Winter storms bring havoc around the nation as snow, ice and wind may take out power for hundreds of thousands of customers and at times over a million people are affected. Obtaining a backup source for heat often defines a major decision either being able to remain in your home or needing to find shelter elsewhere. In this article we're focusing on the assumption your home is without regular power, and you haven’t taken steps to acquire a backup generator with one which may be on your furnace.
A kerosene heater is an excellent option for backup heat. I’ve used these myself in the past and work out of a home office with electric heat, so kerosene is my backup to keep warm. A 23,000 BTU unit should be able to heat up to 1000 square feet. Other options for more heat, acquire some of the larger units which create over 80,000 BTUs. Think through the size you require for your home, and how many people you would like to keep warm. With practice you’ll be able to regulate the heat output from each unit.
With any of these kerosene heaters, even when rated for indoor use, we need to be careful of potential fumes. And, we need to make sure we have a working carbon monoxide detector when heaters are in use. For safety you should always remove the heater from your house when adding fuel in the case of a spill.
My experiences with kerosene heaters is they give off very little odor. One tip to reduce odors is to remove the kerosene heater from your home when you want to turn it on or turn it off, most of the fumes escape during the lighting and the turnoff phase.
When buying a heater read the manual and understand how much fuel is needed per 24-hour period to work at peak efficiency. Then, purchase the necessary fuel and always put the fuel in approved kerosene containers. If you’re into a seven-day power outage you don’t want to run out of kerosene after day two.
Make sure you have extra wicks for each heating unit. Rotate out the kerosene every 4 years. Put a reminder on your long-term calendar to replace otherwise the old fuel may just gum up your heater. Further, practice using the heater to make sure you and other family members understand the safety features of the unit.
Another advantage of these heaters is that many come with a flat surface which will allow you to use the heat, albeit carefully, to heat up a wide variety of foods. Be very careful you don’t allow anything to spill on the heater. One tip is to use a baking sheet, with a lip, over the heater and then put your pan atop the baking sheet so any inadvertent spills will not cause problems with the heater.
Kerosene as a backup heater will provide heat during an emergency. King Solomon wrote, “Without wood a fire goes out…” (Proverbs 26:20) A kerosene heater is a way to keep your fire going to heat your home, when the furnace fails.
Better yet, if possible, purchase an extra one or two and have available, along with extra kerosene, to loan to a neighbor. As a ReadyChristian this may be a great outreach opportunity!
No comments:
Post a Comment