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How to use a paraffin heater

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have the heater on the bench and the box may not contain a sheet. Trendi buyers on amazon.co.uk often say the instructions were missing, and a high or dry wick is how those lamps soot a greenhouse. This is how to use a paraffin heater as a sequence: fuel, soak, a low flame, a vent, then extinguish and cool before you refill. The steps come from greenhouse-heater sheets and UK fire-service advice. They are not the lighting card for every camping stove in the [paraffin heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/paraffin-heater). Symptoms, alarms, and tents are on the [paraffin heater indoor safety](/hub/portable-heaters/paraffin-heater/sub/paraffin-heater-indoor-safety) page. Peter F. did not light these heaters. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the heater on the bench and the box may not contain a sheet. Trendi buyers on amazon.co.uk often say the instructions were missing, and a high or dry wick is how those lamps soot a greenhouse.

Our top picks

PFCTART PFCTART YMHW00084 5 L

Best overall

PFCTART PFCTART YMHW00084 5 L
6.6/10about £89.99
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Tecno Air System Corona RX 2485 (Tecno Air System)

Rank 2

Tecno Air System Corona RX 2485 (Tecno Air System)
8.2/10about £189
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Trendi Trendi E-SP100 4.5 L

Best value

Trendi Trendi E-SP100 4.5 L
7.0/10about £18.95
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On this page
  1. 1.Before you strike a match
  2. 2.Soak, then a low flame
  3. 3.While it is burning
  4. 4.Smoke, spills, and putting it out

Before you strike a match

Use the fuel the manual names. For this class that is premium paraffin to BS 2869 Class C1. NWF Fuels puts Class C1 on wick heaters and Class C2 on boilers. The Oil Heaters (Safety) Regulations 1977 warn against petrol, carrying a heater while alight, and filling it while alight. Fill below the maximum mark, wipe spills, and stand the heater level and out of a draught. Lock the chimney before there is a flame. On the Trendi, one chimney came off while alight. If it will not fasten, do not light it.

Soak, then a low flame

ToolPort’s guidelines for this class say soak the wick for at least one hour and do not light a dry wick. Greenhouse People say a few hours on their own single-burner, then light with the wick just visible and turn down to a low flame. A PFCTART reviewer described about ten minutes. That is one camping-stove buyer, not a time you copy onto the Trendi. If you have no sheet, the one-hour minimum is the cautious class rule. The buying guide is where you confirm you bought a wick heater before you soak the wrong appliance.
PFCTART PFCTART YMHW00084 5 L

Testsieger

PFCTART PFCTART YMHW00084 5 L
6.6/10about £89.99
View offer

While it is burning

ToolPort says check the flame at about five minutes and again at about fifteen. The tip should not stand above the centre bridge, or the wick dries and the heater smokes. Their sheet uses about 38 cm² of opening as the vent. Treat that as a greenhouse-sheet rule of thumb, not a figure on the Trendi listing. London Fire Brigade wants at least a metre of clearance, and nothing drying on the heater. Do not carry it while alight. A Corona cabinet is a different machine: the manufacturer page describes battery ignition, and the amazon listing also says corded electric.

Smoke, spills, and putting it out

Black smoke means the wick is high, the chimney is not seated, or the fuel is wrong. If the chimney has come off, or fuel is weeping, stop until the seller has dealt with it under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Extinguish fully and let the heater cool before you refill. The 1977 regulations put filling while alight on the warning list. Plants and clearance are on the greenhouse page.

Common questions

How long should the wick soak?
ToolPort’s greenhouse-heater guidelines say at least one hour, and they say not to light a dry wick. Greenhouse People’s note on their own single-burner says a few hours so the wick can draw. A PFCTART reviewer described about ten minutes on a camping stove. Use the sheet for the heater you own. If that sheet is missing, the one-hour minimum is the cautious class rule, not a Trendi specification.
How high should the flame be?
Start with the wick just visible, then turn down to a low flame. ToolPort says the flame tip should not stand above the centre bridge, and says to look at about five minutes and again at about fifteen. Above the bridge the wick dries and the heater smokes. A tall flame left overnight is the mistake those checks are there to stop.
Can I refill it while it is warm?
No. Extinguish it and let it cool first. Cheshire Fire and Rescue says refill outside if you can, stay below the maximum mark, and wipe spills. The Oil Heaters (Safety) Regulations 1977 put filling while alight on the warning list for a domestic unflued oil heater. A tank that is only warm is still the wrong moment to add fuel.
Why is it smoking?
The wick is usually too high, the chimney is not seated, or the fuel is wrong. Class C2 heating oil and petrol do not belong in a C1 wick heater. Lower the wick until the flame is low and even. If the chimney has fallen off, or soot is already on the plants, put the heater out. Do not leave a smoking flame to burn overnight.
How do I put it out?
Turn the wick down until the flame goes out, then leave the heater where it is until it is cold. Do not carry it while it is alight. Do not refill it on the way to the shed. Cheshire’s sequence is cool, then refill outside if you can, then wipe any spill. A heater that will not go out cleanly is a reason to stop using it.
What if the chimney will not lock?
Do not light it. Trendi reviews centre on screws that do not hold, and one chimney came off while the heater was alight. Several buyers fitted their own nuts and bolts before they trusted it. If it still will not stay on, or fuel weeps from the filler, stop. That is a seller problem under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not a wick you can nurse.
Do these steps apply to the Corona cabinet as well?
The soak, the low flame, and the cool-before-refill rule are the class sequence for a wick heater. Corona’s own RX-2485 page describes battery ignition and an anti-shock shut-off, and the amazon.co.uk listing also says corded electric. ToolPort’s five-minute check and 38 cm² vent are greenhouse-sheet figures, not printed on that cabinet page. Follow the manual in the box when you have one.

Related pages

Best paraffin heater

Paraffin heater

Paraffin heater buying guide: lamp, stove, cabinet

Paraffin heater for a greenhouse: frost, not a room

Paraffin heater indoor safety: CO, tents, bedrooms

Sources

Public UK sources on carbon monoxide, unflued heaters, kerosene and greenhouse heating. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. NHS — Carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Oil Heaters (Safety) Regulations 1977 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Kerosene: general information (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade — Portable heaters, gas fires and open fires (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. RHS — Heating greenhouses efficiently (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. NWF Fuels — Kerosene FAQs (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Dry-it-Out — Corona RX2485 seller description (retrieved 19 October 2026)