F or your heater to burn to its maximum efficiency, you should regularly dry burn the wick as it accumulates deposits. Many people dry burn the wick as much as once a week. The first dry burn should take place within a week of using the heater or after burning 3.5 tanks of kerosene. To manually light a patio heater with a pilot ignition system, all you have to do is push and turn the control knob and then press the stick button a few times. To light up a patio heater without a pilot ignition system, you will have to factor in the gas control knob as well. In this article, we will explore these steps in more depth. Step 1. Lift the cartridge tank cover, remove the tank and take off the cap. Insert the siphon's straight tube into the kerosene tank and tighten the siphon valve cap (securing the siphon to the top). Place the flexible tube into the fuel cartridge and pump the siphon to transfer kerosene into the cartridge. When the window on the front of the