What's cheaper?

[GrayWhale]

To get the same amount of heat: propane or kerosene or butane?

 

[djkeev]

You Can get the same amount of heat from each one, it just varies how much it takes to get that heat and at what cost.

What are you asking?
Cheapest btu per $ ????
Hottest burning?
Cheapest to buy??

Dave

 

[poncho62]

Dont know about butane, but I would take propane over kerosene just because of the smell of kerosene

 

[RVTravel]

Kerosene or propane cheapest.

 

[GrayWhale]

You Can get the same amount of heat from each one, it just varies how much it takes to get that heat and at what cost.

What are you asking?
Cheapest btu per $ ????
Hottest burning?
Cheapest to buy??

Dave

I mean, for about the same amount of BTU, which is cheaper?

 

[John61CT]

The price of each fuel is different in each location. I just paid a dollar 72 per gallon for propane , which is about 4.2 pounds I think. The delivered price when the fuel company owns the tank is well above $2 these days. 200 miles away it's completely different pricing, and it does vary from one month to the next. You can Google for the btu equivalencies , but of course there are some differences in conversion efficiency between different heater systems as well. I don't think butane is used very much for heating in the US, at least not in the northern states

 

[DannyB1954]

Depends on a lot of factors like where in the country you are. Last year propane cost more than kerosene here, now propane is a lot cheaper. My buddy told me today He had to pay $8 a gallon for kerosene, (at a gas station his own container. Price jumped up $2 a gallon in a week's time), and propane is going for less than $3. Kerosene has more heat energy, but not twice as much.

You can plug your local numbers into this calculator and it will give you a yearly cost, (same amount of BTU for all sources). http://www.efficiencymaine.com/at-home/home-energy-savings-program/heating-cost-comparison/ Put your numbers in then go to the top of the chart and click on the calculate button.

When I put in my numbers it came out $6,471 for kerosene and $3,753 for propane.

 

[highdesertranger]

here's a calculator, punch your numbers in and presto you have your answer. highdesertranger

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't think butane is used very much for heating in the US, at least not in the northern states

Butane can't be used for heating. 

The way lpg gasses like propane and butane work is like this.  80% of the tank is full of liquid, the top 20% is gas.  As you withdraw gas to run a stove or heater, the pressure falls and the liquid "boils" to replenish the gas.  Eventually, the liquid all boils away and the tank is empty.

The thing is, propane has a boiling point of -40f, but butane has a boiling point of 32f.  Below freezing, the butane will just sit there and not boil, so no gas is produced to run the stove or heater.

 

[GrayWhale]

here's a calculator,  punch your numbers in and presto you have your answer.  highdesertranger

It didn't show up on your post.

 

[highdesertranger]

wow didn't even notice that. here I will try again, http://nepacrossroads.com/fuel-comparison-calculator.php . there you go. thanks for pointing that out. highdesertranger