Kerosene torpedo heaters

[junkyardjeff]

Since my dream of putting a outside boiler to heat the house and garage wont happen untill I hit the lottery I am thinking about buying another torpedo heater,I have a 33 year old 85,000 BTU reddy heater thats probably getting close to being worn out so who all has one and what brand do you have. I have a 24X24 garage that I am heating.

 

[malibu101]

I have had a Reddy Heater 55K that I've used REAL hard over the last 13-15 years. I change the filters every year and it has never needed anything else.
reddy Heater was made by Desa. I've heard Desa is no more but I can't confirm. that's what the guy said when I bought filters this year.
So I got 4 sets.

 

[junkyardjeff]

Mine probably needs filters again but I think the power supply that fires the thing is going bad so its time for a new one and I got my moneys worth out of it.

 

[Vernmotor]

yea I got a 100btu one had for 10 years just change filter every flew years.still going strong

 

[Fudge0514]

Do the kerosene torpedo heaters put out more/less/same moisture than the propane models?

 

[PassnThru]

I have had a Reddy Heater 55K that I've used REAL hard over the last 13-15 years. I change the filters every year and it has never needed anything else.
reddy Heater was made by Desa. I've heard Desa is no more but I can't confirm. that's what the guy said when I bought filters this year.
So I got 4 sets.

Yeah - DESA was here in Bowling Green and closed down over a year ago. I don't know if it was the main office but it was more than just a manufacturing plant. It was a bit of a mess as I recall.
Go here for the local paper and type desa in the search box. I can't access any old articles due to a javascript error but that might just be me.
http://bgdailynews.com/
Also, I have worked around the torpedo heaters before. I hope you have plenty of good ventilation because those things put off some serious fumes.

 

[malibu101]

PassnThru- Thanks for the info on Desa. Sad to see another closed US company.
Yeah on the ventilation. My drafty place is the main reason i use the torpedo.
My only complaint is the noise. The drone causes me to really turn up the radio.

 

[JD in DFW]

I just picked up a 70K BTU Reddy for $90 and use when we are doing garage jobs and the thing works great! Have been running diesel through it and it seems to work fine, might not get as hot with the diesel over the kerosene, but it does warm up a 3 car garage, even with a couple of the doors open

 

[PassnThru]

PassnThru- Thanks for the info on Desa. Sad to see another closed US company.
Yeah on the ventilation. My drafty place is the main reason i use the torpedo.
My only complaint is the noise. The drone causes me to really turn up the radio.

From the local TV station - July 15, 2008 -
http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/25490084.html

Same source - Sept. 26, 2008 -
http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/29803264.html

Same source - Dec. 15, 2008 -
http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/36201809.html

Same source - Dec. 29, 2008 -
http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/36860514.html

And just for fun -
http://www.wbko.com/crimestoppers/headlines/44027617.html

Again - you can see where it was a bit of a mess.
I couldn't find an article on it but I seem to recall that the city offered them some sweet incentives around that time frame and they took them.

 

[Vernmotor]

I run diesel in mine too..you right not as hot but with a 100btu it just fine

 

[PassnThru]

I run diesel in mine too..you right not as hot but with a 100btu it just fine

My experience with those heaters was in an aircraft maintenance hanger. We ran jet fuel in them. It's really a type of kerosene anyhow. When we had to drain fuel from an airplane it could not by regulation go back in the plane so we had a tank that we put it in. And then we used it to run the heaters.

 

[junkyardjeff]

I was thinking on using diesel but how is the smell compared to kerosene,around here there is a huge price difference.

 

[sixball]

I bought a 45000 BTU to heat a 24 X 24 garage. It says it heats up to 1100 square feet. It's a Remmington from Menards, I caught it on sale for 129 bucks. I run Diesel thru it, and I only notice a slight smell when I first turn it on, and then when I turn it off. I never have run Kerosene thru it, so I don't have a heat or smell comparison.

It heats my garage from 30 to 60 in about a half hour with the pass door cracked about 2 feet. I use it mainly just to get the temp up before I turn the electric heater on, but I have used it solely before with no problems.

I have noticed some flash rust on some old tools, but nothing major.

 

[ratdoggy]

you pump a lot of water vapor into the air when you use these

 

[Vernmotor]

I think the diesel smells less than the kerosene...as far as water vapor..I been heating my shop with it for years..I know I keep reading this. but I don't see it..nor do I buy it..
fumes I really don't smell that to much..very little. Like said above when I first turn it on..But with that said I am a auto tech..smell stuff all day long that is stronger. Nothing in my shop is rusted..????

 

[sixball]

As far as my flash rust, I noticed it last summer (just bought the house then) the garage doesn't have any roof vents, or gabel vents so I am sure that has alot to do with it. I do keep the pass door cracked so I don't get a buildup of carbon monoxide, but thats all the venting I have. I need to address the venting issue when it gets warmer and add a gabel vent of some sort (I'll be posting for advice on that when it gets warmer out)

The torpedo heaters also make some noise, you can't really enjoy the radio when it's on, but you get used to it I guess. I saw another remmington model at Menards the other day that wasn't there when I bought mine, it says it's alot quieter than the torpedo heaters.

Here is the one I have:

http://shop.menards.com/shop/plumbi...-000-btu-kerosene-heater/p-59000.htm?cid=3241


Here is the quieter one I'm talking about:


http://shop.menards.com/shop/plumbi...radiantconvection-heater/p-58999.htm?cid=3241

 

[walrus]

I think the diesel smells less than the kerosene...as far as water vapor..I been heating my shop with it for years..I know I keep reading this. but I don't see it..nor do I buy it..

If your shop isn't tight, you might not see the water vapor or have an issue with it. But there is some science behind it and it doesn't lie.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

http://www.reddyparts.com/

Everything you need.

Charles

 

[BirdRacer]

I was thinking on using diesel but how is the smell compared to kerosene,around here there is a huge price difference.

I have run kerosene, off-road diesel, and on-road diesel.

Kerosene and on-road diesel smell is about the same, maybe slightly worse with diesel, but I really can't tell much difference. On-road diesel is almost half the cost of kerosene.

Off-road diesel stinks and smokes like crazy. Never again for me...

My $0.02

 

[vdubnluvn]

i was running 3, 110,000, 100,000, and a 55,000 btu i think.

doing paint work in the winter i needed to heat this mutha up to 90 to get it to 70 in the booth drawing air in from the main bays.

i had the 55,000 btu wired up on a baseboard thermostat, and that little guy kept the shop fairly warm throughout the day, id kick in the big boys in the morning and when i was painting.

but....... when kerosene hit 3.39 a gallon i installed a 75,000 btu gas furnace in the attic and put 3 vents in the paint booth, and 5 in the other 2 bays. i have a programable t-stat and keep it 60 in here when im not, and 68 when im in here. works freakin awesome. and i got the hookup on propane at 1.00 a gallon so helllzzzz yea. !!!

 

[director_gtr]

I got this for free from a friend
http://heating-and-cooling.hardware...-heaters/keroheat-kerosene-heater-150144.aspx

I'm thinking it can only use kerosene and not desiel right? Has anyone used this unit before? Is it worth it to buy fuel for it?

 

[6768rogues]

With any of the fuels, you still get about a gallon of water out of every gallon of fuel you use. Not matter how you cut it, you still have unvented combustion that should not be confined. I would not use one in a tight building, but in a drafty leaky building I would use one.

 

[Handyman163]

director_gtr:

Check out this link to learn everything there is to know about kerosene heaters. I'm currently using a 10,000 btu kerosene (radiant style) heater to heat my garage. It will run about 16 hours on 1.9 gallons of kerosene, and will heat the garage from 40 degrees to 58 degrees or so in about 3-4 hours with the outside temp in the 20's. It's slow, but it doesn't use a ton of fuel.

I'm super interested in a torpedo heater if I can run diesel in them. $2.78/gal for diesel sure beats ~$5/gal for kerosene. Tractor Supply has a 5 gal can of K-1 kerosene for $45, but Menards has 2.5gal for $15!

http://www.milesstair.com/

You'll likely need a new wick for that heater unless it's brand new. The most important thing is NO WATER in the tank, or in your kerosene. It will kill the ability of the kerosene to wick and heat properly. The wicks run $5-15. Don't try and use kerosene that's not clear and less than one year old.

 

[mobetta]

I use one.currently I have a remington 55000 that I scored off craigslist for $15. run mostly bio-diesel in it, at a 90% rate. smells way better than D or K-1(does require a few mods to airflow and pressure). and if you can ind a K-1 pump, it is usually just a bit more than diesel- about 15-20¢ a gal more around here. biodiesel can be made for less than a dollar a gallon.

my garage has more open space than sealed walls, so no worries about CO.

when I get a new one up this year, I will be looking at better options, but I wont be getting rid of the torpedo.

 

[PassnThru]

You'll poison yourself using kerosene or propane. Go electric. Check out www.perfectkennelheater.com ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR THE GARAGE !!
They are nice people and have everything you need. Bought mine for the dogs, but use it more for myself.

P.C.

Greetings:

I recently purchased an infrared heater from 'Perfect kennel heater dot com' The thing works great. Keeps me as warm as it does the dogs. Nice people there and they have all kinds of heaters for all kinds of uses. check out
www.perfectkennelheater.com

P.C.

Hmmmmmmmm.

 

[ket-tek]

^^^^^^^^^Hmmm is about what I was thinking? A little self promotion spam for the website it seems.

Paisley Canoe, how about some insight on how well these heaters work?

Since on the site even your largest available 240v model is only rated to heat 56 sqft.. Most of the spaces needing to be heated here average 400-1200 sqft with 10'+ ceilings..

So about 20 of these 240v fixtures that pull 12.5 amps each may do the trick

 

[ket-tek]

Since my dream of putting a outside boiler to heat the house and garage wont happen untill I hit the lottery I am thinking about buying another torpedo heater,I have a 33 year old 85,000 BTU reddy heater thats probably getting close to being worn out so who all has one and what brand do you have. I have a 24X24 garage that I am heating.

I used to have a 70k Reddy Kerosene torpedo at my old house, that I traded to a friend when I moved, and that thing would run out the room it could pump out so much heat.

I have a 100k propane torpedo now at my current house that works great also.

I've enjoyed both of them, once you get numb to the droning woosh noise..

I haven't noticed any moisture issues with the kerosene or propane? Anyone got any more info on this issue that I see posted previously? Which one is supposed to be worse?

 

[Handyman163]

Paisley Canoe,

How close are you to your infrared heater when you're in your shop?
What area (sq. ft.) is your shop (roughly)? It doesn't heat the air, so you've got to be close, right?

 

[ItBurnsWhenIPee]

I've been using a kerosene torpedo for years...And NOW you guys are telling me something about filters? If there's a filter in mine, it hasn't been touched in over 10 years. Where is this filter? Hard to change?

Interesting...

Oh...And I never vent my shop when it's lit. Stinks to high heaven and is loud as hell...But hey...My stereo goes to 11 and at least I'm toasty!

 

[junkyardjeff]

There are usually 2 filters,one is in the back and is a air inlet filter and there is a fuel filter but you have to take the burner off to get at it.

I've been using a kerosene torpedo for years...And NOW you guys are telling me something about filters? If there's a filter in mine, it hasn't been touched in over 10 years. Where is this filter? Hard to change?

Interesting...

Oh...And I never vent my shop when it's lit. Stinks to high heaven and is loud as hell...But hey...My stereo goes to 11 and at least I'm toasty!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I've been using a kerosene torpedo for years...And NOW you guys are telling me something about filters? If there's a filter in mine, it hasn't been touched in over 10 years. Where is this filter? Hard to change?

Actually three filters. On many heaters the main one is visible, a rectangular foam filter on the back of the air pump. This filters air that goes to the carbon vane pump that siphons the fuel. On some heaters this is behind the plastic louvers and not easy to see. There is also a small square felt filter about the size of a small postage stamp. It requires removing the back housing of the air pump to access it. And then there is the fuel filter.

The foam rots and breaks up and gets sucked into the air pump and damages it. If you are cheap and don't want to order a new one, get a dry, oil free, Briggs and Stratton foam air filter and cut it to shape and shove it in.

New parts are available from http://www.reddyparts.com/default.htm

Charles

 

[ItBurnsWhenIPee]

Cool...Thanks.

I'll have to check it oot this weekend.

 

[Shadowdog500]

My new pole barn is close to 30,000 cubic feet with eve and ridge vents, so heating the whole thing while I am only working in one part seems wasteful to me.

I recently picked up a Protemp Sun-Stream 70,000 BTU radiant kerosene heater from Tractor supply for $229. I only used it a few times so far but really like the thing. It is really quiet when compared to a torpedo heater, and it don't have that kerosene wick heater smell that gives me a headache. It appears to be a small torpedo heater inside that heats the front plate red hot. The front plate radiates heat, and the fan also pushes warm air out around 15 feet just like a torpedo heater. I just point it where I am working about 10 feet away and turn it on and stay comfortable.

I havent had it long enough to talk about longevity, but so far I am happy.

Here is a link and Photo,

If I decide to heat the whole barn eventually, I am leaning towards an infrared tube heater.

Chris


http://www.tractorsupply.com/kerose...ltra-portable-radiant-kerosene-heater-3202994

 

[930dreamer]

So they do have filters. I've never looked on mine. Looks like its time for some maintainence.

 

[Featherweight]

One way a friend of mines reduced the fumes in his garage was used a Through Wall Dryer vent. But the diameter was the same as the diameter on the 150kbtu heater.....He ran flex tubing to the back of the heater so it will always **** in fresh air instead of recirculating the fumes from the heater in the garage....it works great! You barely smell any fumes unlike before....i would say it was reduced by 60%....For $20 - $40 of buying sheet metal and flex tubing...i'd say its worth it all day!

 

[930dreamer]

I use one.currently I have a remington 55000 that I scored off craigslist for $15. run mostly bio-diesel in it, at a 90% rate. smells way better than D or K-1(does require a few mods to airflow and pressure). and if you can ind a K-1 pump, it is usually just a bit more than diesel- about 15-20¢ a gal more around here. biodiesel can be made for less than a dollar a gallon.

my garage has more open space than sealed walls, so no worries about CO.

when I get a new one up this year, I will be looking at better options, but I wont be getting rid of the torpedo.

Please tell me more about biodiesel and the heater. Any information about making also

 

[earlybirds]

I just bought a Mr. Heater torpedo heater and LOVE it. It is a "multifuel" heater meaning it can use kerosene, diesel fuel, fuel oil, jet fuel, etc. I have the model KTR125 which is 125,000 BTU/hr. I use it to heat my 30x40 pole barn. I use diesel fuel since it is the cheapest. The amazing thing is there is NO odor from the fuel while it's running. I also like being able to roll the unit around the shop directing the heat where I need it the most.

 

[trbomax]

I bought 2 "mr heater" units last fall to thaw out the groomer tractors quicker than just letting them sit. One was a 125000 and the other a 210000.To make a long story short,the 125000 works great,but the first 210 lasted a week and the flame sensor went out. They sent a new one,two days later it starts doing the delayed ignition w/lots of smoke/fumes thing. I called them and they said take it back. I did and tsc cheerfully gave me another one. Two days later it starts lighting late,then the sob catches on fire. Did that 2 times,I called them again. they said take it back,so I did,but tsc didnt have any more of them,so I went over to family farm and got one. Ran it a week and it started the same thing,only caught on fire once though!.Took it back and they were out of them but had a 175000,so I took it. Its worked fine. I took pics of the smoke and fire episodes,but I really think they have a problem with the 210000's and either dont know it or are not acknowledgeing it(toyota syndrome?). Any how, just thought I'd pass my experience along.