Oil Lamps

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by hummingway

I have found that adding alcohol to me makes the kerosene seem to burn cleaner ... can't corroborate since i am inebriated at the time. I'd suggested a couple od drinksper hour

Sounds too much to me like the way I discovered why passing out on the settee and leaving the two lamps burning causes my clothes and the cabin to smell of kerosene. The same behaviour and unattended lamps is also a know factor in fatal yacht fires. That is although lamps do create a nice atmosphere to savour a good bottle of scotch or red while listening to some relaxing tunes and the lapping of waves on the hull, I do think the flame requires a certain amount of responsibility if not just plain common sense?

[Astrid]

I've heard that adding a small amount of alcohol to the kerosene will make it burn much cleaner. Can anyone corroborate that suggestion, and if so, what ratio of alcohol to kerosene?
IN

It doesn't take much, just a half eye dropper full of alcohol per gallon of kerosene if you are using the red-dyed 1-K; if you are using clear 1-K you do not need to add the alcohol. All the alcohol does is improve the wick's capillary action, as the red dye can build up and diminish the wick's ability to absorb and carry the kerosene.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by hummingway

I have found that adding alcohol to me makes the kerosene seem to burn cleaner ... can't corroborate since i am inebriated at the time. I'd suggested a couple od drinksper hour

easy solution: once you light the burners, switch from Tangueray to Laphroaig. The peaty bouquet masks the kerosene odors nicely.

[Brent Swain]

Some have told me that using the super cheap paint thinner from the hardware store results in a much cleaner burn, and is cheaper than kerosene.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

Some have told me that using the super cheap paint thinner from the hardware store results in a much cleaner burn, and is cheaper than kerosene.

I used mineral spirits with the same logic, but if you read that big long post that someone obviously seriously in touch with lamps put together, it seems like that's a terrible idea.

[wolfenzee]

I burn liquid paraffin (very clean burning )in my oil lamps, a blown glass oil lamp and three mantle lamps (made by Aladdin called "Lox-on") but I can find mantles for the lox-on lamps.

[Butler]

I'm with Wolenzee. I get the Lamplight Ultra Pure brand parrafin lamp oil from OSH... same stuff as the marine store oil but cheaper. I'm burning two of the four I have and they are cutting this evenings chill a bit.
Ultra Pure make two grades... the lable should say specificaly that it is sootless, smokeless oderless. It is not entirely odorless but what little can be smelled is, to me, not unpleasant.
we are supposed to be headin, south later this year... dunno about using them in the caribbean. I'll probably end up packing them away until we get to colder places.

[zeehag]

the lamps will be warm in carib-- some nights in winter will be comfy for use, i was there in dec 2008 and thought my lamps would actually be useful.

[Butler]

Wow, instant response! Thanks grrrl !

[roverhi]

Ive been living with the DenHaan trawler lamp for a year now. Was never able to get it to burn properly with mineral spirits. Kept having flare ups that sooted up the boat terribly. Talked with the DH distributor and he said to use only liquid paraffin. Mineral spirits have a lower vaporization temperature which causes them to turn to a gas before it reaches the burn zone of the lamp resulting in flare ups. I've switched to lamp oil and haven't had a flare up in more than 6 months. Problem now is finding liquid paraffin at a reasonable price.

Use mineral spirits in my kerosense stoves and flat wick lamps without a problem. Have done so for more than 30 years.

We found oil lamps to be too hot to use in the tropics. We were completely unaware of the heat produced by them in sailing in SoCal. Once we got into the tropics, they'd drive us out of the cabin because of the heat.

[wolfenzee]

Too warm in the tropics, especially the mantle versions, but keeps the cabin nice and toasty in the winter in the Pacific Northwest

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Too warm in the tropics, especially the mantle versions, but keeps the cabin nice and toasty in the winter in the Pacific Northwest

toasty/tolerable

[wolfenzee]

wooden boat holds heat well and the mantles were pretty big

[austinrick]

Just ordered the Dietz hurricane lamp and hanger from Vermont Lamp. You're right, super-nice, knowledgeable folks to deal with and a great selection. Thanks for putting us on to them!

[cburger]

Originally Posted by roverhi

I've used the standard flat wick oil lamps for years. They put out a rather weak light but the ambience is nice. Did not find that they smelled or caused any other problems burning odorless paint thinner/mineral spirits.

Recently bought a DH Trawler Lamp which has had it's issues. The control of the burn would change on it's own. I'd set it for a normal level with the flame under control but a little while later the flame would be shooting up the chimney and sending black soot all over the boat. Managed to soot up the entire overhead. I finally cured the problem by trimming the wick with a razor blade several times. It seems to be working fine now with no self generated changes in intensity of burn. I really like the lamp as it's the only one I've found that gives off enough light to read by.

When we were in the tropics, the oil lamps gave off enough heat to make them uncomfortable to use.

Pressure Kero lanterns give off a lot of light, equivlent to at least a 60 watt electric bulb. They are noisy, require occasional pumping of the pressure up, and the silk mantles are very fragile. We used our Tilley Lamp in the cockpit where the heat it gave off didn't bother us. I also hear these lamps give off CO. If that's the case, they shouldn't be used in the cabin.

We tried the Aladdin non pressure mantle lamps. They give off a lot of light when they are working properly. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep them from sooting up the mantles and seriously reducing the light output. Assume it was a maintenance issue that we weren't able to overcome as these lamps were the primary lighting sources in the non electrified houses in the 1900s.

I have had this issue with the Den Haan lamp as well, switched to the Weems and Plath oil seems to have no more flare ups, what is the proper way to trim a wick?