[hanzy4200]

I've started to add oil and oil lanterns to my supplies. I already stock propane, kerosene, and candles for lighting, but feel it is wise to have as many options as possible. I've noticed that the metal frame lanterns I buy say to use only kerosene or oil, depending on the lantern. However, they look identical. Will they function with either fuel? Also, in everyones experience, which fuel would you say is more efficient? Lantern oil is around $6 for 64 oz. and kerosene is about $3.75 a gal.

 

[harryo]

Good question, I didn't know there was a difference. I always thought the oil sold in little containers was just fancy packaging for kerosene.

 

[TxHannah]

A word of caution if you don't mind. If you're buying the cheap China made lanterns that cost less than $10, watch out for leaking tanks. I've thrown away a half dozen over the past several years because they leak at the seams.

If you're going to buy a kerosene lamp I would suggest spending more and buying a good quality one.

All my oil lamps have glass founts, even my Aladdins, for this reason.

As far as I know if a lamp or lantern is labeled for either, you can use either. But if you have never burned kerosene in an indoor lamp, you may not like the odor. I can't tolerate it, it literally nauseates me. 'Odorless' kerosene is available, but I just prefer to use lamp oil in both oil lamps and lanterns. I have a few older Dietz and they use lamp oil just fine.

 

[ElevenBravo29th]

You can run EITHER FUEL in the lamp. No worries. Its a confusion from mis-marketing.

I have both "table lamps" and hurricane lanterns. Either lamp can run either fuel.

Relax, dont stress.

Lamp oil is liquefied paraffin and its advantage is a cleaner burn. Kero will have more soot but will work just fine.

No explosions, no fire hazard (that I know of).

GL,
EB

 

[Tsndesertrat]

A few observations:

Kerosene burns brighter then liquefied paraffin. But Kerosene smells and puts off more smut.
Lamp oil sold today is in fact liquid paraffin, it does not smell.
You can use liquefied paraffin in a lamp that once used Kerosene but you can not use Kerosene in a lamp that has previously used liquefied paraffin, without first replacing the wick. This is because the liquefied paraffin coats the wick with liquid wax and it is no longer suitable for Kerosene to wick up uniformly through the wax coating resulting in the lamp not working correctly. The lamp may still work but not correctly to it's fullest and brightest capacity.
So if you have both fuels, you should either have spare wicks or simply use the Kerosene first then the liquefied paraffin last negating the need to replace the wick in the first place.
You can also use citronella oil in a lamp if it's used outdoors.

The Aladdin Lamp company makes some very nice, very pricy lamps, and unlike most oil lamps they have a round wick Vs. a flat ribbon wick. This produces more candle power or brightness. In addition it employs a mantle over the wick creating a burn chamber, this improvement eliminates the flame from flashing bright to dim and allows the lamp to remain continuously at it's brightest output. This improvement will allow you to read under it's light while reading is not an option under the light omitted by a flat ribbon wick oil lamp.

http://www.aladdin-us.com/site/1627880/page/45029

 

[Old Warrior]

If you have a problem with the smell of kerosene from your oil lamps you might be interested in getting some KeroKlean to add to it. Several different scents to choose from; vanilla, pine, cinnamon, & Hollyberry, not to be confused with Halle Berry.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_34417-1699-...UserSearch=keroklean&productId=3032706&rpp=32

 

[hanzy4200]

A few observations:

Kerosene burns brighter then liquefied paraffin. But Kerosene smells and puts off more smut.
Lamp oil sold today is in fact liquid paraffin, it does not smell.
You can use liquefied paraffin in a lamp that once used Kerosene but you can not use Kerosene in a lamp that has previously used liquefied paraffin, without first replacing the wick. This is because the liquefied paraffin coats the wick with liquid wax and it is no longer suitable for Kerosene to wick up uniformly through the wax coating resulting in the lamp not working correctly. The lamp may still work but not correctly to it's fullest and brightest capacity.
So if you have both fuels, you should either have spare wicks or simply use the Kerosene first then the liquefied paraffin last negating the need to replace the wick in the first place.
You can also use citronella oil in a lamp if it's used outdoors.

The Aladdin Lamp company makes some very nice, very pricy lamps, and unlike most oil lamps they have a round wick Vs. a flat ribbon wick. This produces more candle power or brightness. In addition it employs a mantle over the wick creating a burn chamber, this improvement eliminates the flame from flashing bright to dim and allows the lamp to remain continuously at it's brightest output. This improvement will allow you to read under it's light while reading is not an option under the light omitted by a flat ribbon wick oil lamp.

http://www.aladdin-us.com/site/1627880/page/45029

I never knew kerosene put off smut! I REALLY need to stay away from those, my wife will flip. : Jokes aside, I would love to get an Alladin but as it's really only a backup, I'm not ready to put up the cash. I do stock a decent amount of wicks. Do you have any suggestions for were to buy them? Only place I have found them is at Walmart for $2 per 6 inch wick.

 

[Tsndesertrat]

I never knew kerosene put off smut! I REALLY need to stay away from those, my wife will flip. : Jokes aside, I would love to get an Alladin but as it's really only a backup, I'm not ready to put up the cash. I do stock a decent amount of wicks. Do you have any suggestions for were to buy them? Only place I have found them is at Walmart for $2 per 6 inch wick.

Soot and lamp Smut are one in the same. Both have to be cleaned off the globe daily.
Our local ACE hardware stores and China-Mart both have a nice supply of oil and wicks as well as replacement globes. I find that selection seems to increase the further you get away from the bigger cities.

 

[wasniper]

Hanzy4200, Hey how is the family? If you are looking for lots of light get a rayo 1905 model, you can smell a little when you first light up and a little when you shut down, I have 6 of them we are off the grid and use them all winter, there is a picture of one in full bloom on my stat page. JT

 

[two bits]

I have several oil lamps and two Aladdin lamps for emergencies. I use K-Kerosene (1K clear) in the oil lamps and low odor mineral spirits in the Aladdin lamps.


http://www.endtimesreport.com/lighting.html

I have couple lanterns for outdoor use and I also the kerosene in them.

 

[Small Town]

After burning Kerosene in a lantern when the power was out, I switched to lamp oil. Kerosene put off a nasty smell that filled the house and it also smoked up the glass on the lantern.

 

[felicia]

You can purchase for $3.75 each caps that turn you mason jars into oil lamps they also sell packs of wicks.
http://www.oillampman.com/bottlewick.html
http://www.oillampman.com/images2/mjcwb.jpg

 

[MikeK]

If the oil is "lamp oil" you can use it in anything that runs on kerosene. However if it's also oil for oil candles, you can't. It's for oil lamps and candles. It's paraffin rather than refined kerosene like lamp oil is.

 

[heidiewn]

I always thought the oil sold in little containers was just fancy packaging for kerosene.

 

[ForestBeekeeper]

Petromax by Britelyt is the best lanterns available.

Any flammable liquid can be used as fuel.

Veggie oil? yes.
Kerosene? yes.
Citronella? yes.
Gas? yes.
Diesel? yes.
Fuel oil? yes.
Lard? yes.

And they make nice room heaters too

And they have an attachment to make them into a one-burner cookstove.

 

[MikeK]

I always thought the oil sold in little containers was just fancy packaging for kerosene.

The lamp oil type is purified kerosene. The oil candle and lamp type is paraffin. You can easily tell when you snuff the lantern out. The lamp oil will smell like hot kerosene and the paraffin type will smell a bit like a snuffed candle.

 

[TxHills]

This is for lanterns. First, I have never had to clean soot off a globe. Usually if you get soot on the globe, the wick isn't trimmed, and/or more commonly, the wick is adjusted too high. It's a common mistake. Here is an example of a wick burning too high.

This will blacken the globe with soot, and can potentially crack the globe from excess heat.



Once the lantern is lit, be sure to adjust the wick down. The wick should be just at the top of the burner. It shouldn't be raised above the burner cone.



A properly trimmed and adjusted wick, will have a nice straight flame when the globe is lowered. This is a circa 1942 Dietz No2 D Lite I have.



As far as what to burn, I use KLEAN-HEAT. It's synthetic, and has virtually no smell. It's more expensive than kero at about 10-11 bucks a gallon. I buy it at Home Depot.



Before taking any advice on what to burn in a lamp or lantern...PLEASE, go here and read. Woody and I have have collaborated in the past, when I had my lantern collecting and restoration site.

Click, and scroll down to read about paraffin and what NOT to burn.

http://www.lanterns.us/faqs.htm

Aladdin lamps are also designed to run on kerosene. This is a '40 Washington Drape. Now I said earlier, I never had a soot problem. But.......this one's got a replacement chimney. Because I had it turned up too high many years ago, and cracked the original. It used a "LoxOn" chimney, and I had to convert it to the newer type.

 

[SnakeRanch]

If your kerosene lamp stinks check both the wick and the fuel. If the wick stinks, get rid of it. If the fuel stinks and is yellowed, it has absorbed water from humidity and grown microbes, like my damn diesel semi's did in Mississippi in winter. And you have to clean out the tank or it will still stink. Pressure washer works good. Normal use, trimmed fresh wick, with fresh kerosene, doesn't stink...

 

[boonefhh]

I always thought the oil sold in little containers was just fancy packaging for kerosene.

 

[TxHannah]

TxHills, your Aladdin is beautiful. I saw a clear glass Lincoln Drape pattern at a junk shop and they wanted a fortune for it.

On lanterns, I tend to trim the wick flat across the top. But on my oil lamps, I cut the wick flat and then nip off a little of each corner to make a sort of dog-eared fence picket shape. It seems to throw a little more light that way. I've tried cutting the wick other ways too, but they don't seem to be appreciably different, so I just cut it flat and then nip off the corners a little.

My favorite is a medium sized clear hobnail pattern that is probably from the 1920's. No shade, just the chimney. It's hefty enough to not be top heavy even when the fount is filled.