If “portable heater” brings to mind an ancient kerosene-fueled torpedo heater belching flame and acrid smoke, there’s good news. Modern portable heaters offer clean, efficient options for heating work areas on even the coldest days.
Portable heaters were previously rated only by BTUs of output, which doesn’t directly answer the question of how big of an area they can heat. Manufacturers still offer the BTU outputs of many portable heaters, but now offer more understandable rating options for laymen.
“A lot of modern portable heaters are rated by the square footage they can warm,” says Mr. Heater’s Brian Moten. “BTUs can mislead you. Square footage gives you a better idea of what the heater can heat efficiently.”
Along with more informative heat ratings, modern portable heaters offer expanded fuel and design options:
Radiant heaters heat surfaces, which then warm the surrounding air. A person immediately feels the heat from radiant heaters on their skin. Tools, workbenches and machinery within the arc of a radiant heater’s reflector warm quickly.
“The initial reach of radiant heat is about 20’ but extends as warmed objects reflect heat,” says Scott Carter with Sunfire Heaters. “Radiant heat is ideal for poorly insulated shops, pole barns or areas with high ceilings.
Radiant heaters are fueled by propane, natural gas, diesel fuel or kerosene. A 70,000 BTU Mr. Heater radiant heater with a 2.75-gal. diesel/kerosene fuel tank will heat 1,750 sq. ft. (42’x42’). A 150,000 BTU Sunfire radiant heater with a 19-gal. diesel fuel tank is rated to heat 3,600 sq. ft. (60’x60’)
Forced Air Heaters
Forced air heaters similar to the old torpedo heaters use a high-velocity fan to distribute heat from a high-output burner. Modern diesel/kerosene-fueled torpedo heaters use integrated circuitry to produce clean, smoke-free heat. A hand-carried Mr. Heater torpedo heater with a 6-gal. fuel tank, rated at 80,000 BTU, will warm 2,000 sq. ft. (44’x 44’). A contractor-grade Dyna-Glo torpedo heater with a 50-gallon fuel tank, rated at 650,000 BTU will heat an area of 13,560 sq. ft. (116’x115’).
Forced Air Radiant Heaters
Forced air radiant heaters uses a radiant heating element along with a fan that circulates
warmed air. They combine the surface-heating warmth of radiant heat with the air circulation of forced air heaters, but rarely exceed 100,000 BTU output. A hand-carried Master-brand 80,000 BTU diesel/kerosene forced air radiant heater with a 4-gallon fuel tank can warm 2,000 sq. ft. (44’x44’).
Electric Forced Air Heaters
Electric forced air heaters, such as the ubiquitous “milk house heater,” use an electric heating element to provide heat with a small fan to distribute the warmed air. Small, 120-volt, 1,500-watt, 5,120 BTU milk house heaters are rated to heat 125 sq. ft. (11’x11’). Portable electric forced air heaters often used on construction sites run on 240-volt circuits and are rated at up to 34,000 BTUs and heat up to 1,500 sq. ft. (38’x38’.)
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