Kerosene Heating - Your Opinion, Please . . .

[otherthan]

Iv studyed the macanism of that heater from exploded view diagram...its quite simple and all parts can be perchased easy or built...my cousin has a machine shop and 2 old brass extinguisher (like these) will use one as a presurised holding tank and one as heater...the modifications should be easy enough and following Tylors specs for burner and accesories everything will work out good...d'ont you think this will look awsome in my vintage boat?

total coast of parts will be less then $100...therfor I will build this unit and see how well its doing befor investing big money...will post my development with photos.
thanks guys for the insperatio
cheers

[SaltyMonkey]

The pressure needed to push kerosene into the heater is very very very small - not even a pound I think. There is a little pump. And the valve controls the flow You don't want too much pressure. This will work, but I think just about anything can even a small thermos or something. Its not like propane or a scuba situation.

You wont get an explosion from any of this. Remember you need heated cup to start the flame. Thats why you have to preheat the burner/cup with alcohol before you turn on the kerosene valve and light. Kerosene difficult or impossible to light on its own. Need vapours. It is safe. I remember someone saying that you can take a lighted match and place it into diesel without setting off a spark. Havent tried this in kerosene =)

Hate to waste a beautifil fire extingusiher like this. you may need it =)

[otherthan]

fund an old kerosene heater on the net for $15...it has every parts I need burner, pump valve and all...only thing missing for my project is 1in chimney and H cap...the presure is 1lpsi to 4psi no more.

[SaltyMonkey]

i would jump on that Taylors if it is for sale - at least try. Worth the money.

[otherthan]

The taylors add is in UK ebay...but no dough I can build as good a unit...and whatever skills I dont have my cousin will make for...I think this will be fun and rewarding...cant wait to see the final unit.

of course like many projects it may sink halfe way?...but they say the fun part is the jerney the reward is the distination...or vise versa?

[rebel heart]

Just chiming in that we love our diesel heater. It keeps the cabin quite warm, and uses maybe 1 gallon a day (if on all or most of the day). We have it fed through a gravity tank that I fitted a through deck cap for. In the winter, that means every week or so I'm on deck pouring a gerry can in.

Works underway although (and this is weird) when the staysail is raised or doused it somehow causes the wind to go down the wrong pipe or something and puts the heater out. Smashing along in force 7 for a day with down pours, no problem. Put the staysail up in the harbor, heater goes out. Weird.

But anyway, it works like a champ.

If you just need to take the chill off in the evening, a kerosene oil lamp will help with that too. They put out a decent amount of heat.

[Pblais]

Enclosed heaters like many of the kero household style heater suffer two serious issues aboard. They burn fuel and make CO2 and water with a small amount of CO - always! No exceptions. Efficiency is not an issue. You really don't need the extra moisture and you may want some oxygen for yourself and crew. The CO is nothing to worry about because you can't smell it and it kills you dead so you'll never know.

If you need to heat a whole boat of any size you need something that can handle a 24 x 7 duty cycle. For total comfort the truck diesel heaters work with an external power source and vent and blow hot air driven by a thermostat. It's as good as it gets and can heat almost any place you can park a boat.

They cost more. Second best is some fuel source with a chimney. We have a Sigmar bulkhead mounted diesel heater and it rocks. I have a cap for the chimney I secure with riggers tape when underway. The chimney vents the gases from combustion but more importantly they vent the water! The CO goes up too. They still require make up air for combustion. The truck heaters deal with that externally as well for even better performance. You can usually rig them up in a rear lazzerette.

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Just chiming in that we love our diesel heater. It keeps the cabin quite warm, and uses maybe 1 gallon a day (if on all or most of the day). We have it fed through a gravity tank that I fitted a through deck cap for. In the winter, that means every week or so I'm on deck pouring a gerry can in.

Works underway although (and this is weird) when the staysail is raised or doused it somehow causes the wind to go down the wrong pipe or something and puts the heater out. Smashing along in force 7 for a day with down pours, no problem. Put the staysail up in the harbor, heater goes out. Weird.

But anyway, it works like a champ.

If you just need to take the chill off in the evening, a kerosene oil lamp will help with that too. They put out a decent amount of heat.

will sail the st-laurence gulf and north atlantic for the next few years until my girlfriend finish university...I know shes bad karma...I cauld dump her and sail south...what can I say a man has its weekness

[roverhi]

Lowe's had 5 gallons of kerosene at $39 in the Rainier Avenue Store in Seattle today. That's the cheapest I've found it. Was a pretty big display so assume it was something that might be offered chain wide.

Used to burn mineral spirits instead of kerosene. It burned hotter, cleaner and used to be cheaper. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. Lowe's had odorless mineral spirits at around $15 a gallon, OUCH!!!! They did have paint thinner, used to be synonymous with mineral spirits, at $5 a gallon. Wonder if anyone has tried the cheap paint thinner in their Kero stove.

[Uncle Buck]

Originally Posted by jobi

see I do hear what your saying...and it sinks inn alright...just give me time to get educated about it befor you kill me

I read about this unit and compared it to the other dickinson mentioned in this thread...the taylors has a 1in chimney and burns 5 to 6 times less feul...its much simpler instalation and in operation...also its more compact...however its more expensive...but iv find one in the classifyds for $500 and will call tomorow...its the same brass unit as this photo...now that id love in my boat...in fact if this $500 unit is sold alredy...id be willing to invest the $1200 to import a new...sure dont look like wasted money.

I just took one of these units off my boat and will sell it for " market value " if anybody wants it...never used it myself as I don't have a need to heat my boat here in San Francisco Bay. Right now it's just taking up space in my storage unit.

[roverhi]

Dickinson Diesel Stove Here's a used heater for sale in Seattle.

[rebel heart]

One more thing: get a little fan to aim at the heater. It doesn't need to be much, but a small 12 volt fan (bigger than a computer fan) aimed at the heater causes warm around to fill the cabin much faster. In fact, with no little fan, some areas of the cabin remain downright chilly.

[otherthan]

Iv been up to my ears in kerosene this weekend...Talked with an expert who owns and operate a specialised kerosene heater shop...in hes 45 years of operation hes seen it all and heard the strangest stories...he took the time to explain the fundamantals...we whent thru design flaws of many type of heaters mainly those use in boats...we talked about ways to modify and improuve combustion of some models...he explained why it isnt worth the truble of building my own when so many cheep alternative can be fund so inexpensive... with his help I was able to find a perfectly safe almost new unit for $70 in my classifyeds... in closing no kerosene unit regardless of brand should be operated in mors then 10% angle...dont matter if its a bulkhead model made in USA or Europe...dont mather if its a marine unit or house...whats matters is it needs to be a one way radiant with a bottom tank...those with a side lift out tank ar no good because when the boat rocks kerosene will splash out its sump...ronde units ar no good unless you have a very wide boat interior...manny brands are so cheeply build they dont burn properly and added to the bad reputation on these heaters...last with a good unit 99.9% a bad experience is caused by the user not the unit... wrong operation of fuel, wrong type of fuel, inproper maintenance, inapropriate use of the heater.
Thanks for all your replies

[SaltyMonkey]

Well nay not or I do not understand...

If you use a pressurized tank the liquid will be pushed from the bottom of the tank up a copper pipe to a valve on your lovely heater. The valve opens pouring the liquid into the heated cup via a ring unit where it evaporates into the flame.

Unfortunately, at an angle that flow may indeed not work as intended. I don't believe the 10 degree nonsense, but I will say that having one is wonderful so congrats.

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Well nay not or I do not understand...

If you use a pressurized tank the liquid will be pushed from the bottom of the tank up a copper pipe to a valve on your lovely heater. The valve opens pouring the liquid into the heated cup via a ring unit where it evaporates into the flame.

Unfortunately, at an angle that flow may indeed not work as intended. I don't believe the 10 degree nonsense, but I will say that having one is wonderful so congrats.

sorry my bad...on home units with side lift out tanks the kerosene will slush out...on all other units marine or not the wick will burn on an angle and this is no good...on presure units obviously no such problems...Thanks for correcting me...I knew I was forgeting something important.

cheers