can I burn Jet Fuel in my kerosene torpedo heater?

Badger

Badger

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Badger
I'm having a tough time locating kerosene to purchase via pump.
Yes I can buy a 2.5 gal jug from a big box store, it's about $7.50/gal. My local FBO sells jet fuel for $5/gal. Will this work? I was thinking of buying a couple yellow containers and have them filled up.
 
Where are you located?

Check in with the local fuel/oil distributor and the source for local Agriculture diesel. I bet they have some or know who's got it.
 
I thought that too.
I called my local farm co-op (Landmark/Cenex) and surprisingly they didn't sell it via pump, only 55 gallon drums. $282/55 gal
 
Jet A or B will work in the heater. It's just better kerosene. and so will home heating oil.
 
Around here, most gas stations pump it. I haven't had reason to notice the prices recently, but last time I did, it was ~$4.00/gallon, give or take.

All of the farm supply stores also sell kerosene, but a few of them require that you have a farmer's tax exemption.

If I had need for kerosene, I'd plant a few apple trees and some more tomato plants...

-Rich
 
My wife gave me a kerosene heater for the garage for Christmas. After using up the two gallons of $10/gal kero she gave me with it, I had the FBO fill the jugs up with Jet A. The heater likes it just fine.
 
DaleB said:
My wife gave me a kerosene heater for the garage for Christmas. After using up the two gallons of $10/gal kero she gave me with it, I had the FBO fill the jugs up with Jet A. The heater likes it just fine.
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Do you notice the odor is better or worse while burning the Jet A?
 
Badger said:
I'm having a tough time locating kerosene to purchase via pump.
Yes I can buy a 2.5 gal jug from a big box store, it's about $7.50/gal. My local FBO sells jet fuel for $5/gal. Will this work? I was thinking of buying a couple yellow containers and have them filled up.
Click to expand...

Yep, it'll run on most anything liquid that burns. You can use Diesel fuel even cheaper.
 
Nope. Neither more nor less odor. It seems like I might be burning just a little less fuel, but I had so few hours on it before switching that may not be the case.
 
It's hot and miss. I have 2 torpedo heaters, one will burn jet A no problem. With the other one there is a smell and I get a terrible headache but it's fine with kerosene.
 
I should point out -- mine is not a torpedo heater, it's the vertical standing convection type.
 
Henning said:
It's a great way to get rid of oil change oil as well and creates extra heat.
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You want to BREATHE the stuff that comes out of dirty oil?

No thanks.

It'll burn fine, but I value my lungs more than the few dollars an equivalent volume of kerosene would cost.
 
MAKG1 said:
You want to BREATHE the stuff that comes out of dirty oil?

No thanks.

It'll burn fine, but I value my lungs more than the few dollars an equivalent volume of kerosene would cost.
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Lol, most spaces where I use a torpedo heater, 'well ventilated' would be an understatement. Typically I'll be using them pointed at things deeply frozen to get them to thaw, not to heat a space I occupy.;)
 
Badger said:
I thought that too.
I called my local farm co-op (Landmark/Cenex) and surprisingly they didn't sell it via pump, only 55 gallon drums. $282/55 gal
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the one on Pleasant View just west of Middleton (the Middleton Farmers Coop)? That's where I was gonna tell you to go. They have (or at least had, at one point) a Kero pump. It was NOT near the gas/diesel pumps, more over by the northwest corner of the store.

If you weren't talking about MFC, give them a try.
 
On the torpedo heater. I haven't used these before. What size would I need for a standard t-hangar for temps around 30 to 40 degrees, to get it into the 60's or so? Is it safe (CO2)?
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Are you talking about the one on Pleasant View just west of Middleton (the Middleton Farmers Coop)? That's where I was gonna tell you to go. They have (or at least had, at one point) a Kero pump. It was NOT near the gas/diesel pumps, more over by the northwest corner of the store.

If you weren't talking about MFC, give them a try.
Click to expand...

I called the main tele line for Landmark co-op. I think they are in Cottage Grove. I'll try MFC, thanks

EDIT: yes, Middleton co-op has it via pump. $5.89 gal #1 kerosene
 
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John221us said:
On the torpedo heater. I haven't used these before. What size would I need for a standard t-hangar for temps around 30 to 40 degrees, to get it into the 60's or so? Is it safe (CO2)?
Click to expand...

Any of them will make the heat, but no, they are not safe from a CO and NOx standpoint to be used in an enclosed space.
 
Badger said:
I called the main tele line for Landmark co-op. I think they are in Cottage Grove. I'll try MFC, thanks

EDIT: yes, Middleton co-op has it via pump. $5.89 gal #1 kerosene
Click to expand...

Interesting. Well, MSN has Jet-A for $5.09 a gallon right now... Which are you going to choose? :dunno:
 
Befriend your line guys and mechanics, we used to burn Jet A sumped from the tank farm and from defueled maintenance. NO heat as toasty as Free heat.
 
John221us said:
On the torpedo heater. I haven't used these before. What size would I need for a standard t-hangar for temps around 30 to 40 degrees, to get it into the 60's or so? Is it safe (CO2)?
Click to expand...

Uninsulated metal box?

My 50,000 BTU heater does fine in a wood garage.

Define safe.

With the old garage the heater would set off a CO alarm if I had everything closed up and ran it on high. The new garage is insulated so I don't have to run it as hard.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Uninsulated metal box?

My 50,000 BTU heater does fine in a wood garage.

Define safe.

With the old garage the heater would set off a CO alarm if I had everything closed up and ran it on high. The new garage is insulated so I don't have to run it as hard.
Click to expand...

Well, I was thinking about picking one up for the hangar, but now it isn't sounding like such a good idea. It is a standard metal t-hangar. Fairly new, in the middle of the row with sliding doors. In the winter, I don't tend to hang there much, due to the cold weather. I drop the plane off and go. Propane would be too expensive for regular use.
 
John221us said:
Well, I was thinking about picking one up for the hangar, but now it isn't sounding like such a good idea. It is a standard metal t-hangar. Fairly new, in the middle of the row with sliding doors. In the winter, I don't tend to hang there much, due to the cold weather. I drop the plane off and go. Propane would be too expensive for regular use.
Click to expand...

There are properly vented Diesel heaters out there, you can even build a simple drum heater to burn drums of waste oil on wood. 55 gallons of waste oil and a cord of wood goes a long way.
 
John221us said:
Well, I was thinking about picking one up for the hangar, but now it isn't sounding like such a good idea. It is a standard metal t-hangar. Fairly new, in the middle of the row with sliding doors. In the winter, I don't tend to hang there much, due to the cold weather. I drop the plane off and go. Propane would be too expensive for regular use.
Click to expand...

That's all I use in my insulated 73' X 55' hangar. Doors closed two torpedoes blazing a 220K BTU and a 80K BTU. I run Kerosene, NO diesel. I have also run Jet A with no problems. I've done this for years and never had problems. I also turn the temp control way down so it comes on about 40F and leave it when I think it's going to get really cold. Paints, polishes, etc. don't like to freeze.
 
I burn #1 diesel in ours. Works great and I have a 1500 gallon barrel of the stuff on the farm.
 
One other comment. As I said above I've used torpedo's in my hangar for a long time. The only downside IMO is the noise. The big one especially is a little hard to talk over. Just something to keep in mind.
 
John,
A torpedo heater will not really heat a t-hanger, but just knock the chill off. If your t-hanger is tight enough to really heat I would be concerned about the fumes. Ask Moose, mine didn't raise the temp more than a couple degrees but if you pointed it where you were working it helped with creature comfort.
 
tmyers said:
John,
A torpedo heater will not really heat a t-hanger, but just knock the chill off. If your t-hanger is tight enough to really heat I would be concerned about the fumes. Ask Moose, mine didn't raise the temp more than a couple degrees but if you pointed it where you were working it helped with creature comfort.
Click to expand...
but if you point it at the area you are in, and most importantly blow heat on your toolbox, it's all you need
 
tmyers said:
John,
A torpedo heater will not really heat a t-hanger, but just knock the chill off. If your t-hanger is tight enough to really heat I would be concerned about the fumes. Ask Moose, mine didn't raise the temp more than a couple degrees but if you pointed it where you were working it helped with creature comfort.
Click to expand...

They do work good... BUT.... The open flame out the front always scares the ***** out of me...:yikes:
 
I never seen any open flame out the front. The shield prevents that. Still I take precautions like never running it when the plane is being fueled and making sure I know where it is pointed.

Trying to fill in the blanks on your five letter word, LOL!!
 
I did come up with a 5 letter word but it didn't fit and if it did I didn't want to know it.
 
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