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analogmanca
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# Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:12am
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I am a great advocate for these type of lamps, the light they throw out is just amazing. I cant use kerosene as the stuff produced now days just has to much sulfur and it burns my eyes so for years now I have used low odour paint thinner from home depot.
Great advantage in this is in how clean it burns, I never have to trim the wick, ever..anyway I dont really use these much for light but in the spring/fall I do light them up . I use them for the heat as i would estimate they throw out 1500-2000 btus.
Usually I get a little lazy in the spring and rather than light a fire on a cool morning I will light one of these up and set it near by to take the chill off, I built a reflector for one just to reflect the heat.
It was last spring I was using it for heating purposes, having my coffee and checking the news when out the corner of my eye I seen a glow appear inside the bowl of the lamp, this lamp was my favorite, it had the reflector on it and I had never replaced the wick on it in the 8+ years I had used it.
Needless to say this alarmed me greatly and got my full attention! From the time I seen the glow in the bowl until I acted could not have been more than 2 or 3 seconds but felt like forever As I thought what to do..
The flame (ball of flame) was attached (sort of) to the side of the wick.
And was both glowing brighter and moving down the wick toward the fuel.
I didnt think I could make it to a door to toss it out before things went sideways..I reached over and spun the wick knob upwards, much to my relief the flame above the fuel went out, and my blood pressure and heart rate dropped proportionaly.
I have never read about such a problem with these, but in thinking about it I believe the cause was from useing a wick that was to short (burnt away). I think the flame dropped down into the bowl due to a wick that was to short and by spinning the wick knob up I cut off the air supply to the fuel causing the flame to go out.
So the lesson in this is replace your wicks early, dont try to get maximum life from them....
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Steve961
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# Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:31pm - Edited by: Steve961
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Your problem could have been due to you using paint thinner. Here's a comment about using paint thinner from the W. T. Kirkman lantern FAQ: Tubular Oil Lantern FAQ
Mineral Spirits (Paint Thinner,) should NOT be used in any wick lamp or lantern.
There is a reason they are called "Kerosene" lanterns, and not "Paint Thinner" lanterns. Tubular lanterns, and most oil lamps that employ a wick delivery system, are designed for use with 150 Degree Test (read "Flash Point,") kerosene, which is a "straight run" petroleum distillate made for such use. Standard Lamp Oil, (such as Lamplight Farms Medallion Lamp Oil,) has a 142 Degree flash point, and is also an acceptable lamp or lantern fuel, being within 10% of the design standard.
Paint Thinner, (Mineral Spirits,) on the other hand, has a flash point of under 110 Degrees, and is a complex petroleum distillate that at best may produce (including odorless,) fumes that are not something that you would want to breathe near, and at worst has the potential for creating a runaway flame or worse.
Let me explain further: In addition to conveying fuel, the wick also conducts heat from the flame into the tank. As the fuel level drops, the oil temperature rises and expands, regardless of the oil you are using. With Mineral Spirits, this function creates an accelerated evaporation, which in turn produces pressurized flammable vapor that must expand to somewhere. (This process is also referred to as "Superheating.") Usually, the pressurized vapor will gradually work its way through the burner and will be consumed at the flame. At this point it is not a major problem, except that because the flame is no longer dependent on the wick, you no longer have control of the flame, which will begin to "runaway." The natural reaction is to turn the wick down as far as possible to try to extinguish the runaway flame. This only increases the vapor flow as well as the flame size. If you turn the wick down too far, and the cogs disengage the wick, you will not be able to raise the wick to reduce the flame size. When this happens, the best course of action is to smother the lantern with an inverted pail or bucket, or dirt.
In a worst case scenario, if the pressurized vapor is unable to gradually be consumed at the flame, it will increase in the tank as the fuel level drops. The reason this is "worst case" is because if the vapor bursts through the burner, an explosion will result that will most likely shatter the globe.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:24pm
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I've heard that kerosene puts off an odor, the lamp oil does not. But, so they say, the mantle type lamps use a lot more oil so are mor expensive to use.
Is the lamp oil a lot more expensive than kerosene or paint thinner?
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analogmanca
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# Posted: 29 Nov 2013 04:42pm
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I should have said"low odour" paint thinner. I dissagree with Mr Kirkman, though maybe in your country kerosene is better, in Canada its beyond bad, I consider it unuseable. A hour with the lamp fueled with kerosne will leave my eyes burning, and I will be coughing. Low odour paint thinner is in my opinion way better refined with far less nasty stuff in it.
True it does have a 30 degree lower flash point. I am undecided as to weather this contributed to the problem or not, I suspect this could happen with kerosene as well I will never know as I wont use kerosene and now will replace my wick long before it gets to this point again.
bldginsp, yes they use more oil but the light output is outstanding, with that reflector on mine I can open a book 20 feet away and be able to read it, you cant do that with a ordinary oil lamp
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 29 Nov 2013 05:51pm
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I love the Aladdin lamps as they were at the peak of technology for kerosene burning lamps, much brighter than any other type. They can also be quite attractive. However they are yesterdays technology and have health effects that many do not know about. I have read some information that equates the use of kerosene lamps used for lighting to have the same health hazards as smoking one to two packs of cigarettes a day. In developing nations where there is no electricity and kerosene is used for lighting, two-thirds of adult females with lung cancer are non-smokers. There may be a connection there.
Results from field and lab tests have found that 7 to 9 percent of the kerosene in wick lamps is converted to black carbon when burned. Released into the room that is breathed in. Now the Alladin lamps are perhaps more efficient burners, that I do not know. But those who light with a combustible petroleum product are still breathing in the by products.
Not everything old is better than new things, and not everything new is always better than old. Just something to think about.
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hattie
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# Posted: 30 Nov 2013 12:28pm
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For a few days we were using oil lamps in our house just to save energy and also give off some heat. Hubby started to have breathing problems so that was the end of that!!! I'm not risking his life just to save a few cents.
We make soy wax candles. I buy the wax in bulk, Bob makes wicks out of string soaked in borax and left to dry overnight. We use old honey jars to pour the melted wax in, so the candles are very safe to use (they won't tip over). They are quite pretty but obviously don't give off nearly as much light as an oil lamp.
Our oil lamp days are done. We were using proper lamp oil in ours and that is what was causing Bob problems. They also made my eyes burn.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 30 Nov 2013 02:12pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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We use oil lamps with odor free lamp oil. We've never had a problem. Only because we use them in the summer and all the windows are open or in the spring and fall. Since we don't have insulation we have plenty of ventilation. I love the glow the lamps give off as do our guests.
I replace the wicks when needed. I mean really they are only a few bucks. There is no reason to stretch the use of a wick. We do not use them upstairs in the loft. Only use battery powered lanterns and head lamps up there.
I am very safety conscious and cannot imagine using paint thinner as fuel in oil burning lamps to save money. I hope that nobody else on here does this or gets the idea to do it to cut corners. I really wish that some of the people on here would keep dangerous money saving tips to themselves.
There is not a thing wrong with Aladdin lamps. The problem is with the person that uses the lamp and does not follow safe operating procedures.
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