When I was in grade school, we had a kerosene heater, and it worked fine. Once you got used to the smell of kerosene.
Then my Dad got a gas heater, and that was much better. I had a Friend of mine who had a kerosene heater explode.
All it did was split the seams, no damage luckily. I had heard of that happening now and then. Thankfully never had any problems with ours, and it put out a good amount of heat. Problem now is finding kerosene. We used to go down to the corner store, and buy it. So much for the old kerosene lanterns we used to buy at the hardware store, to take camping with us, when my Friends and I would take off for Saturday night, and head out to the woods, and stay up all night, and trying to find something to kill and eat, as it seems we always never brought enough food, and then we would head home, the next morning,for a shower, breakfast, and bed! But if you can find fuel for that ol boy, it will heat the house.
Wayne