Kerosene Heater and Odor Issue...
 

Got a problem everyone. I live in a 150 year old house which has been divided up into three apartments, two downstairs and one upstairs. I live in a bottom apartment and my landlord lives on the top. I recently purchased a radiant kerosene heater, the boxy type, in an attempt to cut down on heating costs (fucking electric!) but my landlord says the smell is travelling to her floor and it's driving her nuts. I was under the impression and have been told by different people that these things are virtually odorless. Admittedly, I did smell a little bit of kerosene and I'm hoping that maybe it was the model heater I purchased that was the cause of the problem. I have since brought the heater back and purchased a convection kerosene heater, the cylindrical type. If this doesn't solve the problem, I'm afaid that I'll have no choice but to bring the son of a bitch back and be stuck with electric... Does anybody have any hints or tips on what I can do here?

Thanks!
John

Well I'll be damned... the new heater works like a charm. The landlord can't smell it at all upstairs, so it looks like we have a winner.

Kerosene Heater
 

I've got the same type and mine only smell right after it starts, the smell goes away afte the wire mesh heats up, one thing I did do was to keep a pan of water on the top, it keep the air from drying out too much.

I used the cylinder type for several winters and the most important advice is to make sure that there is a fresh air source. Do not use the unit in a closed room, it needs to breathe. Also, buy the best grade kerosene you can find. It will help the wick to last much, much longer. Good luck.