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Kestle · 27-11-2013, 20:02

Am looking at different kerosene lanterns, and all the light out of the non-pressurized ones were pretty weak.

Anyone who would actually use one for general illumination?

Jeff

clockwork orange · 27-11-2013, 20:13

I used to have a Tilley pressurised kerro lamp years ago, they put out pretty good light but also heat, which can be a plus or minus, they were made in Ireland I think, they use alcohol to pre heat.

Steve.

robert sailor · 27-11-2013, 23:48

There are some better than others and some of it depends on the wick style (large round ones being the best) but none of them are great for illumination although the large trawler style ones are the best. They are great for cool evenings and enjoying company but not so great for reading.

Reefmagnet · 28-11-2013, 02:35

I've got a smallish Feurerhand non pressurised on the boat. It has the wide wick and throws off plenty of usable light by hurricane lamp standards (good enough to play a game of cards by). Years ago I had a pressurised kero light and it was painful. Very bright, but every half hour or so in operation it would start to flare up and the only fix was to shut it down and relight it which is always a pain because it needed alcohol to pre warm the tube.

Ocean Girl · 28-11-2013, 03:55

Yes, my last boat, a Cape Dory 30. I had one in main salon, a flat 2" inch wick, and one up in the vberth, a little Atlantic lamp, I think it has a 1" flat wick. Wick trimming is crucial for good light. For a few months while I worked on my DC system the lamps where my main source of light. For cooking at night I hung a flashlight over the galley.Thankfully this was during winter, the boat was in Texas, my salon lamp threw off a lot of heat when turned up to full flame.

Presently we use a kerosene anchor light due to the DC light being out. I also carry our salon lamp into cockpit a lot for general lighting at night.

The Garbone · 28-11-2013, 04:12

I have one of those cheap chinese ones from Amazon, I burn paraffin, gives off enough light to fiddle about the cabin but not to read, my kindle has an LED built into the case so reading is a not an issue.

**roverhi** · 28-11-2013, 11:55

The Aladin lamps are the brightest non pressurized lamps. Negative is they are a mantle lamp that needs to be handled gently. The large trawler lamps are not as bright as the Aladdin but plenty of light to read by. Both are good heat sources to take the edge off cool evenings.

goboatingnow · 28-11-2013, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

I used to have a Tilley pressurised kerro lamp years ago, they put out pretty good light but also heat, which can be a plus or minus, they were made in Ireland I think, they use alcohol to pre heat.

Steve.

They moved to Belfast in the 80s, but moved back to england in 2000. still on the go

Tilley Lamp

Ullorona · 07-11-2018, 05:13

Just my two cents...

Remember to keep them WELL away from curtains, flammable materials, combustable stored fuels (including the spare kerosene or oil), and on a sturdy platform where kids and pets can't reach it, tip it over or break it.

Even though I have a full house gen-set for emergencies, I also keep several LED lanterns with rechargable batteries (and a few solar chargers), 2 Aladdin and 1 Petromax lanterns like this https://bestoutdooritems.com/best-ke...erns-oil-lamp/ that burn kerosene and give off a nice white light for reading or detail work, a half dozen smaller kerosene lanterns and plenty of spare wicks, probably around 8 or 9 oil lamps (I don't use 'em much because they smoke pretty bad even with the best grade of oil and wick I can buy), two Coleman duel fuel white gas/unleaded gas lanterns with spare mantles and plenty of , and a dinky 1 lb propane fueled lantern that I bought for some reason or another years ago. I have a ton of the little 1 lb cylanders so it should last a long time if I need to use it.

Best advice I can give about the kero and oil lamps is to NOT cheap out on the grade of fuel and the wicks. They will determine whether you have a reasonable amount of light and a breathable atmosphere in your house or if you will get a weak yellow flame with little light and so much smoke the neighbors might call the fire dept to put out your house! Get the best you can afford. The lamps are just fuel recepticles and a dial for moving the wick up and down. Spend the money on the fuel and wicks and you won't be sorry.

Woodland Hills · 07-11-2018, 07:02

What sort of emissions do these thing put out? I know a lot of heat is given off, but do they emit visible (or not so visible) smoke? How about breathing in the hydrocarbons and soot particles, are there any long term impacts to be aware of? Do you have any issues with soot deposits on the inside of the boat when these are used long term?

deltaten · 07-11-2018, 08:31

I have two small railroad type wick lamps aboard. Barely 1/2" wide cloth wicks. One stays in the ' pit, one hangs above the table. Even with the best,clear "parafin" oil, I will get a hydrocarbon buzz/head after just a short while. Granted, my little 27 footer has less than 400 cubic feet, it pains me that I can't use them down below! They remain full of citronella oil for bug deterrence.
I have a great pair of Alladin table lamps in storage; but they are way too tall for use aboard. Each is equivalent to 50-60 watt incandescent and HOT,pumping out an estimated 1k watts of heat! It's a shame really because they are beautiful, efficient lamps.

Please be very cautious with any hydrocarbon fueled lamp. Sensitive or not , you will be subject to vapors, CO2 and heat

**JPA Cate** · 07-11-2018, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

What sort of emissions do these thing put out? I know a lot of heat is given off, but do they emit visible (or not so visible) smoke? How about breathing in the hydrocarbons and soot particles, are there any long term impacts to be aware of? Do you have any issues with soot deposits on the inside of the boat when these are used long term?

When we were younger, we were able to read by the light of our trawler lamp, which has a flat wick transformed into a circle, and a spreader. The inside of the "shade" is painted white, which also helped. It was a sole source for a while on our previous boat.

Emissions, oh yes! if the wick is not kept trimmed, it tends to go into runaway mode, and smokes, part of which are "carbon flies", little bits of oily soot that go everywhere! Emits all fire products Carbon di or monoxide, moisture, and heat. Mostly no noticeable effects on breathing while using one, except when in runaway mode, remembering that usually dorades offer some continual ventilation. One does smell it when it starts smoking. The light is warm and lends pleasant ambience.

There are no long term biological effects of using kerosene lamps of which I am aware.

It is possible to clean the soot deposits off the overhead; used to do it after each "runaway". However, trimming the wick each time you refill the reservoir will limit those runaway situations.

Ann

**roverhi** · 07-11-2018, 14:07

From what I've heard pressure lanterns like the Tilley or Coleman produce carbon monoxide. The flat/round wick and non pressurized mantle lamps don't. They do produce an undetectable carbon smoke which can leave deposits on overheads. Not a big thing as it cleans up with a little Simple Green on varnished/painted surfaces.

If you have a problem with flare ups on a lamp, switch to lamp oil. Some other fuels have too low a vaporization temperature and can cause really messy flare ups that will have carbon particles floating around the cabin and make a mess.

As far as any long term effects, used kerosene lamps for light cruising SoCal for a year. I'm still going strong at 74 nearly 50 years later. Until Edison worked his magic, the Rockefeller miracle had almost every house in the world using kerosene for fuel 24/7/365. People's longevity wasn't great back then but it was other things that killed them than their kerosene lamps.