow manufacturer's refueling
directions found in the owner's manual or on the name plate.
Do
not let children operate or refuel the heater. Only an
adult familiar with the operating and refueling procedures
of the heater should be allowed to operate or refuel it.
Prevent
burns. Warn children of the dangers of the hot surface
temperature on the portable kerosene heater. Remember, the
surface temperature of some heaters may be as high as 500°
F.
Develop
a pre-fire plan. Every family should take time to develop
and practice a pre-fire plan. In your plan:
- Install
and maintain a smoke detector system. Review MU publication
G01907, Residential Smoke Detectors, and install one smoke
detector per living level in accordance with National Fire
Protection Association Standard No. 74, Standard for household
fire warning equipment.
- Install
and maintain a fire extinguisher. Install an approved
multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher in a visible
and easily accessible location. Review MU publication G01906,
Selecting and Using a Fire Extinguisher.
- Develop
an evacuation plan. An evacuation plan should be developed
and practiced by all occupants to ensure safe escape from
the building in the event of a fire. Use MU publication
G01907, Residential Fire Protection, to assist you in developing
a plan for your residence. Remember the plan is only good
if everyone knows about it and has practiced it to make
sure it works.
- Grinnell
Mutual Reinsurance Company, Portable Kerosene Heaters, Unvented,
File No. H108, 2/84.
- Pfister,
Richard and Howard Doss, Some Considerations About Portable
Kerosene Heaters, Energy Facts, Extension Bulletin E-1669,
Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State University,
November 1982.
- UL
647, Standard for Unvented Kerosene - Fired Room Heaters
and Portable Heaters.
- Consumer
Product Safety Commission, Fact Sheet No. 97: Kerosene Heaters,
December 1982.
- Consumer
Reports, October 1982, Mount Vernon, NY 10550, Are Kerosene
Heaters Safe? pp. 499-507.
- Burke,
Beverlee, Family Safety, Fall 1982, National Safety Council,
Chicago, IL, pp. 12-13, Something You Should Know about
Kerosene Heaters.
- Schnieder,
Rollin, and Gerald Bodeman, Space Heaters - Safe or Unsafe?
Neb. Guide D-3, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, November
1983.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This document
is
GO1999
,
a series of the University Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia,
Columbia, MO 65211. Publication date: October 1993.
David
E. Baker, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University
of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211.
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