How To Stop The Kerosene Heater From Smoking/ Smelling?

A kerosene heater is one of those heaters that have been used for years. From indoor use to lawn decoration, everywhere you will find kerosene heater existence.

Although kerosene heaters look excellent and energy-efficient, they hold several issues. The most common complaint with the kerosene heater is smoke and smell. These can ruin the environment and make the air unhealthy. Moreover, these odors are quite challenging to remove. Even the noxious fumes can ignite and cause massive accidents easily.

People often ask how to stop kerosene heaters from smoking/ smelling. 

Fortunately, there are some tips and suggestions that can work as your savior here. Give a quick check and learn to avoid these things. 

Why Does My Kerosene Heater Smoke/ Smell?

Kerosene is quite strong and smelly by its nature. If you don’t know how to maintain this properly, it will spread strong odors and smoke. If you notice such smells/ samples, there might be certain things that are triggering these. Well, you’ll get various factors behind such smoke smell production. 

Among all these are the most vital facts:

• Using the kerosene heater in an unventilated place is never recommended. It will get all the odors together and create a nasty smell. Even a good-quality kerosene heater requires good air circulation to keep the atmosphere healthy.

• If you don’t use good quality fuel in the kerosene heater, it will create unbearable strong smoke and smell. Besides, you need to change the fuel from time to time. Generally, cheap quality fuel produces carbon monoxide. Such burning will create excessive smoke.

• Make sure you’ve sealed the kerosene heater bottom burner tightly. Else, it will take the smoke.

• While using a kerosene heater, you’ve to set the wick properly. The wick height should always be up to 1.3 cm. Keep checking on the wick while using a kerosene heater. Even if the fuel is over and the wick burns dry, it will produce smoke and smell. 

• Give a check over the kerosene heater chimney. The chimney should be appropriately set while using the heater.

Well, there can be several other factors too. But these are the things mentioned above that produce strong smells/ smokes while using a kerosene heater.

How to stop the kerosene heater from smoking/ Smelling?

Now that you know what the culprits are, it will get easier to bring solutions to such issues. Your consciousness and proper Maintenance can keep smoke/ smell away. Try doing these below mentioned things to avoid kerosene heater smoking/ smelling issues:

Clean:

Maintaining proper cleanliness of the kerosene heater is a must. While using such heaters, it can spill and spread strong odors/ smells. If such things happen, you need to give it a deep cleansing. If kerosene spoils over wood/ carpet, it might stand impossible to remove. So, you better use it with extra care. If you’re a tile/ Formica surface, it’s comparatively easy to clean. But make sure you’re doing it immediately. Else such leftovers can create unbearable odors. 

Store:

Another vital fact about using a kerosene heater is storing the kerosene correctly. You can’t use any other container to store the kerosene. This can create a smell. Even if such ordinary containers get in touch with flammable objects, they will create major accidents. If you use kerosene on a regular basis, try to keep it tightly sealed in a safe place. Don’t store kerosene at home if it’s not required often.

Fuel:

If you use cheap quality fuel/ wrong fuel, it will create odor/ smoke. You better use clear-type kerosene for smell-free clear burning. It will hold the smoke level in control and yet give you the best heat production. 

Wick:

Make sure you’ve set the kerosene wick at the proper height. Try keeping the wick always up to 1.3 cm. Besides, you’ve to choose the right quality wick. The ideal quick should include a cotton-type bottom and fiberglass top. People who don’t consider the wick’s importance go with full cotton ones. Such wicks produce smell and smoke easily. So, you better choose the right quality wick and set it correctly.

Neutralize:

Another amazing and easy fix is neutralizing the kerosene smell. Well, there are a lot of components that can work for neutralizing the odors. The most common components are alcohol, ammonia and paraffin. If you simply rub alcohol/ perfume that includes alcohol over the surface, it can balance the kerosene odor. If you’re using paraffin, consider using gel/wax to neutralize the smell. Lastly, ammonia works in a balanced way to break down kerosene. You can use ammonia with water to neutralize the strong kerosene smell. 

Filter:

Filtration is another effective way to remove kerosene heaters. Filters can’t ensure you eradicate the odors. But it will certainly minimize the odors. Try using activated carbons to absorb the kerosene odors. Limestone powder works more effectively here. You should mix the powder in the tank bottom. Such filters will certainly remove strong odors and give efficient burning. 

Ventilation:

Wherever you use the heater, make sure it has a proper air circulation system. Even when you’re using it inside your house, the room should have at least one window opened. Without enough ventilation, kerosene heaters will make extreme odors. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion 

The kerosene heater does a really quick and impressive job of warming up the house. These look quite traditionally attractive and costly. The only minus point about these heats is the odors/ smokes. Hopefully, now you know how to stop the kerosene heater from smelling/ smoking. Try following these tips and suggestions for keeping up a healthy ambiance. Else, such smokes will stand health-threatening for you.