Kerosene Lamp info wanted please

[Montag 451]

Thanks for the info C Zero
Didn't know that about the paraffin oil, going to look for that.
A word about K1 kerosene, It should be "Water Clear". If it's not, buy it
somewhere else, as it has additives or impurities that will gunk up your
wick. Was told that by a Kerosun heater rep at a 2 day training class I attended
like (omg, cringe) 30 years ago...            Montag451

[CPT Morgan]

Just looked at the lamp oil that I have and it says Paraffin Lamp Oil. 

[Ralph]

 Ive never owned an Aladdin, but by all Ive heard their light output is great. For wick lanterns check out WTKirkman.com
I've bought a few tubular lanterns/ hurricane types from them. They have some good info as well. For old style lanterns do a quick read on dead flame vs hot blast vs cold blast- they are different in light output and flame color for one thing. I have a number of kero lanterns, even keep one filled, but over time I have moved more to battery LED lights. Dont misunderstand that, I would never get rid of the kero ones. Kero lanterns are so simple and reliable, and burn maybe an ounce of fuel an hour. A gallon of kero in those goes a long way. One thing I have noticed is that the amount of smell seems to vary with flame size. Avoiding smoke from too high a flame, it seems keeping the flame on the high side reduces smell, at least in tubular lanterns. I've never played with dead flame lanerns.
If memory serves, WTKirkman's site has a writeup on lantern fuels and said paraffin oil has reduced light output compared to kero.  Be careful using alternate fuels. Using volitile fuel can be dangerous since the font is not sealed and only has a splash baffle on top of it in tubular lanterns. Recently I purchased a Coleman compact 1 mantle propane lantern. It's light output is somewhat more than a large kero lantern without the smell. Luckily I havent had to put it into emergency use yet, but it seems like it should work well and has a long run time

[surfivor]

 I still haven't gotten my alladin lamp going yet. I was going to bring it up to my camp for thanksgiving but I forgot and left it home. Then I was in Idaho over Christmas.

 I just brought the lamp up to camp this past weekend, but it being totally new to me I managed to screw up the mantle by mistake so I have to order another mantle

[xxdabroxx]

I bought a couple $6 lanterns from Wal-Mart this past week and some of their lamp oil.  I could notice a smell from the oil so I'm going to pick up something a little better from amazon.  Lamps seem to work fine for the cost although they do feel quite cheap. 

[Stwood]

I need to pull the trigger and get stocked up on lamp oil. At 17.00 a gallon, I've been holding back. I should go ahead and get about 5 gallon. That would last us until the dirt under us wore out probably. 

[Carl]

#2 diesel fuel works just fine in my cooker and as lamp oil,though I rarely use fire for light...LED's won't burn you.

[xxdabroxx]

#2 diesel fuel works just fine in my cooker and as lamp oil,though I rarely use fire for light...LED's won't burn you.

I like LED's in my flashlights but I have a thing for fire that puts out light.  I like that it also has the side effect of making heat as most of the time the power is out in my area it also happens to be winter. 

[Bolomark]

Love my 2 Aladdin lamps. can even heat up soup with inverted tomato cage.
When not needed they are drained and on the self for decoration..
extra mantles and oil in my preps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7dUgebWHg

[Montag 451]

Love my 2 Aladdin lamps. can even heat up soup with inverted tomato cage.
When not needed they are drained and on the self for decoration..
extra mantles and oil in my preps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7dUgebWHg

Nice vid link Bolomark, very instructive.
Cool idea with the tomato cage too, plenty of heat there, that
would have to work.
A pair of Aladdin's would probably heat a small room.

[bcksknr]

     I seem to remember another use for a kerosene lantern. The illustration I remember was of a Russian peasant family, during the war, listening to a simple old style tube radio. It was being powered by a circle of two dissimilar wire pieces, connected at the ends and "fanned out" around a lamp flame, with one set of ends in the flame and one set out. I believe it was a type of home made thermoelectric generator that converted the heat of the flame into an electric current to run the radio. There are now some types of these power sources, such as the "Power Pot" and "Biolight" stove on the market. I know there must be DIY articles to make your own or maybe even kits or finished ones. I like the idea of using a kerosene lighting device as an expedient electric power source. 

[Montag 451]

     I seem to remember another use for a kerosene lantern. The illustration I remember was of a Russian peasant family, during the war, listening to a simple old style tube radio. It was being powered by a circle of two dissimilar wire pieces, connected at the ends and "fanned out" around a lamp flame, with one set of ends in the flame and one set out. I believe it was a type of home made thermoelectric generator that converted the heat of the flame into an electric current to run the radio. There are now some types of these power sources, such as the "Power Pot" and "Biolight" stove on the market. I know there must be DIY articles to make your own or maybe even kits or finished ones. I like the idea of using a kerosene lighting device as an expedient electric power source.

Interesting. This might be fun to play around with. Just watched 10 or so U-Tube vids on this.
Here is one:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUDS8fcTbUs

[xxdabroxx]

Tried burning my lamp again and the Wal-Mart oil is absolute garbage.  Stinks bad.  I ordered some other oil from amazon that had good reviews.  I'll dump these when the new stuff comes in and give them a try.  Hopefully I don't have to swap out the wicks. 

[Stwood]

Thanks. Good to know. I eyeball the walmart oil fairly often....thinking....yea....no......maybe later. Yea that's it, later. I need more food stock right now. 

[xxdabroxx]

Thanks. Good to know. I eyeball the walmart oil fairly often....thinking....yea....no......maybe later. Yea that's it, later. I need more food stock right now. 

I bought two of them too.  I guess I'll get some tiki torches this year and burn it outside. 

The cheap little storm lanterns seem to work fine though ($5), I'm sure the Dietz are better quality though and still want to pick a couple up. 

[xxdabroxx]

OK, so I tried a different oil this evening that I picked up off of amazon.  Claimed to be clean burning with no smell but I still get a smell when I burn it.  Could it be how I'm burning it, maybe I need to trim the wick differently or something?  I cant figure it out. 

I dumped the other oil out and refilled them with the new stuff.  New oil looks the same as the other. 

Is a 1" high flame too high for a small dietz style lantern?  Could it be the lantern just doesn't function well because it is a cheap knock off? 

I remember my mom and grandma having the crystal looking oil lamps when I was a kid and I don't remember them smelling at all.  Seems they were an "in" thing sometime in the 90's. 

I've tried both "firefly" brand simply pure lamp oil and the Wal-Mart Florasense lamp oil.  Both are completely clear.  I've just tried trimming a wick with a shallow "v" shape like Carl mentioned.  Maybe I wasn't burning it high enough to get a clean burn.  I've left it burning in the kitchen for a bit at a slightly higher flame to see if it doesn't clean up the smell some.  I'm determined to get this figured out.  The flame does have a nicer shape this way. 







FWIW, I don't seem to be getting any smoke but I get a smell that is not completely unlike that of a recently blown out candle smell without the smoke smell (if that makes any sense, I guess it's a vaporized paraffin smell)

[Carl]

  Even my propane burner produces a smell when burning and it is clean...I think you may expect too much (or too little odor) and also
that too high a flame leaves more fuel vapor to add to combustion byproducts (in my opinion)
I have a catalytic ,clean burning ,heater and even it smells.

[idelphic]

Love my 2 Aladdin lamps. can even heat up soup with inverted tomato cage.
When not needed they are drained and on the self for decoration..
extra mantles and oil in my preps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7dUgebWHg

Thanks for that video link... makes a huge difference as to why Alladin is the way to go.  The flat wick is nice,.. but not as much light.

Wow..

[xxdabroxx]

  Even my propane burner produces a smell when burning and it is clean...I think you may expect too much (or too little odor) and also
that too high a flame leaves more fuel vapor to add to combustion byproducts (in my opinion)
I have a catalytic ,clean burning ,heater and even it smells.

I wouldn't mind a little smell, but I feel like something is off and it is putting out a lot of smell.  Maybe I'll try it again tonight at a lower setting.  FWIW, the smell only bothers me in the bedroom with the door closed (using space heaters for heat currently).  When I have it in the kitchen (more open of an area and better ventilated) I don't notice the smell at all unless I stick my nose over the lamp.  Maybe I'll have to get an Aladdin lamp for bedroom use. 

[Edit] It could also be that these cheap lamps have a very incomplete burn too (the wicks are tiny 1/2" and they only cost $6 at WM).  The smell is very much vaporized paraffin. 

[Edit II] It could also be the quality of the wick based on some more research.  More wick has  been ordered and should be here Thursday. 

[Carl]

I wouldn't mind a little smell, but I feel like something is off and it is putting out a lot of smell.  Maybe I'll try it again tonight at a lower setting.  FWIW, the smell only bothers me in the bedroom with the door closed (using space heaters for heat currently).  When I have it in the kitchen (more open of an area and better ventilated) I don't notice the smell at all unless I stick my nose over the lamp.  Maybe I'll have to get an Aladdin lamp for bedroom use. 

[Edit] It could also be that these cheap lamps have a very incomplete burn too (the wicks are tiny 1/2" and they only cost $6 at WM).  The smell is very much vaporized paraffin. 

[Edit II] It could also be the quality of the wick based on some more research.  More wick has  been ordered and should be here Thursday.

You should be most careful using flame heat in a small room or you might wake up dead.

[xxdabroxx]

You should be most careful using flame heat in a small room or you might wake up dead.

I always extinguish any flames before bed.  I'm not a fan of waking up dead, or on fire.

[Carl]

I always extinguish any flames before bed.  I'm not a fan of waking up dead, or on fire.

Good, a CO2 detector might also be a good idea as you will wake up when on fire , but CO2 is sneaky as a Mother In Law.

[xxdabroxx]

I need to update all my detectors really.  Maybe I'll add some to my amazon wish list so I order them next payday. 

[endurance]

Good, a CO2 detector might also be a good idea as you will wake up when on fire , but CO2 is sneaky as a Mother In Law.

Just to clarify, I assume you mean CO detector, since CO2 is not a significant health or life safety risk inside most homes.

Regarding lanterns, any lantern's output can be improved dramatically by putting them next to a mirror. My first home I owned had two tall candle holders backed by mirrors and those two candles burning alone could light up the entire living room.  I really wish I had taken them with me when I sold that house.

[surfivor]

I assume you mean CO detector, since CO2 is not a significant health or life safety risk inside most homes

 I think some of the CO2 detectors tie back in through the smart meters so they can measure the CO2

[Carl]

I think some of the CO2 detectors tie back in through the smart meters so they can measure the CO2

You mean even my detectors spy on me? I thought it was just my TV and my internet fridge....

[surfivor]

You mean even my detectors spy on me? I thought it was just my TV and my internet fridge....

 oh, that's a good one yea .. light up a cigarette, marijuana etc .. then the smoke detector will sense it and send it to your health insurance company or whomever it needs to .. Someone must be thinking about how to do that

slightly unrelated:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Landlord-Admits-Spying-on-Women-With-Cameras-Hidden-in-Smoke-Detectors-203312661.html

A Maryland landlord admitted in court Tuesday to hiding cameras inside smoke detectors in rooms her rented to women.

==========

https://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Bottom-Smoke-Detector-Camera/dp/B00BRN8GBY

"Install this smoke detector anywhere and forget about it. Rest easy knowing that the hidden camera is ready to record at just the right time. Its lightning quick heat sensor is unmatched in the industry, waking the camera from sleep mode immediately if someone enters the frame. Even in complete darkness, the hidden camera records clear video to the included micro SD card"

============

I KNEW IT ! !

http://extract.suntimes.com/news/10/153/1686/marijuana-smoke-detectors

It’s a new kind of smoke detector designed to know the difference between different types of smoke, according to Digital Trends.

The device uses a “special set of polymer films,” which allows it to detect different types of smoke. If it senses organic compounds found in tobacco or marijuana smoke, it won’t sound the alarm, but it will automatically log a record of the incident.

[Stwood]

Lol. No more smoking dope in the motel room

[nkawtg]

I think some of the CO2 detectors tie back in through the smart meters so they can measure the CO2

I've never hear of that...
hmm
So if I light up a doobie will my smoke detector narc on me?

[surfivor]

I've never hear of that...
hmm
So if I light up a doobie will my smoke detector narc on me?

 I was kidding and implying that your smoke detector will help determine your carbon tax by sensing how much CO2 you exhale  .. but unfortunately it may not be totally far fetched. Maybe if you have more indoor plants you'll get a break .. 

It seems entirely likely that some day when you buy a smoke detector at home depot it will detect whatever it possibly can such as residue that may exist of anything and send it through the smart grid network out as data collection. Maybe it would measure air quality, mold, whether there's a dead mouse someplace, somebody was smoking, the fridge will report if food in the fridge is old etc .. Why would they not want to do that ? All this information has lots of important potential uses no different than all the other data.