Advice Given On Kerosene Heaters

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 9

Advice Given On Kerosene Heaters

The causes of kerosene heater fires and the giving off of soot are explained by the Chief Fire Officer of the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Brigade (Mr L. R. Osmond) in a reply to two letters to the editor of “The Press” seeking information on the subject.

One correspondent, Mrs E.l M. Foote, says she is puzzled ■ bj’ the behaviour of a heater i in her kitchen which overnight filled her house with! soot She writes: “I was interested to] read your letter,- ‘A Smutty] Story.’ We had a similar experience three weeks ago, 1 leaving a kerosene heater] burning overnight in the, kitchen. We awakened to find the entire house covered with thick black soot. My, husband and two children and I had black faces and sore throats from inhali' g the fumes. We have given the heater continual care and kept the wick trimmed and replaced, and can find; no cause for the failure. The] heater will bum cleanly now,! but we are not prepared to risk a similar occurrence. 1 have spoken to another lady who had a similar accident and is equally puzzled. Since we were using different brands of kerosene, we feel perhaps it may have something to do with the age and use of the heater. I would appreciate any information on the subject, and perhaps this might save other users of kerosene heaters the same trouble.” Mr Osmond says: “Provided good clean kerosene is used, and there is no oil content clean and complete combustion is produced by adjusting the wick to ensure a correct mixture of oxygen and fuel. “Many years ago, when kerosene table lamps were used in many homes, it will be remembered that the only method of keeping the glass flue clean from soot was to] produce a clean white flame by wick adjustment. For heaters this flame should be blue. “When the wick is turned too high the proportion of fuel to air becomes too high, or the mixture too rich, with resultant incomplete combustion. Solid unburnt carbon circulates with smoke in the hot air stream. “Keep the wick clean and correctly adjusted. All makes of kerosene should give similar burning,” Mr Osmond says. Fire Causes The second correspondent, “Cold Feet” asks how kerosene heaters cause fires. She writes:

“During the last year two major house fires, one' fatal, have been attributed to kerosene heaters. Could someone in authority tell us just how the heaters caused the fires? Many people, especially in State rental houses, have no other way of heating kitchen-living rooms unless they use electricity, which most agree is quite expensive. Are we playing with fire using kerosene heaters? I have discovered one must be very careful to keep the airstream from the

[ vacuum cleaner directed away from the heater or a very nasty ‘flare-up’ can occur.” Mr Osmond says that experience, and the verbal evidence of occupiers of premises where fires have occurred, indicates six main causes of kerosene heater fires. , They are heaters being accidentally knocked over and spilling contents of the reservoir, attempting to refill the reservoir while the heater is still alight, thus causing spillage; clothes drying in front of a heater falling on to it; heaters being left in draughty positions or too near curtains; the wrong type of fuel being used by mistake (petrol or .'white spirits); and the replacement of a broken glass reservoir by one which is not heat resistant.