Kerosene Heater Tar Removal

Safety First

Although kerosene heaters may seem fairly benign, the fuel is petroleum-based and should not be touched, inhaled or splashed onto your skin or into your eyes. When working to remove tar buildup on the wick, wear safety glasses, long sleeve shirts and gloves. Drain all of the fuel left over in the tank into a suitable container--an old coffee can works well. The fuel is now contaminated and unusable. Most automotive repair shops and hardware stores will take this old fuel and recycle it free of charge, so call for availability.

Depending on the level of tar buildup, a dry burn may be all that is needed to remove it. If the wick still moves up and down within the adjusting mechanism, turn it all the way up as far as it will go. Since this will be a dry burn, the automatic igniter will not work, and a flame will need to be introduced to the wick from a match or a lighter. There may be smoke during this procedure, so always do a dry burn either outside or in a very well ventilated area. Ignite the wick in this way and allow it to burn until it goes out. When the burn is complete, retract the wick back into the adjuster, fill the tank and use your heater normally.

If the wick you have has accumulated tar balls and refuses to retract into the adjuster, a different procedure is required to remove the tar.
Once again, turn the adjuster all the way up and expose as much of the wick as possible. Take a pair of pliers and, while moving along the entire outside of the wick, crush the tar balls within the jaws of the pliers. The residue will fall on the outside of the adjuster and can be brushed away. Once the wick has been treated like this, affect a dry burn by lighting the wick with a flame source and follow the procedure as outlined above.

If dry burning or crushing the tar ball buildup does not cure a badly burning wick, it will need to be replaced. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. You can find replacement wicks either at a hardware store, a home and garden shop or online.