Hi, in this post I will present small kerosene heaters that may be suitable for using as a portable kerosene heater for a small greenhouse. It is often difficult to know what kind of heater to use in a small greenhouse environment – often people use electric heaters as well. But a small kerosene heater may be just the right tool for the job.
A kerosene heater for small greenhouse needs to be safe to use, economical and capable of heating the required space to the desired temperature. Wood burning stoves are probably the ideal solution, but I don’t know how available they are. In the meantime a potable kerosene heater for a small greenhouse should do the trick.
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Mr. Heater Little Buddy Portable Kerosene Heater
Up first, I will be reviewing the Mr. Heater Little Buddy Propane Heater, model no MH4B. It is a small, light little heater, running off of disposable canisters. Let us look at some of its features.
Features and Specs
- Safe portable propane heater
- Odor-free heat for up to 5 hours
- On/off button operation – like an electrical appliance
- Has an auto shut-off switch in case of it being knocked over
- Low oxygen air content shut-off system
Quick Tip : Adding additional kerosene heaters will allow you to heat up bigger spaces. |
Questions and Answers
How big a space can this little portable kerosene heater handle?
This little kerosene heater is suitable for spaces of up to 95 square feet.
It looks like a disposable cylinder of some sort that it is running off off?
Yes, it utilizes a 1Lbs disposable kerosene cylinder (not included with the heater). I think you will be able to find bigger kerosene cylinders that will work with it as well – a 15Lbs or 30Lbs one will be nice to operate it with. It should give you a good amount of hours of operation.
Quick Tip : Take your kerosene heater outside into the open air every once in a while and let the heater burn a bit to help keep the wicks clean and free of any soot build-up. Also make sure that the wick is trimmed and fitted correctly. |
What about fumes affecting the plants?
Some plants like lettuce and tomatoes can sometimes show a sensitivity to kerosene fumes – though usually plants don’t seem to mind much most of the time what type of heater is being used. Warming the greenhouse too much or having it be too cold inside can probably do more harm. I don’t think there is a real chance of actually poisoning your plants.
Oftentimes one makes a greenhouse very airtight though for good reasons. But, with a short supply of fresh oxygen air available, kerosene heaters tend to start giving off more soot as they burn. Maybe make sure there is some kind ventilation going when you are using a kerosene heater in your greenhouse. This little heater does have a low oxygen shut-off feature though.
If there was a sooty situation happening – let the greenhouse air a bit before working in it. Some greenhouses also have a top vent you can open.
Possible PROS & CONS
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View the Mr. Heater Little Buddy Indoor Propane Heater on Amazon.com |
Notes on Quality and Operation
Generally plants don’t seem to mind kerosene heaters with one or two exceptions. In some cases poor ventilation can affect the proper low fume operation. A greenhouse with vents of some kind at either end will probably be good enough. Maybe carry the heaters outside when they start getting sooty and give them a quick burn.
If you have a bigger sized greenhouse, why not add one or two extra units of these small kerosene heaters to make sure you heat up a larger greenhouse well enough in winter. Kerosene heaters often work better than electric heaters when the temperature really starts dropping. Using a fan may help spread the warmth around as well.
Quick Tip : It may be a good idea to make a note of the hours you burn per cylinder – that way you can figure roughly when a cylinder will run out of fuel and plan accordingly. |
Sengoku OR-77 Portable Kerosene Heater
I will now add another model to this review. The Sengoku OR-77 HeatMate Omni-Radiant Portable Kerosene Heater is an omni-radiant, 10 000 BTU heater. Let’s look at some features of this heater.
Features and Specs
- Omni-directional heating
- Push button ignition
- Automatic shut-off for safety in case of malfunction
- 1,2 gallon tank capacity with siphon pump and fuel gauge
- Dimensions : 15 x 15 x 23 inches
- Weight : 20.3 Lbs
- Comes with a 2-year limited warranty
Keep in mind : All kerosene wicks need to be cleaned every once in a while. When the wick looks all sooty and starts giving of fumes, you’ll need to attend to it. |
Questions and Answers
How big of a room can this heater handle?
This portable kerosene heater can handle up to 380 square feet spaces.
I don’t recognize the Sengoku brand name?
The Sengoku brand name has actually been trading for close to 60 years and they are one of the Big Shots in the manufacture of certain heating accessories. They concentrate on quality product at reasonable prices. The company’s kerosene heaters have some great features for the money, like fuel gauges and auto-ignition.
How long will this kerosene heater burn on its tank of kerosene?
Its 1.2-gallon fuel capacity tank should give you up to 12 hours of heating. Leaves you just enough time either side to warm a small greenhouse through a cold night.
Possible PROS & CONS
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View the Sengoku OR-77 Omni-Radiant Kerosene Heater on Amazon.com |
Notes on Quality and Operation
The Sengoku OR-77 HeatMate Omni-Radiant Portable Kerosene Heater has some decent features for the price. It seems safe to operate and easy to light up as it has an auto ignition. As stated above some users complain that the wick is set too low, which hampers efficient operation, especially in windy conditions. This may be only some dud units though.
It should be a good fit for small room or greenhouse heating as well as for heating outside on decks and patios, although you may want to use a propane tank top heater for outdoor spaces. The fuel gauge on this unit is also a huge plus – you’ll be able to know how much fuel you’ll need to add to have it burn through a cold night until morning.
Kerosene Heater for Small Greenhouse – Final Thoughts
The info in the above review should hopefully help to give you an idea of the type of kerosene heater you may need to heat up your greenhouse during the colder months. The Sengoku heater with it’s omni-radiant design will heat up more space on its own maybe, but using two or more units of Mr Heater Little Buddy could give one the same area heating effect.
Thanks for reading my best portable kerosene heater for small greenhouse review. I hope you find the best kerosene heater for your greenhouse and house! |