Odors of Operation
When filling a kerosene heater, there is an opportunity for the fuel to vaporize and create an odor in the air. This is why it is important to fill the heater in a garage or outdoors. When a kerosene heater is first ignited, it takes a few seconds to a few minutes for the fuel to mix with the air in the perfect ratio for complete combustion. For that space of time, the fuel to air mixture is quite rich. This results in a small amount of unburned kerosene. Once the heater is burning normally, no additional odor is created. An improperly adjusted wick causes smoke and odor. This is corrected by adjusting the wick-height. A wick with carbon build-up will also cause odor. A wick in this condition should be replaced. Odor may also be apparent when the heater is extinguished. The wick holder remains quite warm. When lowered, the wick continues to draw kerosene, causing a vaporization of the fuel which is detected as odor.
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