Oil Lamps

[ConradG]

I should correct myself on the subject of mineral spirits as true mineral spirits are in fact 'parafin oil' and simmilar to lamp oil. Just be sure not to use other forms of paint thinner or those containing acetone, tupentine and the like....

[sarafina]

with alcohol a minor spill will spread and burn over a surface until the fuel is used up. Mineral spirits are not nearly as flammable. I have spilled and sloshed them numerous times and not ever had a flame slick spread. and for what its worth, mineral spirits and lamp oil are the same thing sold under different names and with different packaging and prices. You do the math ; -)

[feelsgood]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

We have one and I love it. I would like to get one of those Welsh miner's lamps next.

I heard a story when an oil lamp starter to throw loads of soot and made everything black in the cabin. Probably just do not leave it on when you go to the cockpit.

b.

I have just got the price for 4lts of odorless white spirit. If you can burn a miners lamp for 30 hrs on 5 ozs of spirit it works out to be 0.5p per hour that means if you burn 1 lamp for 5hrs a night you will get 198 nights for 4lts of spirit

[feelsgood]

The thing I love about this site is the wealth of knoweledge. I am so imressed that so many people out there can spell as good as what I can He! He! All jokes aside you have all brightened my days and nights to hear so many people interested in the same things.Thanks.

[rover88]

Our boat came with an antique Perko gimballed oil lamp sans the glass chimney. For a year I sort of ignored it, but recently pulled it down and gave it a good polish. Now I am on the hunt for a replacement glass chimney and would like to get it going soon. I was shocked to see the value of these little lamps and they do add a touch of nostalia to the boat. I hear they throw off a very pleasant soft light. As for health risks, I can't see them being any more dangerous or unhealthy than most other things on the boat, but will always keep a vent open when using it.

[SurferShane]

Re: Alcohol Fuel

The lamp I bought also had multiple warnings saying “use only paraffin”?

[zeehag]

i use 3 kinds of oil lamps--and i use only liquid paraffin....i have 2 weems and plath "yacht lamps" and 2 harnish lovelies and i have a generic huge trawler lamp in my dinette that keeps me warmer than anything--i have used oil lamps ever since i moved on board in 1990
\ i am not yet dead..LOL..an di keep warm in winter most of the time---38 degrees in san diego makes me want to sail out...LOL

my favorite anchor lamp is a nice old brass one with fresnel lens

[ConradG]

Here's a warning against using any kind of parrafin especially any type of mineral spirits. It is seconded by several manufacturers of kerosene lamps. It distinguishes between kerosene lamps with flat wicks and oil lamps with round candle style wicks...

QUESTION 3: What type of fuel can I use in a tubular lantern?
ANSWER: The approved fuels for Tubular Lanterns are:
1. Non-Dyed (Clear) Kerosene (Also known as clear K-1 or clear 1-K)
2. Clear-Lite Synthetic Kerosene (No longer being manufactured and has been replaced by Klean-Heat Kerosene Substitute.)
3. W.M. Barr & Co. Klean-Heat Kerosene Substitute (#GKKH99991-Gallon, Home Depot P/N 391-171)
4. Standard Clear Lamp Oil (Lamplight Farms Clear Medallion Lamp Oil, #6300, #6400, and #6700 Only )
5. Genuine Aladdin Lamp Oil (#17552)
6. Citronella Oil (Outdoor use only, cut 50:50 with kerosene to extend wick life.)
(Use Klean-Heat, Standard Clear Lamp Oil, or Genuine Aladdin Lamp Oil for odor free use indoors.)

DO NOT USE PARAFFIN OIL IN TUBULAR LANTERNS WITH 5/8" or LARGER WICK

NOTE: BIO-DIESEL AND OLIVE OIL ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN TUBULAR LANTERNS

NOTICE: Dyed kerosene or lamp oil will eventually clog the wick and inhibit proper operation. It can also permanently stain the lamp or lantern.

Standard clear lamp oil (Lamp Light Farms Medallion Oil,) is available nationwide at: Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, Tru-Value Hardware, Sentry Hardware, and HWI Do-It Centers. Kerosene and synthetic kerosene (now sold under the name "Klean-Heat") is available at or through most hardware stores and home centers including: Home Depot, Lowe's, American Eagle, Coast to Coast, Ace, True-Value, HWI Do-It Centers, and Wal-Mart. Genuine Aladdin Lamp Oil is available from Aladdin Lamp Dealers nationwide.

If you purchase kerosene from a gas station, make sure that it is from a "blocked" pump so that it is clear and not dyed red.
(Un-blocked kerosene pumps by law must dispense dyed kerosene which will clog lantern wick, and cause it not to burn properly.)

PARAFFIN OIL NOTICE!!

NOTE: Paraffin Oil (Liquid Candle Wax,) in the UNITED STATES is mis-labeled for use in oil lamps, when in fact it is only suited for Candle Oil Lamps that use small diameter round wick. 99% or 100% Paraffin Oil is NOT designed or suitable for use in tubular lanterns or oil lamps that use flat wick, or Kosmos or Matador type oil lamps. Further, it burns only 1/2 as bright of any of the approved fuels listed above. Paraffin oil has a much higher viscosity and a flash point of 200 degrees or higher, as compared to the flash point of 150 degrees for kerosene. These differences inhibit the necessary capillary action of the wick, and will cause Lamps and Lanterns with 7/8" or larger wick to burn improperly and erratic. Once a wick is contaminated with paraffin oil, it must be replaced in order for the lantern to burner properly. If you must use paraffin oil, it may be mixed 1:10 to 2:10 (one to two parts to ten parts,) with standard lamp oil or kerosene so that it will burn satisfactorily. Paraffin Oil is sold in the United States under the following trade names, which should be avoided except for use with lamps or lanterns with 1/2" or smaller wick :
Aura Oil
Firelight Glass
Orvis Lamp Fuel
Northern Lights
Northwest
Pure Lite
Soft Light
Tropical Lights
Ultra-Pure
Weems & Plath

WARNING:
NEVER USE THE FOLLOWING IN ANY WICK LAMP OR LANTERN OF ANY TYPE:

1. Gasoline
2. Coleman Fuel
3. White Gas
4. Paint Thinner, (aka *Mineral Spirits)
5. Wood Alcohol
6. Naptha
7. Turpentine
8. Benzene
9. Or any other Explosive Fuel

USING ANY OF THE ABOVE FUELS IN A WICK LAMP OR LANTERN
CAN RESULT IN PROPERTY LOSS, SERIOUS INJURY, OR DEATH.
CAUTION:
Diesel and Aviation fuel should not be used in any wick lamp or lantern
as the fumes from fuel additives can be FATAL if inhaled.

*Additional Notes on Mineral Spirits

I have added the following information due to the number of inquiries we have been receiving lately about the use of paint thinner as a kerosene substitute to explain the danger.

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 dependant 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.

I received an e-mail from a customer that thought it was OK to use paint thinner, despite our warning:

. . . . . I look up and the flame is so high that it burnt the rope ,fell from the tree ,shattered and the ground and lantern were on fire. I put the fire out and just assumed I did something wrong. The next night i set the second one on a flat tree stump. Every thing seems fine, not much light because the wick is so low, but a little. Next thing I know this one is on fire and the glass also breaks and I'm scrambling to throw dirt on it. The third night I try again, because it gets really dark and I was counting on those for light. This lantern does the same thing. It did not break the glass ,because I was nervous and kept watching it. . . .

Fil Graff, the Secretary of the International Guild of Lamp Researchers, wrote the following words on the topic:

On Dec. 22, 2000 @ 18:57, Fil Graff (fgraff@comcast.net) wrote:
. . . . For heavens sake, if you are playing with fuels, stay in the same petrochemical CLASS as the originally recommended fuel! NO MINERAL SPIRITS in a kerosene lamp! That is NO, none, not ANY! The "burns hotter" may be a problem in soldered burners, but the real problem is volatility and flash point. You do NOT want a possible font ignition from heated fumes! If you cannot get road-taxed kerosene (it isn't red!)or Sunoco's "1-K", then try the Clearlite. It too burns hotter than kerosene, but at least is in the same volatility range, and therefore reasonably safe. I use it in Aladdins and other flat wicks, replacing the Champagne-priced odorless Ultra fuel I used for years, but have abandoned because of outrageous prices.

Tony Batts, General Manager of the Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company, recently e-mailed me:

"Woody,
You are most correct, we would never recommend the use of mineral spirits or paint thinner in Aladdin lamps, lanterns, or any flat wick lamps. Believe it or not we still occasionally get calls from folks who have heard the its okay to use mineral spirits in their lamps.

Thanks for helping clear up this myth!

With kind regards,
Tony"

We are working towards adding video segments to our website in the near future, and plan to film a demonstration of what can happen when you use paint thinner, or "other than recommended" fuels in tubular lanterns.
Copyright © 1997 - 2009 W.T. Kirkman All Rights Reserved

[svaletheia]

Note that Kerosene and "Paraffin" are often synonymous. The Paraffin that is NOT good is "liquid candle wax" paraffin, not the paraffin=kerosene kind.

Which makes me wonder, on many "lamp oil" bottles I have seen "Mineral Oil" as an ingredient. According to wikipedia, this may be the "higher flashpoint" stuff that warning is trying to get us to avoid?

This is somewhat confusing thanks to the synonymity of paraffin oil and kerosene and the possible other uses for the term paraffin which are not at all related, and then mineral oil being sold as "lamp oil".... ack!

FWIW, my WT Kirkman "Original" cold blast seems to burn the mineral oil just fine, although I am not sure how much brighter the flame would be if I ran simple kerosene.

Note that "Mineral Oil" is NOT the same as "Mineral Spirits"... completely different substances. Mineral Oil has similar properties to diesel fuel, actually, and I suppose its partly related to kerosene due to the high paraffinic oil content (the same components of kerosene).

But I am definitely not an oil expert and am somewhat confused by all of this label-changing nonsense.

[DaveC]

I have 5 oil lamps.

Two are gimballed and on my bulkheads for cabin lighting.

One is a large ship anchor lantern that I tie out on deck at night if anchored near a bar or other place with power boats coming and going throughout the night so the drunken skippers can see me better.

Then I have two emergency nav lights (red and green) in case I again lose my battery. The Nav lights work okay but not as good as electric lights.

I buy my lamp oil whenever I'm near a Walmart as they sell it cheap and it's good quality. I'm sure there are cheaper and better quality places to get it.

I bought all my lanterns from (www.vermontlanterns.com). It is a very nice and very friendly family run business and they're super to deal with.

The only problem I ever had was one night when it was cold I brought the anchor lantern into the cabin to help warm it up and accidentally fell asleep. I woke up in the night coughing and the cabin was filled with smoke. I opened the hatches and it cleared quickly. I guess the lantern started running out of oil or something and just burning the wick. Because it was cold I had everything closed up except the slide hatch a little. It was windy and that was enough at the time for ventilation, but during the night the wind died. Yea, I was stupid but it's over and lesson learned.

I do regularly have to clean the soot off the cabin roof. No matter how clean the oil is it still seems to accumulate over time.

-David

[rover88]

Since there are a few here that obviously know their lamps, perhaps someone can help. I found a Weems and Plath globe with 1-1/4 inch diameter base that fit my Perko lamp perfectly. We used it several times - once for three or four hours. Recently I lit the lamp and adjusted the flame very small and the globe began to crack immediately. It was not cold that evening and the globe was not wet, so I cannot figure out why it broke. I'll send it back to the vendor for a replacement, but don't want to be spending $16 every few weeks on new globes. BTW, I used an "oderless lamp oil" bought from the same marine vendor. What did I do wrong??

[Bash]

I sold my flat-wick lanterns after seeing how well round-wick lanterns burn. We use ours year-around except when it's hot enough to need a fan.

As far as soot is concerned, it's better to have two smaller lanterns properly trimmed than one big lantern with too much wick.

[Astrid]

Rover,

Make sure the W & P globes you are using are properly tempered for use with oil burning. Some W & P replacement globes might be for electric only. I am not sure if this is the case, and I am merely hazarding a guess.

[MichaelC]

I grew up using kerosene lamps at home, for we had no electricity or running water. I used them also in my little schooner for ten years. Three flat wick Perkos and one Den Haan Fiserman round wick lamp. They were [are] wonderful. I think any health concerns are foolishness. The Den Haan lamp provided light to read by, but I would never try to use it in the tropics as it gives off too much heat. In the PNW it was wonderful. Of course you need to keep the lamps maintained, like you do anything else in a boat. You can have no maintenance stuff everywhere if you are willing to pay the exorbitant price, both in money and in resources used. The only real problem with kero lamps is that it is a petroleum product ....

[zeehag]

if woried about petroleum products, then sail a wooden boat with cotton sails and natural fiber ropes and lines. wear all natural fibers and do not use a wetsuit or liner. use no plastic and no synhthetic fabrics. do not buy meats or veggies or other foods wrapped in plastic nor plastic jugs or jars. no hairbrushes. no toothbrushes. wow long list....

i use liquid paraffin in my oil lamps with better than excellent results.

we do need to watch our use of petroleum products, but lets get real here.