Used Portable Kerosene Heaters and Wicks - Should You Buy One?

With safety the main concern, should you buy a used portable kerosene heater? What should you look for?

Always look for the used heater that is very clean and looks like new. This usually means that the heater is still in good shape and has been used very little. A clean, new-looking heater might mean that the owner has used it only until the wick needed replaced. A heater like this is an excellent choice and can sometimes be purchased for five or ten dollars.

What to look for?

Take a minute to remove the glass cylinder, wind the wick up and touch the wick with your fingers. Is it hard? The wick is supposed to be soft to the touch and flexible. A hard wick is dirty and has carbon build-up. Kerosene cannot be absorbed up through this wick. It needs cleaned or replaced. Replacement is always the better choice. The cost of a new wick is only in the range of ten dollars and will give a safe comfortable odor-free heat for a long time.

Safely discard any remaining old fuel!

When you get your used heater home the first thing to do is safely discard any fuel that remains in the tank (kerosene deteriorates over time - and this kerosene could be watered) and turn the tank upside down to completely dry out. Place paper towels or an old absorbent rag in the bottom of the fuel space to completely soak up any remaining liquid.

Keep all of the old screws and wingnuts in order!

The wick of any type of heater should be fairly easy to replace even without the owner's manual. Take time to do this in a workshop or where job concentration is possible. Keep all of the screws and wingnuts in the same order as they are removed to make re-assembly easier. Take a good look at the black lines on the old wick and the old position before removing it. A generic wick may be marked differently or even incorrectly and this could save some time later after the heater is all back together. The wick has to be in the correct and safe position to burn properly and/or to be extinguished instantly.

If you discover, after the heater is all back together, that the wick is too high or too low, the only thing left to do is to take it apart again. Never light the heater with the new wick in an incorrect position. If necessary get help or a professional to install the new wick.

Give it a test run outside!

Fill the tank with new water-clear 1-K kerosene (never colored or red kerosene). Let it soak in for an hour. Next, light the wick and watch it. Does it burn evenly? Turn the wick up and down. Does it slide easily? Use the instant off button. Does it extinguish the flame instantly? Turn it off manually. Does the wick go down and extinguish the flame? Don't be content to use a heater that has a wick slightly off position and doesn't lower enough to smother the flame. These are the heaters that cause accidents. It's the owner's responsibility to make sure the heater is in safe working condition.

When storing any heater over the warm months always remove and safely discard the fuel in the tank. Kerosene should never remain in the heater during a time of storage. Proper maintenance will mean the difference between a smooth long-working appliance in excellent safe condition or the expensive replacement.

Take time to educate children on the safety needs of all heating appliances in your home and give complete and detailed education to all family members on all quick safety exits. Never allow children to operate any stove or heater. Keep a fire extinguisher near and have some training exercises. Don't pick up or carry around any portable kerosene heater while the flame is burning, no matter how small and lightweight the heater may be. Respect for and detailed knowledge of all appliances and work tools inside and outside the home can be the answer to NO accidents.

Be safe and be sure!

Sources:

Dyna Glo Portable Kerosene Heater Owner's Manual