Diesel Fuel Heaters

Many people know that, when buying a car, they will often have a choice between those powered by regular gasoline and those driven by diesel fuel. At the gas station, there are always a small percentage of diesel pumps as well.

What many people may not realize is that diesel fuel is not just for powering automobiles. In fact, there are a wide selection of portable diesel heaters that can be used to heat the home that work just as well as, if not better than, other forms of indoor heating, such as oil, natural gas, and propane.

What Is Diesel?

Diesel is a petroleum based crude oil that works in a manner similar to that of standard gasoline. Diesel fuel, however, is heavier and denser than gasoline.

While it is present in a small percentage of the automobile market, diesel fuel is a leading competitor in the home heating arena. When used in a diesel fuel heater, its increased density allows it to burn much hotter than gasoline, offering a more efficient heat output.

Types Of Diesel Fuel Heaters

While there are several types of diesel based heaters on the market, the two most common models are diesel infrared heaters and diesel forced air heaters.

In order to increase the versatility of these designs, they can sometimes be run on kerosene as well, an alternative fuel sometimes relied on during diesel shortages.

Diesel Infrared Heater

A diesel infrared heaters work in a manner similar to that of our sun. Instead of heating the air that surrounds us, the sun produces infrared rays that heat the objects around us, including our own bodies.

While it may feel like the air itself is being heated, that increase in temperature is caused by the heat being emitted from the objects that have been subjected to the infrared rays.

Infrared heaters rely on the same technology to produce a highly efficient and effective method of heating a home. One of the main benefits to this type of heating is the fact that the heat output from the unit is felt almost immediately.

Since the heater is only affecting the objects around it, it takes much less time to begin creating the temperature changes. These types of infrared heaters also tend to be much more efficient, particularly in rooms that may be somewhat drafty or those open to other rooms in the house.

Infrared heaters are also ideal for outdoor use, being unaffected by wind and breezes that would disturb the heat distribution in a standard forced air heater.

This makes them popular for garages and workshops in particular. They can also be found frequently in use at outdoor tailgate parties, winter weddings, or other outdoor events in the colder months of the year.

For homeowners who take frequent advantage of outdoor patio space, infrared heaters allow them to continue to do so regardless of the temperature.

Small table top heaters are ideal for more intimate outdoor seating ares, while larger tower heaters can accommodate larger patio settings.

The downside to infrared heaters is that they can sometimes be ineffective in larger areas. Since they are meant to heat the objects around them, their reach can only extend to a certain area.

While there are a variety of infrared heater sizes on the market, the largest ones are still more limited in their heating area capacity than other styles.

Diesel Forced Air Heater

The most common style of heater that many homeowners are familiar with is a forced air heater. This design relies on diesel fuel to ignite and create a heat source.

That source is used to increase the temperature of a heating element within the unit, typically made from ceramic or metal. Once the heating element has reached optima temperature, a fan built into the unit begins to force air over the heating element and into the room.

As the air passes over and through the element, its temperature increases.

The fan also works to pull the cooler air within the room into the unit to be heated. This helps to better circulate the air into the room, creating a convection movement.

Forced air heaters are ideal for large rooms where little to no drafts are present.

Any drafts or breezes can potentially effect the air circulation and potentially disrupt the heating process. They are extremely affordable and effective, making them ideal for use in nearly any room in the home.

One of the primary downsides to forced air heaters is they do tend to dry the air out slightly more than an infrared unit. While not normally an issue, this can make a difference to those with sensitive nasal issues.