I Guess I've Been Using Electric Lights For Too Long?

[MountainDon]

What I never knew about kerosene lanterns is very interesting stuff.

You know the tubular sides found on the typical old fashioned kerosene lantern?

They are more than just something to connect the bottom to the top. They are used to channel air flows in two types of lanterns. In the third they do simply connect the top to the bottom.

There are three types of lanterns, cold blast, hot blast and dead flame. Cold blast (left) gives bright white light, hot blast (right) gives a yellow light and burns a little longer on the same amount of fuel

Everything one would want to know can be found at W.T. Kirkman  
Made in America too

[peternap]

That's very interesting Don.
I always assumed they were all dead flame.

[glenn kangiser]

Thx, Don - I just learned something.

[diyfrank]

There's always more to it then it seems. I never thought about fuel mixture in oil lamps but if you want it to burn clean & bright.
Interesting for sure.

[rick91351]

Interesting MT Don we have purchased a couple oil lamps recently for back up and outages.  I stumbled on another reason to own and use them.  That is for a little extra heat under hoop and row covers if you are the green thumb type.  They will work for you on those early frosty spring nights and your plants are still tender. 

This fall for some reason we even pulled out of storage and bought a bunch of spare parts for have a couple Aladdin lamps we have.  They are very good lamps.  If you have never been around them they provide heat and a very bright white light using a wick and a mantle.  Great for cabins and homesteading houses.       

[MountainDon]

Aladdin lamps are the best!  One thing about them, IIRC, they aren't too good for emergency only lighting. I seem to recall a warning about leaving them full and ready for use, wicks wet and then not using them. The wicks slowly evaporate the fuel and leaves deposits behind. Anyone confirm that?   And the other caveat I recall is that if stored empty the wicks need to soak for a while (hour?) before lighting.

[peternap]

Aladdin lamps are the best!  One thing about them, IIRC, they aren't too good for emergency only lighting. I seem to recall a warning about leaving them full and ready for use, wicks wet and then not using them. The wicks slowly evaporate the fuel and leaves deposits behind. Anyone confirm that?   And the other caveat I recall is that if stored empty the wicks need to soak for a while (hour?) before lighting.

I think it depends on what kind of oil you use Don. I use the same thing the Mennonites use and that's a kerosene heater substitute Home Depot sells.
Most of them say they hate kerosene smell and this is odorless. I don't have any problem lighting mine even though some have been full for over a year. The stuff does burn a little hotter than Kerosene so keep that in mind when you place them.

I have a lot of extra wicks because they were a little hard to find at one time.

[MountainDon]

Ok. Thanks. I like and use that product from Home Depot too