I ran out of firewood, and I don't have central heat, so I'm using this until the weather warms up. I have a normal house, and I placed it on the floor in my living room; it has a vaulted ceiling and is about 15 x 30. The kitchen / dining room is around the corner, it is around 12 x 30 total. The weather is 40 degrees, and my living room is toasty. The kitchen is not as toasty, but it is no longer unbearably cold. Although it does not have the visual appeal (flames, etc) of the fireplace, this heats way better.It's pretty easy to assemble, although I am annoyed that they pack it in styrofoam. Here are the main points:- Read the instructions! There are some simple things that make this work perfectly, and if you don't read the manual then you will complain like others. For example, you have to let it sit for 1 hour after you add fuel, before first use.- Comes with wick installed, just some simple assembly, add kerosene, and light it up.- It is silent, no fan, no noise.- The bottom stays cold, so you can set it on any floor, even carpet.- There is only one setting - ON. You can not adjust the heat level. Make sure you buy the model that has the heat output you want.- There is no odor whatsoever. None. Nothing. Also no soot, no smoke, no CO (I do have CO detectors to be safe) . Again, follow the instructions and adjust the flame correctly; don't spill fuel when filling; make sure the wick is in good shape. You don't need Kleen Heat or any additives or any other weird modifications for it to be odorless.- You have to hold the ignitor against the wick for a good second or two to light it. Some complain of hard lighting, that is why. You can't simply do a "quick touch." If you don't want to use batteries, buy one of those long butane lighters, they work great for manual lighting.- Most of the heat comes from the top of the unit. And yes, you could probably fry bacon in a pan, although I wouldn't recommend it. Some heat comes off the sides, but not a ton.- It creates a moderately bright light, basically like a kerosene lamp. The light coming through the viewing window is pretty bright, I have to face it away when I'm watching TV. Makes a good night light.- The wick will last 2 -3 years if maintained properly. So it might be good to buy an extra, but you don't have to stock up.- Run time is as advertised.- You can carry it while it is on, sort of. You have to be careful though. I tried lighting it outdoors, and carrying it inside. Carefully. Later I realized I didn't need to do that because it just has no odor.About the operating cost - it costs about 1 dollar per hour to run, and the cost of fuel in my area is not the cheapest (good ol' California). Comparable electric would be over $2/hr. Natural gas would be $0.40/hr. Propane would be $1/hr. Compared to a month of firewood, it's about the same cost. So while it costs more than natural gas, it is not overly expensive to run, and propane is definitely not cheaper.Bottom line - great heater, and I might buy a smaller one as a backup.