With a somewhat increasing incidence of serious ice storms in the region over the past few years, I've been thinking about picking up a modern-technology kerosene heater to have in reserve, feeling this might be about as effective (and probably more feasible) than a generator in allowing us to stay in our house with our pets in the event of a long winter power outage.
I've got a few concerns, though, and was hoping that some of you who have experience with these rigs could offer advice:
1) Are the new models really 100 percent safe for indoor use in terms of fire hazard and exhaust/suffocation issues? Any particular safety-first suggestions or gotchas?
2) How about kerosene storage in terms of fire hazard? I'm thinking I'd keep it in the separate garage rather than in the house.
3) What size would be necessary to keep one or two rooms habitable in a well-insulated house?
4) How much kerosene would it be likely to take to run the thing for several days? A few gallons is okay, but I don't really want to have to keep a 55-gallon drum around.
5) Any other tips or pointers I didn't think to ask about? Any other alternatives to kerosene?
Oh, yeah, and for the Louisville edition of this post, recommended vendors? Oscar's Hardware on Frankfort has one for about $200. Home Despot will probably under-sell that, but within reason I'd rather support a local firm. Any companies out there that specialize?