Where to Find K-1 Kerosene for Heaters?

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
I just bought a wick-type kerosene heater. Where is a good place to get kerosene? The owner's manual states to use clear K-1 kerosene. There is a fuel station near me that sells kerosene, but its dyed red (indicating tax not paid). Is this OK to use? I think its priced at about $3.20 a gallon, a bit more than D2!

I may check with heating oil companies and see what they offer.

So far I've noticed only one other station that caries kerosene, they are almost non-existent.

This is in Northern Virginia, in Fairfax County.

Get this, at Home Depot, where I bought the heater, they sold kerosene for $8 a gallon in steel cans!

Thanks.

--Nate
 
Last edited:

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Nate, I buy gals or 2.5gals jugs at my local ACE Hdwe. The stuff is crystal clear and gives off far less odor compared to the stuff I've purchased at gas stations.

HD sells a syn K1 produced by XOM. It was very $$$ but was odorless when burned...tough to find this. They seem to get a single pallet per year and then it's gone.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
It's fine to use the K1 with the red dye.

My sole suggestion is to light the heater outside until it warms up, and then move the heater inside of the house a few minutes later. This almost completely eliminates the fumes and odor that a lot of people complain about. Do the same thing when shutting the heater down for refuelings - move it outside before you cap the flame.

Moving the heater while burning can be somewhat tricky. I suggest being very careful (obvious statement).
 

VWWV

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Location
Florida and WV
TDI
passat 96, candy white
Nate, are there any Sheetz stations near you? In WV, kerosene is still available and I've seen it at almost every Sheetz. Price is usually less than D2 by maybe 10 cents??? Florida eliminated kerosene heaters by banning the sale of kerosene. Something about fire hazards. You might try contacting a woodburner/fireplace/pellet stove dealer and ask them where to buy K1 - if still legal in Va?
 

ocshaman

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Location
Frankfort, Kentucky
TDI
none
I have my Kerosene heater in another room right now. In my apartment it's Kitchen and living room. The Kitchen has a fan, and there is a door that separates them. I turn on the fan, then turn on the heater, and close the door as I walk into the other room. After 2 minutes the fumes are gone, and I open the door. The kerosene heater I use is a fan heater, and blows the heat a good ways. I don't know your living arrangement, but either set it outside, or set it in a well ventilated room. And the first time you start it up, put it outside for a while, becuase it will cook all the dust off. And make sure it's empty when you put it away.
 

Slave2school

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Location
Angus, Ontario
TDI
99.5 used to at least...
What DD says, I was using Kero form my Irving statiopn up here and it literally burned my eyballs fomr the fumes. My CT (or hardware stores) sell the nice clear stuff hardly any fumes. I start it inside and shut it off inside with no issues (my house is drafty enough I guess lol)
 

DrewD

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2004
Home Despot sells 5 gallon drums of the stuff. Its pricy but I love having the drum to resuse for oil changes or storage of diesel, bio, or gas.
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
"Florida eliminated kerosene heaters by banning the sale of kerosene. Something about fire hazards. "

I bet non-vented heaters are banned in Florida too. About 8 years ago I sold a Glo Warm unvented natural gas heater on e-Bay. I used it 4 years (in a previous house I had) and bought it new for $145. I even stated what I bought it for in the e-Bay listing. Someone in Florida bought it for $160 plus shipping!

I wish I still had it, because at this point I think I would tap into the water heater gas line and run a hook up for it, like I did in the other house. Its al ot easier than using Kerosene heaters. I used a kerosene heater before and it was a real hassle hauling the fuel and the heater maintenance. Natural gas is about 25% less per BTU value, too.

--Nate
 

Slave2school

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Location
Angus, Ontario
TDI
99.5 used to at least...
Maintenence of a convection style kerosene heater is nothing. I can take mine apart and change the wick in about 5 minutes with no tools. Such a hassle with the single button push start too and no fans/electricity required ;)

What brand did you get? I got a KeroHeat heater through northerntool.ca for $99
 

Jason D

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Location
St. Louis
TDI
06 Graphite Blue 5 speed
I get my K-1 from a local gas station but its almost $4/gallon there. I have 2 kero heaters for the garage but never use them. Picked them up out of the local paper for like $50 for the pair.
 

david_594

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Location
Cheshire, CT
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS Silver
This seems odd, but I am in upstate NY and my local fuel company with cardlock biodiesel and regular diesel also has a kerosene pump. Diesel and bio are 2.79 a gallon and clear K1 is 2.39 a gallon.

Defenitely clear and no red dye and defenitely tastes really bad.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
The only possible downside is the red dye causing deposits in the wick... but it's the same red dye they tag off-road diesel with, and if it would leave deposits in a kerosene heater's wick, it would leave deposits in off-road tractor diesel injectors. So, there's no downside. (My family's used both red and clear K1 in various heaters, and it worked pretty well.)

Also, they sell fuel additives at hardware stores for kerosene heaters that increase the cetane and add a scent.

Oh, and having owned OLD kerosene heaters, usually the ignitors quit working, and then you have to stick a lighter in there. But, the things work pretty well.

Heck, I'd suggest using biodiesel... except bio won't climb a wick very well, so it won't burn right in a kerosene heater.
 

Thermo1223

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2004
Location
Easton, PA
TDI
'00 Jetta 5M-'04 JW A5
Using clear is best since the dye can make it burn funny.

One thing I really recommend is the 10k BTU vs. 23k BTU model.

The 10k is a reflective(radiant) heater with an taller cat. to burn better with less smell. It also lets you sit it up against a wall without the worry of setting the wall on fire.

The bigger 23k model is convection heater meaning it heats everything around it in 360* circle. It needs a bit of clearance all around as everything can get extremely hot if it is not. They have a tendency to smell too as the burner is much shorter, not enough room to burn off those extra hydrocarbons.

Ya the non-nature made stuff is great, burns cleaner with 0 odor but it can be pricey.

Personally I stick to propane/ng just because you can't make a mess with it.
 

Slave2school

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Location
Angus, Ontario
TDI
99.5 used to at least...
I bought the convection style since it is easier to cook over (use a pot not hotdogs on the flame) in the event of a long power outage, but you have to be careful 100% of the time as stated. I don't find it smells bad while operating, but there is a bit of a smell on shutdown that the sensitive might not like.
 

CDI

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Location
us
TDI
8 DIESELS
Look for a Wilco/Hess

They have clear kero. $1.99 here in Richmond Va.
 

wny_pat

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Location
Western New York State
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
Find a bulk petroleum plant. They should sell it to you clear. You might have to sign a statement to the effect that it is not to be used on-road so you will not have to pay tax. That is what they do in NYS. I can even buy clear diesel for my cub cadet that way.
 
Top