"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...
To do a proper comparison you'll need some data, such as the heating value
and chemical formulas for the two fuels. Propane is easy (C3H8) but
kerosene is a mixture and its composition probably varies depending on the
grade and source.

The combustion of propane is as follows, assuming 100% conversion:

C3H8 + 5 O2 = 4 H2O +3 CO2

The molecular weight of propane is 44 and water is 18, so you'll get
around
1.6 lbs of water generated for each lb of propane burned.

According to this link, kerosene has the approximate formula C8H18:


http://www.core.org.cn/CN_NR/rdonlyr.../09_part2c.pdf

then,

C8H18 + 12.5 O2 = 9 H2O + 8 CO2

or about 1.4 lbs of water per lb of kerosene burned.

Propane has a heating value of 21,500 BTU/lb and kerosene is 18,540
BTU/lb.

On a per million BTU basis, propane will produce 74.1 lbs of water and
kerosene will produce 75.5 lbs of water.

Bottom line is that for all practical puposes, there is no difference in
the
amount of water vapor that either produces for the same heating duty.
That
assumes no errors on my part so feel free to do your own research g.

Mike

WOW!! Thank you for passing that along!






"wayne mak" wrote in message
...
Whats is the big deal, I have used both propane and kerosene heaters for
the shop from time to time. The propane puts ALOT of water into the air.
The kerosene heater puts almost none, in the winter I could run the
dehumidifier for a month with the kero heater running and NEVER fill the
tank. I will say that the kero heater ONCE running makes far less fumes
than the propane heater I have. ( the propane is 2 years old the kero is
about 15 years old with a wick from way back when) I don't even use the
new heater, and to top it off propane costs more per BTU. You need to be
very careful with any space heater, but if used correctly they are safe.
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Name wrote:

"rigger" wrote in message
oups.com...

Mike Berger wrote:

Maybe, but then you'll be using a lot more energy overall to heat
the place, and stand the chance of dying from the combustion fumes
and lack of oxygen as well.

Name wrote:

In the "how to heat a two stall garage" thread, someone mentioned
that

a

kerosene heater would cause a lot of moisture in the garage. How
much
moisture will there be? Could I just use a low-cost (normal store

bought)

de-humidifier to make it normal humidity?

Thanks.



Like any heating device if a kerosene heater is operated and
maintained
properly there is no problem using it inside for long periods of time.
A dehumidifier would certainly add cost but, depending on the brand
and
etc., could be effective.

Just guessing but I imagine the amount of water to be removed won't be
more than the amount of kerosene supplied (recombining the hydrogen in
the kerosene with oxygen??). Maybe someone who understands the
chemistry involved can tell us for sure.

dennis
in nca



I am going to just use the heater for a little while, evaluate and go
from
there. Thanks for the advice.

I think the kerosene combines with the oxygen in the air to some
ratio,
and
that is where it gets some of the water creation during burning.
Either
way, I need to see just how much moisture is going to be produce
before
and
if I decide to get a dehumidifier.

Thanks.



Go ahead, just remember, you were warned. If you open a window or do
something else to introduce oxygen, you will not experience oxygen
depletion. That's fine for normal people, but you have a shop full of
ferrous objects. When you burn any hydrocarbon, the basic reaction is
that the byproduct is water vapor. In a shop, you HAVE to vent the
kerosene exhaust completely or your machines will rust quickly.

You have been given some marginal advice. The guy who dumped the MSDS
didn't realize that your concern isn't only safety for humans, it's
also
preventing rust to your machines. Water vapor in say a bedroom is a
good
thing. Often in winter the air is very dry and adding some humidity
makes
it feel warmer. That's why you see those cast iron kettles on wood
stoves, just to add steam to the air. Yes, it's safe to use a clean
well
adjusted kerosene heater inside, but IT WILL RUST YOUR MACHINES.

I would never ever trust a dehumidifier. Not for one millisecond. Trust
a
chimney.

GWE