hurricane lamps not burning bright enough? (house, lamp, good, light)

[Tracysherm]

Thought this would be the best place to find people who can answer this quick question.

I have a nice collection of old kerosene/ hurricane lamps, which are nice for decoration, but also a good backup for when the power goes out. I filled them with good, clean-burning paraffin oil. Some did not have wicks when I bought them, so I purchased some lengths of cotton wick online, from a few different sellers.

Well, after our recent hurricane, I got to put them to good use. But what really ticked me off was that when I would turn the lamps up (so that the wick is higher and the flame brighter) the wick would quickly burn down and the flame would be small again. Just to read a book, I had to have three lamps next to me.

The few lamps that I had bought that had old cruddy wicks in them actually burned brighter and the flames stayed high when I turned the lamps up.

I'm wondering, do fiberglass wicks work better? I saw them on the sites where I bought cotton wicks, but since I didn't "get" why I would ever need fiberglass, I stuck to the cotton. I also noticed that the wick I purchased in a length of several feet was not woven as tightly, so it didn't work as well as the tighter-woven wicks I had bought in 6-8 inch pieces. Don't know if that makes any difference.

Any other ideas on what kinds of wicks work best for brighter-burning oil lamps? I'd like to be able to read books if TSHTF or if we just have another power outage.

None of the FAQs on the lamp & wick websites could answer this.
Thanks.

[my54ford]

I use oil lamps all the time! Cotton wicks are fine I get mine at wallyworld or cabelos....I personaly have very good luck with a kero\paraffin mix. I have also had good luck using citronella lamp oil. Brightness could also be effected by dirty glass or poorly trimmed wicks...I currently have many models that I use Dietz, Bat, Rayo and fuerhand. Also have a war dated petromax pressure lamp but that's a different animal all together!!!

[FreedomThroughAnarchism]

Not too experienced with oil and kerosene lamps. I have one that I don't use much (mainly because I question whether I want to fire hazard), but generally prefer the newer LED lamps as a lighting solution. The batteries can be recharged via solar.... and I suspect the LED's are considerably more energy efficient than oil lamps, though I've never really did the math to verify that.

So while I am not sure how you could rectify the problem by changing the wick, I could suggest you maybe look into getting one of the mantle-type lamps like an Aladdin. They supposedly burn much brighter (and producer a whiter light) than the traditional kerosene type lamps.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by TracySam

Thought this would be the best place to find people who can answer this quick question.

I have a nice collection of old kerosene/ hurricane lamps, which are nice for decoration, but also a good backup for when the power goes out. I filled them with good, clean-burning paraffin oil. Some did not have wicks when I bought them, so I purchased some lengths of cotton wick online, from a few different sellers.

Well, after our recent hurricane, I got to put them to good use. But what really ticked me off was that when I would turn the lamps up (so that the wick is higher and the flame brighter) the wick would quickly burn down and the flame would be small again. Just to read a book, I had to have three lamps next to me.

The few lamps that I had bought that had old cruddy wicks in them actually burned brighter and the flames stayed high when I turned the lamps up.

I'm wondering, do fiberglass wicks work better? I saw them on the sites where I bought cotton wicks, but since I didn't "get" why I would ever need fiberglass, I stuck to the cotton. I also noticed that the wick I purchased in a length of several feet was not woven as tightly, so it didn't work as well as the tighter-woven wicks I had bought in 6-8 inch pieces. Don't know if that makes any difference.

Any other ideas on what kinds of wicks work best for brighter-burning oil lamps? I'd like to be able to read books if TSHTF or if we just have another power outage.

None of the FAQs on the lamp & wick websites could answer this.
Thanks.

Back in the day when kerosene lamps were used, most people got up with the sun and went to bed with the sun. Reading at night was not something that was common.

That having been said. Invest in a couple of good mirrors and tape one side together and put them behind the lamp for extra light. It helps quite a lot.

As for the wick question, I will let someone more knowledgeable about it respond.

20yrsinBranson

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Back in the day when kerosene lamps were used, most people got up with the sun and went to bed with the sun. Reading at night was not something that was common.

That having been said. Invest in a couple of good mirrors and tape one side together and put them behind the lamp for extra light. It helps quite a lot.

This.

As for the wick question, I will let someone more knowledgeable about it respond.

20yrsinBranson

Also, they're not nearly as bright as the ones you see on the old Westerns.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by TracySam

Thought this would be the best place to find people who can answer this quick question.

I have a nice collection of old kerosene/ hurricane lamps, which are nice for decoration, but also a good backup for when the power goes out. I filled them with good, clean-burning paraffin oil. Some did not have wicks when I bought them, so I purchased some lengths of cotton wick online, from a few different sellers.

Well, after our recent hurricane, I got to put them to good use. But what really ticked me off was that when I would turn the lamps up (so that the wick is higher and the flame brighter) the wick would quickly burn down and the flame would be small again. Just to read a book, I had to have three lamps next to me.

The few lamps that I had bought that had old cruddy wicks in them actually burned brighter and the flames stayed high when I turned the lamps up.

I'm wondering, do fiberglass wicks work better? I saw them on the sites where I bought cotton wicks, but since I didn't "get" why I would ever need fiberglass, I stuck to the cotton. I also noticed that the wick I purchased in a length of several feet was not woven as tightly, so it didn't work as well as the tighter-woven wicks I had bought in 6-8 inch pieces. Don't know if that makes any difference.

Any other ideas on what kinds of wicks work best for brighter-burning oil lamps? I'd like to be able to read books if TSHTF or if we just have another power outage.

None of the FAQs on the lamp & wick websites could answer this.
Thanks.

Are you keeping the top of the wick below the cone of the burner? If the wick comes up above the cone, it's too high and the wick will char, etc.

Secondly, I think you have a fuel issue. Read the fuel section at this page from W.T. Kirkman's site: Kerosene Lantern Frequently Asked Questions Page

[SCGranny]

I am a collector of Kerosene lamps. Big, small, tiny, ornate, and nondescript. Even have some Heavy-duty for outdoors, and some antique ones I've picked up at auctions. I even have some colored ones that were made in Mexico in the 1940s that cast jewel tones; quite lovely!

I always use kerosene in them, keep the wicks clean and trimmed, and some of them have nice reflectors on them that can be adjusted to more precisely direct reflected light. Paraffin oil is a no-no except in lamps specifically made for it; the wicks on these are smaller and I would use them for decoration only, or as a night-light. A good, clean lamp with a good clean wick, filled with kerosene, with the wick set at the proper height (if it blackens the chimney, it is too high!) with a good reflector is the best for reading.


Also, when filling kerosene lamps, you should NOT fill one just before you use it; you have to give the wick time to 'sop up' the kerosene. It is the kero which should give the light, not the burning wick! I usually make sure mine are filled the day before a weather event is predicted, to give the wicks time to become completely wet. I have heard that Dietz and Aladdin make the best lamps for light; but oddly I have never seen one!

WARNING - if you have children, dogs that jump, or cats of any type, be extra careful about where you put your lamps and NEVER leave one burning unattended. An accident by a curious or adventurous child or animal can result in a VERY fast fire. Two years ago a neighbor's house burned completely to the ground - they had kerosene lamps and a cat who loved the warm glow.

You're kidding about the TV shows with kerosene lamps, right? I am somewhat familiar with film lighting, and a kerosene lamp in no way puts out as much light as the mocked-up ones in the films! If they seem really bright, it's because of another lighting source either shining directly on them or nearby. Watch the shadows instead of the actors in those old westerns, and you'll see what I mean. John Ford knew how to light a set so that the light was not intrusive 'spots', but seemed to come from the original source, either kerosene or gas - but it didn't. If it had, a whole lot of westerns would be more 'film noir' than intended!

[North Beach Person]

I said the same thing about Westerns as you did, you explained it better.

[Nor'Eastah]

We have bought a couple of new kerosene heaters which we expect to use through late fall, and again in early spring, so we can have a shorter heating season (with the furnace). I have 2 55-gallon barrels already filled with kerosene. We do not have any experience with kero lamps but that would be the logical extension of keeping kerosene as fuel. We looked through the Lehman's catalog at the Dietz and Aladdin lamps, but found them expensive. They had other brands that cost less, but Lehman's seems to be rather pricey, anyway. Anyone know of a place where decent-quality kero lamps can be had at reasonable prices?

[ChrisC]

I've found the "regular" kerosene lamps to be acceptable, but rather dim. If you want a really bright traditional kerosene lamp to read by, you might try an Aladdin Lamp. They are much brighter than the typical lamp, but are quite a bit more expensive as well. The thing about Lehman's is that they are "into" the lifestyle products they sell. They know kerosene lamps and which are better, safer, and put out some light. They even warn you on some of the cheapies when they aren't up to standards. Most other places sell them as curiosities and I wouldn't trust the lamps. I actually have one from a department store that I bought years ago. It's junk. I wouldn't trust it at all in the long term. Come to think of it, I don't know why I even keep it, it has been collecting dust for years. Every lamp I've bought from Lehman's has been good quality and made to use as opposed to being made as a curiosity sitting on the bookshelf for people to comment on.