Lamp Oil or Kerosene for Lamps??

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I have a number of ceramic oil lamps, and have used parafin-based lamp oil in them, but can these lamps be used with K-1 Kerosene?? I have been told that using kerosene will make them smoke, but if my kero space heater doesn't smoke, why should the lamps smoke if I keep the flame at a modest level?? Any advice?

-- PillsBury DoughBoy (pbdb98@yahoo.com), November 08, 1999

Answers

I've used kerosine with good results, but I kept the wicks trimmed. They start to smoke when the wicks are let to get ragged. I'm storing both (lamp oil is easier to get here, but more expensive).

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), November 08, 1999.

Heard this question before: the answer is the kero should work just fine, keep your wick trimmed, and to avoid the kero-smudge that occurs with the generally incomplete burning of kerosene on a wick, add methyla alcohol/methanol to your K-1 kerosene at the ratio of 1/2 oz/5 gal up to 2/oz to 5 gal., or more "to taste". Mehtyl alchohol is avialble as "Wick Cleaner" and as "Kero-Clean" on the Kerosun website, or from your pharmacist or perhaps from you local hardware or Home Depot store.

-- Roch Steinbach (rochsteinbach@excite.com), November 09, 1999.

i really like the liquid paraffin? why don't you? too expensive? i have been able to find a gallon for 9.99 at places like wacammaw. just use clear not colored.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999.

Liquid paraffin is of course the best lamp oil -- wlthough even this leaves a residual "smudge" in the air. Yup.... the only reason I don't use it is the expense, at $10-12/gal. its just too rich for my blood. Thinking in terms of alternative lighting long term -- with Aladdin lamps, etc. if your willing to use K-1 kerosene, you can get a 55 gal. drum from your heating oil company for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2/gal plus delivery charges. Add 8 oz of methyl alcohol for $5.00 to acheive a clean burn that's comparable to paraffin, but SCENTED! to boot (get the pine scent), and you're laying out $125-150 whereas the same amount will only buy you 12-15 gals of parrafin.

-- Roch Steinbach (rochsteinbach@excite.com), November 09, 1999.

this is great to know. i have to have kerosene anyway and will add the alchohol in a pinch for extra oil. i will share this info. thanks so much.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.


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