JC wrote:
I'm looking for a basic, occasional use heater for my garage. The garage is
single car, 410 square feet, uninsulated. Use of the heater for short term
emergency (power outage) indoor heating would be a plus.

What are people's experiences with kerosene vs propane for cost,
effectiveness, safety, cost, etc.? What BTU rating has worked well for
people in similar situations?

Thanks in advance.


I don't have either but just ordered a propane type because
it is cheap and should easily heat my insulated 2 car
garage. A kerosene heater easily heated a friend's large
garage (actually a shop) with 11 foot ceilings and produced
way more heat than the smaller propane heater, or so said
the friend. I have also observed a propane catalytic heater
being used to heat a 26 foot trailer. The owners needed
heat that didn't require electricity while camping to make
sure their many birds didn't get cold. It worked very well
and was economical to use.

In any case, you probably should mount the burn surface at
least 18 degrees above the floor to meet code requirements.
I wouldn't worry much about CO or lack of oxygen with any
modern kerosene or propane burner as the garage is likely to
leak lots of air. If it doesn't you can always open a
window, doesn't need to be more than a crack.