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etjohnson
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 01:32am
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I was talking with relatives recently about my great grandparents farm in rural PA. When the house was built in 1923, it had carbide lighting. I'd heard this for years and in my head assumed these were individual fixtures similar to miners lamps. What my relative described was a tank out back (I've since read that would have been a carbide generator) that had water in it. Carbide pellets would be added and the tank closed. This created a gas (and pressure) that was piped into the house to gas lights. I'm not sure why, but I'm fascinated with this and was wondering if anyone on the forum here has seen (or maybe even has) a system such as this. If systems like this are still available and/or economically viable it would seem like a much better option than propane or solar for a remote cabin. Does anyone have knowledge they can share?
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sparky1
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 07:38am
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http://www.lehmans.com/store/Outdoors___Camping___Lighting___Carbide_Cap_Lamp_with_Fl int_Striker___1004865?Args=
here's a link to them
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sparky1
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 07:43am
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PS;
here are the (2) reviews
Carbide Cap Lamp with Flint Striker
Item#: 1004865
"Pretty to look at. Worthless as a light source. Does not function like its advertised to. A 'nick-nack," perhaps. Nonfunctional showpiece at best!"
Jack Grove, Oregon - 2012/08/21
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Carbide Cap Lamp with Flint Striker
Item#: 1004865
"Shoddy and possibly dangerous. The bracket which would hold the lamp to a cap is not 180 degrees from the light; if it were attached to a cap, the lamp would be aimed 10 degrees to the right. The water valve could not be completely closed. I thought I had closed it, and was letting the flame burn the gas that was in the column, but after 5 minutes the flame suddenly shot out a good 6 inches. There was nothing to do but put the lamp in a damp place outdoors away from my house and let it burn the rest of its fuel. Cannot possibly recommend this."
E. Lederman, New York - 2012/01/27
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 08:04am
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I have a couple hat mounted lights. The water dripped from top tank to carbide and makes acetelyne gas than when lit is very bright. I never heard of a home lighting system.
Owen
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 10:40am
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As a curiosity or piece of history it is very interesting. However, I personally don't like the idea of burning fuels to make light, in part because I am not convinced that the products of combustion are totally safe to be breathed all the time. If the exhaust is vented outside that's another matter. Plus I do not like adding heat to the indoor space; most of the year we don't need to heat. I dislike propane lighting for the same reasons.
Plus I've never seen a fuel burning light that really gives off sufficient light for reading. The Aladdin is the best and even they don't make the grade for my aging eyes.
I love solar for remote location lighting. The electrical power is also useful for other things such as pumps.
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 01:25pm - Edited by: TomChum
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AGREED.
Read stories about the old days, before electric lighting. Houses, cabins, grand lodges, they often burned. The problem with using flame for lighting is that you can't trust anyone else to NOT burn your house down. The dog sees a squirrel on the windowsill, goes apeshit and now the curtains are on fire..... And to be realistic, you probably shouldn't trust yourself either.. IMHO...
I have an Alladin lamp, it's very bright. I've had trouble with the mantle sooting up, and if you aren't watching it flame can come out of the chimney. Once I looked up to see 6inches of flame coming out of the top. The (wooden) loft above was still about 3 feet above, but it was 'eye-opening' to say the least. I would never put it near wood again. The intensity was fine for reading, but having to check the mantle for sooting every 5 minutes reduced my reading enjoyment.
Electricity can burn houses too, but I think much more is known these days about how to prevent electrical fires. It would take a LOT of effort to burn a house with the LOW power requirements of LED lighting. I have found that it takes a lot of effort to get LED lighting to provide old-school charm, if that's what you like.
Anyway I like the idea of old-school lighting, but not the danger.
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etjohnson
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 03:51pm
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Sparky- what you linked to is what I grew up thinking must have originally been in the house. It was more like plumbed gas fixtures though.
Maybe my interest is mostly that its a lesser heard of bit of history. There is a part of me that likes (in theory anyway) not having to order or haul propane or other fuel or worry with batteries, etc. From what I have found online so far, these systems were at the time (and depending on the particular design) prone to leaks and explosions. That's not very enticing. I was just curious of this was an entirely extinct technology or if safer versions exist now and/or if anyone knew more about them.
FWIW Mt. Don, I found a video on youtube where someone had an old home with original gas/electric fixtures. They use an acetelyne tank to power the gas lights. I was amazed how bright those lights were. I always imagined old fashioned gas lights would be very dim.
Anyway, thanks for the replies. As I said, I'd never known such systems had existed prior to a few weeks ago.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 7 Sep 2012 05:02pm
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Quoting: etjohnson ...not having to order or haul propane or other fuel...
Still have to get the calcium carbide. Just a different "man" you'd be indebted to. IMO.
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2012 04:38am
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When I bought my last house -1840,s greek revival,the old guy next door who was born and raised in my house said it once had this acetelyne lighting.My research found that it was very popular befor electric.But was crude and dangerous.The generating sorce was built in an outside enclosure well away from the house.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 01:37pm
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I found myself a wall hanging candle holder with mirror reflector, works great for lighting the side of the cabin you use occasionally in the evening, just enough light to keep from tripping over the cat plus it cut another 30 watts a day from the power consumption and I can make the candles myself on the wood stove!
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dk1393
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 03:54pm
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I saw a carbide generator at the Adirondack Museum last weekend. The curator said they were used is some of the old great camps. I don't know anything about them except that she said they were dangerous.
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 10 Sep 2012 07:36pm
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I'll bet you wouldn't be able to get a house insured with that type of lighting!
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Cotton Picker
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# Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:40am
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As a teenager during the 40s in MS we used carbide lights (mounted on a special baseball style cap) as an aid to coon hunting & frog gigging.
We did not consider them to be dangerous & I never witnessed or heard of an accident.
There were just a pain to keep filled with carbide pellets & water.
There was also constant adjustment of the flame, cleaning of the aperture through which the acetelyne gas emitted, cleaning of the reflector & making sure the flint was OK.
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