A monitor heater would be much better. They are a bit pricey, but 93% efficiency and not affecting your internal air supply are worth it IMO. Plus you can easily get a size that will cover your needs. I heat with two of then year round - the big one will easily do the whole house (1400 sq feet upstairs, basement is below ground and doesn't need heat assuming the upstairs is warm) but we have a small one in the bedroom just 'cause. I've never had any issues with pipes freezing (temps. getting down into single digits frequently). Even with current Kero prices I'd estimate it is costing us <50% compared to the one month I ran the propane furnace. Our power was out for a week starting Christmas morning a couple years back - on one small crappy generator I ran the monitor, a fridge, fish tank, some lamps, and had enough juice left to light the tree. Ran the main room up above 70 just idling on low with no fuss as always.
The secret is they take the air for combustion from outside instead of burning of the warm air and oxygen from inside, and they exhaust outside. I run them when no one is home all the time, as they are designed.
There was one in the house when we bought it. Everyone around here has them. People that experience them often get them and we are in a big pocket. Otherwise most people have never heard of them.
The big one is an original version (MPI monitor 40) that has had limited service and is 25-30 years in. The one in the bedroom is a Toyo and has 8 year with no work at all.
The guy freezing pipes with a wood stove has too big of a house for one stove, or more likely isn't running a blower on it. I can turn the whole house into a sauna with ours.
I'm not current on which are the most reliable now, but as an example of a little one -
http://www.monitorheat.com/oil_products.html#2200
Specifications
High
High/Medium
Medium/Low
Low
BTU Rating / Hr 22,000 17,400 12,400 9,600
BTU Output / Hr 18,261 14,441 10,290 7,970
Fuel Consumption
Gallon / Hour .164 .13 .09 .07
Fuel Source
"Separate Tank" or optional 1.32 Gallon Internal Tank
Fuel Type
K1 Kerosene or High Quality, Low Sulphur No 1. Stove Oil
Power Source
Electric 120 V AC, 60 Hz
Dimensions
26" H by 20.9 W" by 12.4" deep
Weight
55 lbs. empty
Heating capacity of 1000 sq. ft. Efficiency 93% gross, 88% net AFUE