CV-2230 KeroHeat Convection 23,000-BTU Portable Kerosene Heater

We live in Missouri, and our central furnace had gone COMPLETELY out on us when we turned it on the first time this winter and so we were without heat since the fall of 2012 until the middle of Feb 2013. We didn't have the funds to replace an entire central heat & ac unit at the time either. So we had to rely on 2 larger Life Smart infared (sic?) space heaters to heat our 2000 sq ft home. That worked fine for the main part of the house (except for the smaller off shoot rooms like bathrooms, etc) as long as the temps didn't fall below the low 40's/hi 30's. However, when the temps dropped into the low 30's and below we had to stay wrapped up in blankets, and wear sweaters. We had to move into our sweat suits & jackets when the outside weather temperatures would go down into the 20's & teens. Needless to say our family was very miserable all winter. At least until we had purchased our Sengoku CV-2230 KeroHeat Convection 23,000-BTU Portable Kerosene heater. Even when the temps would get into the teens outside we would only need to turn the kerosene heater on LOW for an hour or two at the most (Our home is an open floor plan & we placed the heater in the middle of the living room), and it would quickly raise our inside temperatures to 80 degrees! While using the kerosene heater, as the inside temperature would rise our space heaters thermostats would naturally kick them off too. Then once the home's temp would reach 80 degrees we would turn the kerosene heater off as well. It would then take a couple more hours until the temperature inside would even drop enough for the thermostats of the space heaters to kick them back on. But the GREAT THING for us was that because the kerosene heater warmed up the house so quickly, easily & efficiently not only did our other 2 electric space heaters not have to run all the time (saving us tons off our electric bill), but they also were able to then keep up & keep the house warm. Whereas they were unable to do that previously, and they would NEVER cut off, and continue to constantly run. Needless to say with the price of kerosene it would be cost prohibitive to run a kerosene heater 24/7, but using it in the manner that we did we only had to run it about twice a day & sometimes only once. But when we did use it, it worked so well that it allowed the less efficient heaters to actually be used as they were meant to be used. As a SUPPLEMENTAL heating supply. Which they were then able to do, and they continued keeping the house warm until the next time we needed to use the kerosene heater.Fortunately a week ago we were finally able to have our old, broken beyond repair central heating & cooling system replaced with a totally brand new one, so we no longer need to rely on our kerosene heater as our main source of heat. However, while we did need to use it, it worked really, really well. We will definitely continue to keep it though, rather than just selling it off since we now have our new furnace. Especially since our home is all electric, and you never know when you may find yourself without power, and need heat in a storm, etc. Plus this little heater had definitely proven itself to us over & over again this winter & we KNOW that it works really, really well. The ONLY drawback to it (other than the high cost of kerosene & all other petroleum products these days. Thank you Mr. Obama) that it really has is like many other reviewers have said, is it's very weak handle. That is an easy fix, and doesn't detract from it's usefulness though. So, it is a very minor drawback & should not deter you from purchasing this heater.

This is the first time I have used a kerosene heater. I have used wood stoves, pellet stoves, electric heaters and propane heaters, but this was a first for me. I was initially confused as to how it works. I looked up and watched a few videos on YouTube to help out. There are several videos that are specific to this model. I also Googled kerosene heaters in general to be sure I wasn't doing something dangerous.After following the directions to assemble it (easy), I used the included siphon to fill with kerosene. I did this outside away from the house. I read that if you spill even a small amount of kerosene, it will smell forever. Also, I had read there are different types of kerosene and was careful to buy the kind that doesn't smell so much. It is cheaper to buy kerosene at the gas station (assuming you can find a station that pumps kerosene), but I have a sensitive nose and didn't want to chance it. Please do not put gasoline in this heater or it will probably explode! I picked up 5 gallons of kerosene at Lowes, although I have seen it for sale at Home Depot and Walmart. Filling it up was simple.I then found two D batteries (not included with the heater) and installed them in the lower back area of the heater. These are used to start the heater. You can use a match if you like, but pressing the button (which uses the batteries) is so much easier.I turned the knob all the way to the right and held down the start button for 10-15 seconds then let go. It fired right up. Keep in mind that I did this outside. It started to smoke right away, which dissipated within seconds, but I wouldn't have wanted that smoke in my house. I read that many people run a new kerosene heater outside for an hour before bringing it in. I didn't want to do this as it seemed like a waste of fuel so I waited about five minutes and carefully brought it into the house. There was no smoke, although I could smell the kerosene. I was careful when carrying it because I read the handle is somewhat flimsy. It holds 1.9 gallons of kerosene when full and was a bit heavy but manageable. The smell of kerosene was somewhat strong so I cracked a window for 30 minutes or so. By then the smell was mostly gone. When my family came home hours later they could smell it but I no longer could. After 15 minutes had passed they could no longer smell it either.I placed the heater in family room which is open to an office; about 400 square feet total. It heated up this space nicely within about an hour. Although I am happy with the heat it produces, I don't see this heater heating a 1000 square feet area. The room we placed the heater in has a hallway that leads to the rest of the house. None of the heat was able to make it down this hall or to any other part of the house. Perhaps placing a fan behind the heater pointed down the hall would help with that.I ran it from noon until about 8PM before shutting it off. I should mention that I took it outside before turning it off for the night. Sure enough there was a strong odor as a result of turning it off. Without refueling I ran it again the next morning for another 4 hours before it ran out of fuel. So 1.9 gallons of kerosene heated the space for 12 hours.The temperature differences were pretty extreme. When I first turned it on it was a chilly 62 degrees. An hour or so later it was much warmer. Within five feet of the heater it was 90 degrees. But 15-20 feet way it was 82 degrees. Unlike many electric heaters, this generates a very deep, cozy heat that warms everything. It's so much nicer than a plug-in space heater. Although I have only been using it for a day I am very satisfied with this heater. I will be using a pellet stove as my primary heat source this winter, and using this kerosene heater as a backup, as well as for my shop. In my research I read over and over that for safety reasons you should not leave this heater unattended and certainly not go to sleep while it is running.If there is a downside to this heater it is the smell. I don't see this as a problem with this specific unit but with kerosene heaters in general. The smell is certainly not intolerable; especially if you start and stop the heater outside. I got used to the smell very quickly and I have a sensitive nose. I merely point this out to anyone like me who has not previously owned a kerosene heater.