Kerosene fired torpedo heaters????????????

gmason · Dec 7, 2004

I picked a Ready Heater brand up at Lowes a spring of 03 175,000 btu model with the plastic fuel tank underneth. They has a clearance tag on it. Half off the $349 sticker. Right place... right time even my CFO couldn't complain too /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif loudly.

Says you can burn just about any fuel(not gas). I put #2 desiel in it and it heats my 1200sqft garage in 3 min. Has automatic temp gauge and shutoff.

Sounds like a F14 in full afterburner though. The only smell I get is right when it lights up for 3-4 secs then it's fine. We had Thanksgiving for the family in the basement and I heated the basment in the morning up to about 80 then took the heater out. No one ever said anything about a smell(other than the food).

good luck

KubotaSteve · Dec 7, 2004

They are pretty loud when running, but they heat very well. My dad heats his 28 X 36 insulated garage with a smaller one and has to turn it off after about 30 minutes as it gets too hot, even working in there with a t-shirt.

gsxr1100 · Dec 7, 2004

BINGO- Propane has less fumes and cleaner. I have a 140K one and works fine.

bczoom · Dec 7, 2004

I too have one.
Ventilation is very important.
I turned mine on in the workshop area (16x28') and within 1 minute the carbon monoxide detector was going off. (So I did what everyone should... took the battery out of it /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif). The smoke detector did not go off.

gsxr1100 · Dec 7, 2004

I have a wondeful sensor called "burning eyes". After about 1 hour at 100K I need to turn it down or open a door for a small time. The high BTU's are what kill me. At about 40L to 75K I am fine.

BubbaJr · Dec 7, 2004

I have a friend that runs one in his garage when he works on his hot rods. He only burns Shell Kerosene in it, and gets very little fumes from it. Apparently their kerosene is cleaner (more refined) than others.......so I've been told. When I go over in the winter I take ear plugs for the noise though. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

gmason · Dec 7, 2004

Bczoom, that's interesting. I plugged our Carbon monoxide meter into the garage and after 45min it still read 0.

Are you due for a tune-up on your's? If the injector gets clogged it won't burn properly. I've probably only run 8-10gal of fuel through mine.

gary

bczoom · Dec 7, 2004

Mine shouldn't need a tune up. Probably only have 3-4 tanks through it.

I am far from being an expert on the burning of fuels but doesn't the burning of kero generate carbon monoxide and in a 175K btu heater as we're discussing generate a lot of it? The area I was running it was pretty air tight.

I've since replaced it with a Reznor furnace and only use my torpedo heater to melt ice off machines in the storage part of the building (much larger and more ventilation).

ByronBob · Dec 7, 2004

As others have mentioned they are loud and they can be smelly. All I will mention is I've always started them outside and moved them inside after the initial burn has happened. Like a tractor or whatever, they burn soot at the very beginning.