[Ford Man]

I use a 22,000 BTU Monitor thermostatic controlled, closed heating chamber with circulation fan, vented kerosene unit which is considered a space heater, but I heat all of our 1400 sf house with it. I use to live in the Charlotte, NC area and now live in southwestern KY, in 17 years use I have never used more than 150 gallons of kerosene per heating season with the heater's thermostat set at 70*. The heater is set up to come on when the room temperature reaches the set temperature and stays on until the room reaches 4* above the set temperature. I have it located in the living room/kitchen (open area) so it keeps both the living room and kitchen at or near the temperature the heater thermostat is set at. The bedrooms are a few degrees cooler, but for my family that's an advantage since we like our sleeping area a little bit cooler. These heaters usually cost in the $1250-$1500 range when new, but often they can be found on ebay for much less. My son bought a used Monitor 22,000 BTU unit on ebay last winter for his 1000 sf home for $500 + $50 shipping. Monitor also makes a 40,000 BTU unit for larger homes. Installation consists of cutting one hole in the wall for the vent pipe, if I recall correctly the hole is either 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" diameter. The 22,000 BTU unit can be hooked up to a outdoor tank or the optional 1.33 gallon capsule tank that fits directly into the heater. The 40,000 BTU unit has to be hooked up to an outdoor tank. My Monitor will be 17 years old in January 2013 and the only work I've ever done to it was last winter when I replaced the burn mat and burn ring which amounted to less than $100. We had a mild winter here in KY last winter. I heated all winter on less than 85 gallons of kerosene while neighbors were paying $200-$300/month for electric heat. Monitor quit making kerosene units a couple years ago, but there are still a few new units available from suppliers. Toyotomi and Rinnia also still make similar units.