OT - best kerosene forced-air heater... like a KNIPCO

SweetFeet · Aug 25, 2015

What is your opinion on the best brand kerosene forced-air heater like a KNIPCO?... say about 14,000 BTU's. I think that's the size my husband stated.

We are thinking about upgrading to a smaller size heater. Currently have a really large one in our shop - we use it for quick warm-up before turning on the LB-White heater to maintain the temperature.

Thanks if you can help.

paul · Aug 25, 2015

VAL 6 is the best, but be sitting down when you see the price.....

A lot of Knipco type will put out more like 140,000 btu, so maybe hint around a bit more on what you are looking for?

Or describe what is the big thing currently heating it?

Something in the 14,000 btu might not be forced blowing air, but just a heater...

Paul

wilson ind · Aug 25, 2015

I would consider lp using grill tank. Cheaper and not as much odor, works for me.

Dick2 · Aug 25, 2015

From my experience, the best one is the one that doesn't work at all; that way it won't gas you to death!

Seriously, look for some type of heater that has an exhaust vent to can carry the carbon monoxide outside. LP, oil, or wood are all combustibles that can emit carbon monoxide, so they need to be vented to the outside. May not be as convenient as a Knipco, but a lot safer and better for your health. We heated our shop on the farm with a wood burning stove; now my brother comes to AZ in the wintertime so the stove doesn't get used anymore.

old-9 · Aug 25, 2015

My 2 kerosene heaters bit the dust, both about 50,000 BTUs and 20 and 40 plus years old. I replaced with a propane heater. I like it better as not as much odor. I only use it untill the wood/coal stove takes over. By the time the wood fire is going the chill is off and the darned noisy thing can be turned off. It is also nice if the overhead door has to be opened and it can make up the lost heat fast. I use a 100 pound cylinder, about $80 to $90 delivered, about one and a half cylinders per year.
You do need to keep spare spark plugs on hand, they seem to last 1 to 2 years.

joe

MtMan · Aug 25, 2015

If you can hook up a vent pipe somehow to draw outside air into the heater, you won't get the bad amell. I always figured the smell came from burning the same air over and over. We had one on a thermostat and it heated the entire shop and no smell or fumes.

IowaJohn · Aug 25, 2015

Don't buy a Deere, I've got 1 they're made by Mite-t-m, (sp). Anyway I had to spend several hours and a few dollars to get mine running after only owning it for 3 years. The pump rotor came apart. I have a smaller 20 yo deere that runs strictly on kerosene and has never given me any trouble other than cleaning the park plug. It's just high priced to run on kero.

IA Roy · Aug 25, 2015

I used an oil furnace in my shop after I replaced the house furnace with propane. I also had a wood stove in the shop. The furnace brought it up to temperature quickly and the wood stove kept it warm cheaply. I used pallets cut up into small pieces for fuel. I bought winter diesel from the filling station to fuel the oil furnace. After I built my new shop I put in a Propane house furnace and got rid of the wood stove (insurance problems, and the oil furnace (inconvenient) and gave the furnace to my son in town. He is looking at getting a natural gas furnace for his shop for cost and convenience.

jimg.allentown · Aug 25, 2015

Almost every forced air kerosene heater these days is made by DESA. They are all good heaters. Most start out at around 20,000 BTU, and go as high as 200,000 BTU. Most of them will run on kerosene, #2 heating oil (which is #2 diesel), and #1 heating oil (kerosene maybe?). You will get the least odor from kerosene. If you run it on heating oil or diesel, you will get more smell and it will not start readily at lower temperatures because the fuel will be difficult to atomize.
Top brand name is Reddy-heater. Knipco is the same heater with a different name plate on it. So also is Deere. I have a few of these heaters. They make a lot of heat and make it quickly. Most of the smell will come from startup. Once running, the smell is minimal. I've used them for years in my drafty old garage. They do a nice job, and are fairly economical to run. They do take some maintenance. You do have to clean the filters and nozzle once in a while. Usually good to check them out and service them before the heating season starts.

504 · Aug 25, 2015

I really like my LP heater,most of the time it is cheaper to run than #1 and no smell of fuel.

SweetFeet · Aug 26, 2015

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Russ from MN · Aug 26, 2015

Propane in 20 pound tanks is a very expensive way to heat!

wilson ind · Aug 26, 2015

not to me filling my own from 1000 gal tank . Gas bought at 94 cents gal.

Russ from MN · Aug 26, 2015

Lucky guy, I wish I had that option! The best fill price I've seen lately was $13 each for 3, the more tanks you take in at once the better the price. We heat the house and my shop with natural gas, that's pretty reasonable too.

OT - best kerosene forced-air heater... like a KNIPCO

SweetFeet

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paul

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wilson ind

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Dick2

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old-9

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MtMan

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IowaJohn

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IA Roy

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jimg.allentown

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504

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SweetFeet

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Russ from MN

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wilson ind

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Russ from MN

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