Our large, drafty, almost uninsulated rental home has a heat pump for "heat", and after one winter of freezing to death we bought this heater... Boy, is it nice to be warm again with REAL heat! We had blocked off rooms and used electric heaters before, and at times supplemented it with the central system which had to use resistance heat at the tune of $2.00 and HOUR to run. Seemed the second the central unit went out, the house was freezing again.
This Kerosene heater is very easy to use, requires minimal maintenance, and puts out a LOT of heat fast. Only real smell is at start-up and especially at shutdown, but if you take the heater outside to start and stop, actual in use smell is almost zero if you use it properly. By properly for my particular unit means flame height as high as possible w/o curling (sooting), and adjusting the burner. Quality of the fuel obviously is a factor, and I have had pretty good luck with the un-dyed K-1 from several stations. With good fresh K-1 fuel, and the unit adjusted properly at operating temp, there is no odor, or so faint I have to try and smell for it, and there has absolutely never been any sooting. You will learn how to adjust the unit as the fuel warms/unit gets hotter, and really enjoy the experience. My family enjoys the soft steady glow the heater makes, and it's nice steady heat, not the on/off feeling from central.
Although the product is perfectly safe for indoor use, I do use and highly recommend a CO detector, never sleeping with the heater on, and not have it too far from where you are to be able to keep an eye on it.
Pro's not mentioned:
- Actual use times relative to consumption seem longer than stated. I have used it 12 hrs straight, and no way used close to all the fuel. Seems the fuel gage reads "F" way before the tank is actually full, and "E" well before actually empty.
- Extra wicks if needed are very easy to get, but I don't see the need for a new one anytime soon if you "dry burn" as is required every so often.
- Lots of safety is built into the unit, and it does have an auto shut off should it fall over
- No electricity needed, so they are the perfect "blackout" heating solution
- 2 yr warranty
Cons:
- Contact made to Sengoku USA by email has never been returned, so there may be CS issues down the road
- Although generally well made, there are some issues, especially the carrying handle. It flexes a lot especially when the heater is full of fuel, and the handle can slip out because the holes in the side of the heaters sheet steel get wallowed out. To stop this I installed some wire clips, and so far so good.
For our situation (no nat gas available), this heater was the best choice over paying for propane to be installed, or using the creosote laden fireplace. I read a lot of hype, hyperbole, and flat out BS about the dangers of using a Kerosene heater indoors... Yeah, they must really be death machines seeing how the Japanese by the tens of millions use them almost exclusively for primary heating of their non central heat homes. Bottom line, learn how to safely use them/maintain them, and you will be rewarded with plenty of economical heat.