A kerosene heater is a portable, unvented, kerosene-fueled, space-heating device. In the United States they are used mainly for supplemental heat or as a source of emergency heat during a power outage. In some countries, particularly in Japan, they are used as the primary source of home heat. Most kerosene heaters produce between 3.3 and 6.8 kW (11000 to 23000 BTU per hour).
A kerosene heater operates much like a large kerosene lamp. A circular wick made from fiberglass is integrated into a burner unit mounted above a font (tank) filled with 1-K kerosene. The wick draws kerosene from the tank via capillary action. Once lit, the wick emits flames into the burner unit which heats air via convection or nearby objects via radiation. The burner is designed to properly oxygenate and distribute the flames. The flame height is controlled by raising or lowering the exposed wick height inside the burner unit via an adjusting mechanism. The kerosene heater is extinguished by fully retracting the wick into a cavity below the burner, which will snuff out the flame.
Because kerosene heaters are usually unvented, all combustion products are released into the indoor air. Among these are soot, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and some carbon monoxide. An improperly adjusted, fueled, or poorly maintained kerosene heater will release more pollutants. Use of a kerosene heater in a poorly ventilated home, especially in modern well insulated ones, could pose a health risk. Most manufacturers suggest that a window be left cracked open. Kerosene heaters should not be left unattended, especially while sleeping. A kerosene heater, as any heater that uses organic fuel, when running out of oxygen can produce massive amounts of soot and carbon monoxide. Failure to abide by these precautions could result in asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning, but as modern heaters automatically shut off when there is no oxygen left in the room, and as they burn at very high efficiency, they make CO poisoning almost impossible.
Modern laser heaters have little or no safety concerns as stated above. They will deactivate when there is no oxygen left in the room. Additionally, as a special purified type of kerosene is used as a fuel, they burn at almost 100% efficiency, making the heater nearly odor-free, efficient and safe for indoor use.
