Kerosene Heater Fuel

You hear it on a regular basis - KEROSENE heaters are DANGEROUS to operate indoors!  Well, if someone is operating an indoor kerosene heater doesn't have much common sense or doesn't read the instructions when they've never used a kerosene heater before, sure it's dangerous!

However, if you have some common sense and read the instructions, you'll likely never have a problem, especially with the safety features that are built into today's heaters.  Let's face it - people have been using kerosene heaters indoors for over 100 years now.

One drawback to using an indoor kerosene heater is the smell - especially when you get it on your hands.  And you WILL get it on your hands.  As kerosene is a penetrating oil, normal hand soap won't eliminate the smell.  However, a thick hair shampoo, or even a woman's facial cleanser will actually do the trick.  After using either of these two solutions, it wouldn't hurt to use some hand sanitizer.  Rub your hands together then, rinse and dry.  Between the smell of the shampoo / facial cleanser and the hand sanitizer, you'll never be able to tell that your hands had kerosene on them.  Sure, it's a bit of a hassle, but you'll find it'll be well worth it.

Kerosene Saftey   

Many people confuse kerosene with gasonline when it comes to safety concerns.  Kerosene is a lubricant and is not volatile, corrosive or unstable when storing it.  It's ignition point is 104 degrees.  If you throw a match into a can of kerosene, the match will simply go out.  Or try holdng a match up to a teaspoon of kerosene and it simply won't ignite.  If you try that with gasoline, you'd likely be in big trouble.  The whole point here is that kerosene is very safe to use, even indoors.

Kerosene Storage

Kerosene is stored in plastic containers, oil drums, old diesel tanks, or just about anything that doesn't leak.  In lower quantities, kerosene is stored in blue plastic containters.  This is critical so that it's not confused with gasoline, which is stored only in red containers.  You don't want to use a small steel container for kerosene unless it has a vent.  The plastic containers are designed to have room for expansion so they can be filled to the lowest edge of the fill hole.

When storing a kerosene containter, be sure to do so outside, in a shed, barn or unattached garage.  Insurance policies generally forbid the storage of any flamable liquid in a home as well.  Be sure to store it in an area that will no receive sunlight of any kind as it will degrade the kerosene.  As mentioned earlier, be sure to store it in a blue container, and not a red one.  Even though you may know what's in the container, others may not.

Kerosene Smell

Some (OK, many) don't care for the smell of burning kerosene.  Beleive it or not, it's easy to eliminate this odor pretty easily.  Simply add a few drops of vanilla, mulberry, or potpourri essential oil to your indoor kerosene heater fuel tank.  This will completely eliminate the kerosene odor!  All it takes is a few drops.  The price per 1/4 ounce is very reasonalbe considering the small quantity needed and the fact you'll never smell kerosene when your heater is running.