Oil lamps are my light of choice.
You might not think that there’s much to know regarding Tips and Tricks for Using Oil Lamps, but since I’ve practiced using all of my supplies that I intend to rely on someday, I’ve discovered that there are some idiosyncrasies when it comes to using and maintaining my oil lamps. I’ve got all sorts of brands and such of oil lamps and I’ve used all kinds of different oils for my lamps too. As such I believe that these little tips will be helpful across the board for all of our oil lamp users.
The Oil Lamp–Primary Light Source
My primary light source in a “lights out” scenario will be oil lamps. They put out much more light than a mere candle and they tend to be more stable and safe. But in order to truly be “prepared” there’s a lot of simple information that one should know in using them. So today I’m going to share with you the best way to use them to get the most light for the longest period of time as well as some great do-it-yourself methods for creating your own lamp oil and your own wicks. First, let’s start out with the most basic information. When you fill up your oil lamp, be sure to leave at least a ½ inch of headspace. Lamp oil swells in the summer time and if you don’t leave enough leeway you’ll end up with flooding problems which can then be followed by a fire. Yikes!
Alternative Lamp Oil
I’m not a fan of using canola, soy, or corn oil for cooking any longer thanks to the nasty GMOs present and the fact that they are hydrogenated oils—a recipe for disaster when your heart is exposed to them. But now I’ve got lots and lots of oils that I’ve paid good money for. No problem, they will make their way into my oil lamps. Yay!! Even my favorite oils will go rancid on me sometimes. No problem. I can use those too in my oil lamps, though using these alternative oils will put off an odor. As long as you don’t mind that, then you don’t have to worry about wasting any of your oil purchases.
How Much Lamp Oil Do You Need?
How much oil do you need? As a general rule, oil lamps will burn about ½ an ounce of lamp oil per hour. For some reason they will burn a little bit more in the really cold weather—though I have no idea why. This means that a half gallon of lamp oil will last about 140-150 hours. I find that the alternative oils (i.e. canola, rancid olive oil, etc.) will give you as much as a 10% lower output than traditional lamp oils. But the good news is that you can add as much as 5 to 10 drops of essential oils each time you fill the lamp and that will thwart much of that off-putting odor you can get. I’d personally suggest something with eucalyptus radiata in it since that helps the respiratory system. (Do NOT use eucalyptus globulus as the white camphor content can actually STOP the breathing in a small child.) For optimal burning you’ll want to keep the lamp at least half full all the time–not to mention the fact that if you keep your lamps filled halfway all the time, you’re not likely to run out unexpectedly. You know…learn from the 10 Virgins–keep oil in your lamps. *grin* One thing you need to be aware of is that lamp oils can actually freeze when you get in the 20 degree or colder range. Also, it’s best to make sure your oil is at room temperature before filling the lamp. Oil lamps burn about ½ oz. of lamp oil per hour; they will burn a little more in cold weather though I don’t have a clue as to why. I’m not a fan of using any gasoline or alcohols in my oil lamps. They are way too volatile or burn dirty, in my opinion, thus ruining my lamps even when I’m using traditional lamp oil. I don’t know about you, but in my world a prepper’s worst nightmare is a fire! So I’ll refrain from doing anything that gives me a greater chance for a fire. When it comes to purchasing lamp oil, I’ve come to the conclusion that the “ultra pure” lamp oil just isn’t worth the money. It freezes sooner than regular lamp oil does and it really doesn’t seem to burn cleaner to me. You’ll also want to know that the so-called “odorless” lamp oils aren’t really odorless. When using an oil lamp regularly becomes a way of life to you though, I suspect that you’ll get used to it quickly.
All About Oil Lamp Wicks
Now let’s get to the wick. Purchasing wicks is very affordable. They run about 50 cents to $1 a piece and one wick will last you a long, long time with proper care. Burning through a half gallon of lamp oil will only burn down ¼ to ½ inch of your 8 inch long wick (which is the smallest size that I’ll purchase). This means that an 8- inch wick will last through about 15 gallons of lamp oil. Yup, that means that you don’t need as many wicks as you might have thought before now. If you find yourself “overly stocked” in lamp wicks right now, don’t fret; I’m sure they’ll make great barter items for all of those folks who haven’t read this article and burn through their wicks too quickly or who forgot to even purchase spare wicks. *grin* The key to proper wick maintenance is to be sure the wicks are always properly soaked in the lamp oil. (Never burn them dry). You’ll also want to trim the char off of the wick after each use. There are 4 different schools of thought when it comes to the shape of wicks. Some folks go for the “crown” shape which is like a slightly rounded point, some trim them just flat across, some trim them nicely pointed, and some don’t trim them at all. I’ll just cut to the chase—you’ll get the brightest light if you trim your wick nicely pointed. You’ll burn your oil just a bit faster that way, but really, just a bit. I used a pointed tip when I got the 140+ hours out of half gallon of lamp oil.
Make Your Own Oil Lamp Wicks
If you find yourself lacking in good oil lamp wicks, no problem. They are really easy to make yourself. Be sure that you only use 100% cotton though. I’ve heard of some folks thinking that they were going to use nylon or “paracord” as their oil lamp wicks. Yikes! You want just plain cotton. So that means instead of throwing out those t-shirts, assuming there’s no polyester in them, you can easily make 8-12 inch wicks that will last just as long as the commercially made ones. I take squares of cotton fabric 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Beginning at one end of the fabric, I fold the wide portion over and over again in a ¾ inch width each time. When I’m finished with the folds, I just put it in my sewing machine and sew down the length of the fabric once or twice to create a flat wick. (It doesn’t have to be all tight and pretty like you see in the commercially made ones; so you could conceivably sew these by hand if necessary.) You can roll the fabric instead if you’d like, but I’ve found that the flat wicks, cut in a point at the top, will give me brighter light as mentioned above. Besides, rolled pieces of fabric are more difficult for me to get to maintain their shape. They keep wanting to un-roll. So I prefer the sewed flat wicks instead. It’s important that your wicks are at least 8 inches long as 3 of your inches are going to be used for the lead space into the oil at the bottom and in the adjustment portion at the top.
Trimming the Wick of Oil Lamps
You’ll often hear folks talk about “trimming the wicks.” Unless you’re using those fancified Alladin wicks, you can simply trim the char off of the wicks after each use. So long as I keep my wick trimmed in a pointed top, it keeps my flame bright and smoke-free so that I have less to clean with the chimney. As long as you let the wicks burn moderately and never let your wicks get dry, you’ll not have to worry about running out of them. So long as your wick is wet with the oil, the oil is actually what’s burning, not the wick. That’s why it gets shorter and shorter at such a slow pace. The only problems I’ve ever had with my oil lamps are when I’ve forgotten just how hot those dern-blasted chimneys can be. At least three times now I’ve 
burned my hand on those dang things. Even after the flame’s been snuffed out, the chimney remains hot for as much as an hour. This is one of the reasons why I don’t care for purchasing oil lamps that don’t have a nice handle to use when moving the lamp. (The oil base shouldn’t get too hot, but it does get warm when used for a long time, so resist the urge to carry the lamp by the chimney or the base.) An old-timer taught me that it’s best to let the chimney warm up for about 10 minutes before increasing the light output. Again, not being a physicist, I don’t understand why that’s the case, but I gotta say, it does make a difference. Another tip that I was taught is that a big flame isn’t really what you want. Not that you’ll actually measure it, but your ideal ratio of air to fuel when using your oil lamp is 94% air and 6% fuel. Soot will build up on the chimney over time. (Keeping your flame small will prevent this from happening.) You’ll want to make sure that your chimney gets cleaned of the soot as having too much on it can actually cause a fire. Soot build-up will also lessen your light and strangle the oxygen that you need for a nice, even burn on your wick. Obviously keeping the soot cleaned on your chimney will also give you the best light output too. You never want to use a lamp without a chimney. Doing so will cause the chimney to overheat and can pressurize the lamp base and even create an oil fire. If you see any smoke while your wick is lit then you’ve got it too high. When it comes time to extinguish your flame, just cup your hand above the chimney and give a little burst of a breath. The air will travel down the chimney and extinguish it just fine.
One other tip is that I’ve found out the hard way that the cheap plastic containers that the lamp oil typically comes in are not viable for long-term storage. I suggest you transfer the lamp oil to a more stable container after purchasing it. It becomes brittle quickly and it takes very little to nick a hole into it.
Last but not least, I strongly advise you to not take for granted just how important light is. It’s so stressful to me to try and prepare dinner or take care of the dogs when I don’t have sufficient light. Knowing this as a result of some practice runs that we’ve done in anticipation of a myriad of potential crises, I’ve discovered that planning to have a couple more lamps, than what I originally thought was necessary, makes a HUGE difference. It seems ridiculous to me to not invest in a couple more lamps if it means that I can eliminate unnecessary stress. But if oil lamps aren’t your favorite solution for light, then you might want to check out this cool method I use to light up the kitchen.
93 Comments
Unhooked Living · June 12, 2013 at 8:41 am
That was a great in-depth article. It’s amazing how much there is to know about a simple thing like using an oil lamp. I lived with kerosene lanterns, candles, and back up flash lights for many years, so have a few things I’d like to add. The two ways I prefer to keep my glass chimneys clean is with Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap (my favorite by far because it cleans fast and efficiently). Alternately, when I’m filling the lantern, I place it on a paper towel to catch drips then wipe the inside of the chimney with it. I find the kerosene makes a pretty good soot remover. As far as doing things like cooking in the (relative) darkness — it helps to plan to do most of the work while it’s still light — it’s a matter of function following form, so to speak. Also, I always like to have a solar flashlight on hand!
Barbara · June 13, 2013 at 2:05 am
I have never seen a solar generator. Can you tell us the brand and model number that you like best?
Kellene Bishop · June 13, 2013 at 5:06 am
Barbara, I love my Humless Sentinel brand. You can see the info on it at Five Star Preparedness.com and a great price too if my memory serves me correctly. It’s bigger than the one I’m using in the video but they don’t sell the smaller one any longer unfortunately. If you put in “What I finally bought a generator” in the search bar you’ll see all of the details on the Humless and why I finally gave in and got a generator after previously being vehemently opposed to one for anything other than medical necessities. *wink*
Linda Moudry · June 13, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Another thing I’ve learned about keeping my chimneys clean is that if you’ve just filled the lamp base with oil and have any oil residue on your fingers at all, you leave “finger prints” on the chimney when you’re putting it on the lamp. Those “fry” onto the glass as the lamp is used and will not wash off later without using an abrasive cleanser. I have several chimneys that are somewhat scratched down around the base from having to do this but…..it’s better than it was with the burned on fingerprints which turn brown!! Since I’ve now know to wash my hands before putting the chimney on, I shouldn’t have a problem when I replace the chimneys later with new ones!.
Sherri · June 12, 2013 at 2:34 pm
You can also make your own “lamps” from mason jars, some heavy wire and wicks. I’ve made quite a few even using pasta sauce jars. My preferred oil in them is olive oil, which even rancid does not emit a smell when burning. When the lamps are not in use I just place the lid loosely on the top of the jar. The nice thing is, none of the oil has ever evaporated and I’ve had some jars for a couple of years ‘ready to go’. Once I learned about making my own oil lamps we have not bought commercial lamp oil, which we learned evaporates over time and it smells. The only thing is, once you’ve had commercial oil in your lamps, they can not be converted to cooking oil type lamps. You can’t wash out the residue, I did research on it because we have several hurricane style lamps that we used commercial lamp oil in for years. That is why I switched over to making my own out mason type jars.
Kellene Bishop · June 12, 2013 at 6:40 pm
You bet that these lamps are easy to make yourself too! However, I’m having a tough time figuring out what you’re using for a chimney?
Sherri · June 12, 2013 at 11:48 pm
no chimney needed in a mason jar. the wick is way down towards the bottom of the jar.
Karen · June 13, 2013 at 1:48 am
I would love instructions and a picture of your mason jar lamps!
chel · December 16, 2015 at 7:32 am
there’s lots of different
there’s lots of different kinds of mason jar lamps on youtube… enjoy…
Annie · June 12, 2013 at 9:01 pm
I’ve found that cleaning your chimneys with newspaper cleans easy and well. I also would recommend that if you have lamps with handles you can buy decorative wall holders that hold plants or wind chimes and put them on the wall in advance to hold your lantern by the table or by the sofa or in the kitchen or bathroom. Keeps it from getting bumped if you have kids or animals.
Kellene Bishop · June 12, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Thanks for that reminder, Annie. You’re right. Newspaper does an excellent job of cleaning those things!
Dick · June 13, 2013 at 12:01 am
Aladdin lamps cost more, consume more kerosene, but also make the most light. They use a mantle like a Coleman gas lantern. The mantle is bigger than the Coleman. and is fragile, but worth the extra cost!
Linda Moudry · June 13, 2013 at 7:53 pm
I have an antique Aladdin that I did use several times some years back….when I was living “modern” and only needed it during a storm! Now, I have to make FREQUENT use of oil lamps and candles and I needed new wicks (mantles) for the Aladdin and ordered 2 them. Need to get more, of course, but didn’t have the money for more at the time. Anyway…..when I lit the mantle the first time, it immediately burned a hole thru the mantle fabric!!! I’ve never had that happen before! What did I do wrong? I followed the directions and it is the right mantle for the lamp. Any ideas? I haven’t tried the 2nd mantle yet as don’t want to ruin another if there’s a trick I’ve forgotten about using them!!!
Kellene Bishop · June 13, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Yikes! That sounds like a question for the manufacturer if you ask me.
Linda Moudry · June 13, 2013 at 8:46 pm
I’ll try that and if I find out something helpful, I’ll post it on here so others don’t lose an expensive mantle the way I did! thanks.
Sandy · July 19, 2016 at 10:18 am
The mantle is very fragile,
The mantle is very fragile, and breaks easily. If the wick was even slightly bumped before it was burned, or bumped as it was put into the box by the manufacturer, it’ll flame up broken like that. It’s either a storage method change you need, or maybe contact the seller and return it for a good one. I once had an entire box of Aladdin mantles get smashed in transit, didn’t know it until I went to light them and they immediately had holes.
Tarm · June 13, 2013 at 2:55 am
Excelent! What kind of adapter do you have on your led strand?
Stevo · June 13, 2013 at 3:34 am
What about Kerosene? I stocked up with lots for lanterns but then also got some lamp oil too and figured I use the oil first if needed.
Will kerosene work in them or is it only for the Deitz type lanterns?
Kellene Bishop · June 13, 2013 at 5:04 am
Yes, Stevo, Kerosene WILL work, but it’s not my favorite fuel. You do need air to flow otherwise the kerosene fumes can get to be too much and cause breathing problems. Just FYI.
Dee · December 30, 2013 at 1:57 am
Kerosene is all I use in my
Kerosene is all I use in my oil lamps. I can buy it in bulk for around $6 per gallon. I find it burns just as clean as lamp oil at up to a quarter the price. As for odor, my family and I don’t notice any difference than from lamp oil.
Araksya · June 13, 2013 at 4:24 am
Thanks Kellene, for the article and the video!
The article reminded me of our tough years of no-power after the devastating earthquake, when we were using oil lamps. My Mom would make wicks herself and we burned any kind of oil we could get. You are absolutely right that not every oil is going to burn well and clean, without a smoke. Our eyes would tear up from the smoke but we didn’t have a choice!
Thanks again for your preparation and hard work to help others learn about those things that are so crucial for survival!
Jackie K · June 13, 2013 at 4:29 am
Okay so I have some really old glass lamps from my husbands grandmother. They have the beautiful glass bases and the all glass chimmenies. The table top kind for back in the days. I wondered how to get the wicks or where until you said how to make them. But, I do need to practice using them. They don’t have any oil in them now, so I have to work on that! I also have thought of getting some from the camping store, and did not want to use the dangerous fuels you mentioned. I like the idea of the decroative wall holders. This will be another thing I will look for at my second hand stores. Great article! Thank YOu as always!
Jen · June 13, 2013 at 9:14 am
I’ve been making & using olive oil laps for several years now. One thing I have learned during my times of experimenting is if the top of the wick is more then 1/2″ above the level of the olive oil, you will burn the wick and not the oil. Olive oil and other vegetable/seed oils do not wick fast enough through the wick to sustain proper burning when there is a large distance between the reservoir and the flame. So unfortunately most of the common oil lamps will not work with the vegetable oil. My favorite base is a small glass bowl/vase from the thrift, make a twisted wire wick holder, fill most of the bowl with water and then pour the olive oil on top and place the wick in. Also I have found corn oil will clog any wick.
Kellene Bishop · June 13, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Hmmm…that’s interesting. I’m not sure how to differentiate between a “common oil lamps” and others as I’ve not run into a problem yet with using the alternative oils in any of mine. In fact, olive oil, rancid or not, a person shouldn’t ever have a problem using. I think perhaps the “trick” is to ensure that the wick is properly soaked.
As for the corn oil, you do bring up a good point. I’ve always combined by vegetable and corn oil–not because I’m smart or anything but for convenience sake. As such I haven’t had any problem using the combo.
I think it’s been mentioned enough that I need to describe how to make and use the twisted wire to hold the wick too. Thanks!
Cheryl O. · June 13, 2013 at 12:35 pm
I have several extra chimneys stored in my preps as well. If you break one, and eventually you will, you are sunk without a spare. I store all of them on the top shelf in my sewing room where they are far out of reach from grand kids. I have them wrapped well and the boxes labelled as to which lamp they are for.
Charlotte Bays · June 13, 2013 at 12:35 pm
We had a 3 1/2 hr power outage 2 weeks ago. We have lamps we have purchased and lamps that were handed down to us. I keep several bottles of lamp oil and pkgs of wicks on hand. I think it’s time to stock up on even more do to the economy. I now understand why our grandparents “went to bed with the chickens”! I spent the evening knitting on my baby grandson’s blanket, finishing food for church picnic and taking my by oil lamp. It isn’t a good situation to live in the country in an all electric home. We can see that there are many ways we need to become better prepared.
Thankful for all your informative articles.
Judy · June 13, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Jackie, you can buy lamp wicking @ Amazon in a 6-ft roll (from Idaho Supply). I just added it to my “wish list!”
Judy · June 13, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Karen, just Google “mason jar oil lamp” and you can find lots of info. You can even purchase the wick/chimney holders for mason jars on Amazon.
LAURIE LONG · June 13, 2013 at 6:13 pm
OK, I’m confused…if you’re NOT using Kerosene or Ultra Pure, what ARE you using? I understand the rancid oil theory, and I’m sure we will all have some eventually, but what are you using otherwise? And to the person who said, once you use one kind of oil, you have to use the same all the time, I do not believe that is correct, you just can’t MIX different oils at the same time….you must completely empty, wash and dry before refilling with a different type of oil and a different wick?
Kellene Bishop · June 13, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Laurie, standard lamp oil isn’t pure kerosene, it’s a blend. And you can also save a little bit of money by not purchasing the “Ultra pure”.
LAURIE LONG · June 13, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Where do I get it? I only have Wal-Mart or a gas station available as far as I know….Forgot to tell you how much I appreciate all you do, I really enjoy and admire you!
Kellene Bishop · June 14, 2013 at 3:09 am
You shouldn’t have any problem finding lamps and lamp oil at Wal-mart. Also, I’m a Prime member of Amazon and buy stuff on there all the time because as a Prime member I get free shipping on most items and their pricing is almost always the best on the items I need/want. You shouldn’t have any problem finding what you want on Amazon if you can’t at Walmart. Lehmans.com is also an excellent site but you’ll want to wait for sales as their pricing can be pretty hefty sometimes.
Chauna C · June 13, 2013 at 7:45 pm
To help increase light output put the oil lamp in front of a mirror. You can use a frame stand with a mirror tile set in it to put behind the lamp on a table or counter top.
LAURIE LONG · June 14, 2013 at 4:19 pm
This works well with candles too!
Linda Moudry · June 13, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Kellene, I totally understand why you have your articles protected from being “robbed” by those who give you no credit for the content………HOWEVER, I for one have a “notebook” I started with articles such as your tips and tricks, and some other survival sites on such things as survival medicine, etc. etc that I have stored with my preparedness stuff. In the event wef lose all our power for the long term by the “bad guys” wiping our all our electronic systems, or any other type of disaster………..I sure can’t remember all this detailed stuff and won’t be able to access it on computer! Is there no way to copy or print articles for our own use? If no, I understand…..but I sure dread trying to re-type so much of this stuff, switching back to read a few sentences at a time on the web and then back to a Word document!!!
Dillon · April 14, 2014 at 4:39 am
I just double checked the
I just double checked the copyright and it stated approximately half way through “This content may be printed for personal use only.” So according to this you’re all good as long as you don’t distribute it.
Loretta Bloodworth · June 14, 2013 at 12:26 am
I have a question. I have been prepping ( buying Walmart type ) lamp oil since before Y2K. How long does it store and will mine be any good or should I throw it out and start all over?? It seems ok when I check on.it..it’s in the garage in a cool area.
Kellene Bishop · June 14, 2013 at 3:07 am
There’s no reason for you to throw it out considering that even ten year old alternative or cooking oils can be used successfully. If it were me I wouldn’t be throwing it out, but I would transfer the fuel into a more sturdy, perhaps metal, container.
Glenda · June 15, 2015 at 4:05 am
I have a question concerning
I have a question concerning storage of lamp oil. I have several gallon size glass wine bottles that I use for storing water in during the winter incase of our water freezing up. Can the oil lamp be stored in similar bottles as long as they are properly labeled? Is there a disadvantage of storing in glass instead of some type of metal other than breakage?
Preparedness Pro · June 15, 2015 at 6:58 pm
though it know it’s more
though it know it’s more likely to break, I actually prefer to store in glass and then just make sure I have the containers protected sufficiently.
Drunkard's Dream · October 15, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Yes, the oil is bad. Please
Yes, the oil is bad. Please dispose of it properly by sending it to me…;)
Cheryl O. · June 14, 2013 at 4:32 am
Loretta, I also have lamp oil stored since the late 1990’s. I use it and have had no problem with it. I live in northern Wisconsin so it’s a pretty cool climate. I keep my oil in the basement. I haven’t had any trouble yet, with the bottles getting brittle. If they did, I would be losing a lot of valuable oil. Like Kellene said, I think I’m going to get some metal fuel cans and transfer it to them. I’m going to be sure and clearly label them as well.
Dennis Garber · June 16, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Excellent source for lamps, parts, information, and other things non-electric is Lehman’s in Ohio. They have a good web site with a great deal of information on non-electric living, lamp parts, tricks and tips, oil, chimneys (they have hundreds of types) and Aladdin lamps and parts, and advice. The web site is lehmans.com. I live in Costa Rica and use them for all my lamp needs and parts, but we only burn kerosene-it is far cheaper, and we have good ventilation as we do not have glass windows, only screens.
Anita · June 21, 2013 at 11:45 pm
Your info on making your own wicks is great. But I don’t have a sewing machine. What I’ve been wondering about doing instead is using old blue jeans (cotton) – cut strips from them that are the correct width. Maybe hand sew two strips together to double the thickness? Have you tried blue jeans for wicks? It would be heavier than t-shirt material.
Kellene Bishop · June 22, 2013 at 3:41 am
I’d think that sewing them by hand is simple enough. As a non-sewer (at least for now), this is a simple enough task even for me as I did the first ones by hand easy-peezee.
Debi · January 13, 2015 at 5:42 pm
I am trying to use olive oil
I am trying to use olive oil in a hurricane lamp it has a 1/2″ wick, the wick will only burn for a short time before going out what am I doing wrong?
Preparedness Pro · January 13, 2015 at 7:20 pm
I’d make sure that you
I’d make sure that you saturate the wick first. It also could be the caliber of oil you’re using. So many companieas are putting water in with their oil now. Grrr, I know! Good luck!!
Jo Ann Frost · April 11, 2015 at 11:37 pm
I tired to burn olive oil. I
I tired to burn olive oil. I have used cotton wicks and fiberglass wicks but can not get them to burn more than a minute. I can feel the oil on the wicks but can not get a steady flame. What do I need to do?
Beth Swiney · June 25, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Hi I was wondering what kind of lamp oil you like to use ? also would you post any info on how to make the oil lamps with mason jars . thanks so much
Michelle L. · July 16, 2013 at 11:34 pm
I love the LED strand lighting. What type of attachment did you use at the end for the car adapter, or where did you purchase it? Thanks so much!
Peter Andersen · November 23, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Did I miss something in
Did I miss something in reading this article that talked about chimneys? As I was told that people often use the wrong chimney for their altitude, like the higher the altitude, the longer the chimney should be. Can anyone clarify this?
James Miller · December 11, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Excellent article, pictures
Excellent article, pictures would have been Excellent.
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http://hghprice.org
Valerie · December 12, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I’m new to the world of lamps
I’m new to the world of lamps and I need a bit of guidance. I recently bought a kit to make a wine bottle hurricane lamp. The wick is held in a ceramic cork and I have a small chimney for the flame. However, whenever I light the lamp, the wick burns down within minutes. I gave the wick a good 24 hours to soak up the lamp oil, but it still seems like only the wick is burning. What am I doing wrong?
Robert · December 13, 2013 at 9:01 am
I have an 1892 oil lamp with
I have an 1892 oil lamp with the original round wick and it still burns perfectly.
dale myers · December 23, 2013 at 2:43 pm
being a auto mechanic. i can
being a auto mechanic. i can help you with your knowledge about fuel consumption in cold weather. cold air is more dense. this means it has more oxygen in it. when you have more oxygen you must compensate with more fuel. if you watch any form of racing. they sometimes say cold weather makes more horse power. because the colder air having more oxygen in it. it can support the burning of more fuel. allowing the creation of more power. but an engine must maintain a proper fuel oxygen ratio. so the engine management teams calculate for that. they will jet or calculate a higher fuel rate from injectors. a burning wick will do just that all on it’s own. so having a higher abundance of oxygen says it will consume more oil in it’s burn. i hope this helps to explain why cold weather burns more oil.
mrs pine nut · December 28, 2013 at 3:02 pm
I found this article very
I found this article very informative. I have inherited a lamp from my sister who didn’t want it any more. I have been frustrated at it though because it puts out about as much light as a birthday candle in the next county. I’ll see if I can troubleshoot the cause now that I know a little more. I think there’s plenty of oil so maybe my wick is dried out.
Debbie · January 10, 2014 at 6:57 pm
Hi everyone…is it possible
Hi everyone…is it possible to burn a oil lamp without soot on your walls? I have a apt. with all white walls…have used candles in the past in an outage and notice soot on my walls. I have oil lamps and am very interested in using them if they won’t make a mess. 🙂
Thanks in advance,
Debbie
Preparedness Pro · February 14, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Debbie,
Debbie,
The soot problem is mostly controlled by the lenght of your wick. It is the same for candles also. The longer the wick the more smoke and soot you will get.
If you will re-read the “Trimming your Wick” section of the article it should help you out.
Caitlin · November 20, 2014 at 1:55 pm
If you do get a bit of soot
If you do get a bit of soot on your white walls, just get one of those Mr Clean Magic Erasers. I would be shocked if that didn’t clean it up easily…those things work like a dream.Though I can understand you probably don’t want black marks on your walls routinely anyway 🙂 Just saying incase you are worried about the actual clean up aspect.
Nancy · January 28, 2014 at 9:26 pm
I have learned a lot from
I have learned a lot from this article and all the replies. Like someone mentioned earlier, I would love to have a copy of this for reference. If you do not allow that, then would you consider an E-book on all your topics? Thank you
Preparedness Pro · January 29, 2014 at 8:40 pm
We’ve removed the copy and
We’ve removed the copy and paste restrictions from our site, Nancy.
Ana Thunder · February 10, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Thank you guys, I am older
Thank you guys, I am older and have the responsibility of informing inner city youth. I lived downtown for 25 years involved with a childrens ministry. When preparing I think of others and really appreciate the info. I am limited, yet some of the boys are showing interest in the herb medicine because on of their buddies was deathly ill and I gave him herbs that had took me 6 wks to prepare and he was well within an hour. He told his buddies, I ended up on your site because I collected 40 oil burning lamps over the years dating back to the 17 hundreds. I love the mason jar thing and plan to try and teach on this. Is it ok to show them your video and teach from your website. There is no money involved only love. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ana Thunder
Preparedness Pro · February 10, 2014 at 11:36 pm
You’re welcome to pull up our
You’re welcome to pull up our site and demonstrate from it. Of course.
Thanks for sharing your story with us! I love hearing this kind of thing from our readers. Welcome to the looney bin. *grin*
Ben Capella · June 30, 2014 at 8:47 pm
As a health nut and as a
As a health nut and as a science junky, I have to argue one thing – everything and anything that could be wrong with GMOs is literally incinerated if used as lamp oil, especially if only the wick is exposed to open air. The worst you’ll get are a few trace vapors from the process, which carries no solid strains of the genetic make-up of GMO’s altered DNA or complex altered proteins. Do I eat the stuff? Not when I can avoid it, but burning it should be just fine.
Steve · November 6, 2014 at 12:03 am
I have a Ripley wedding lamp.
I have a Ripley wedding lamp. The base is broken and I would like to remove it from the connector. The base is held to the connector by plaster of Paris I believe. How do I get the plaster of Paris softened up so I can remove it? Help!
Linda Osborne · November 7, 2014 at 10:19 pm
Hi, its the first time I have
Hi, its the first time I have been on this site and am finding it really helpful. I am interested in making my own oil lamp. A few people have mentioned about a video on how to make your own oil lamp using a mason jar, but unfortunately I don’t seem to be able to find it anywhere. could you please tell me where I can find this or repost the link/video.
Also could you use any type of jar as long as it is deep. (a few years ago I bought some oil with garlic and herbs in, its 4″H X 4″W X 1″D and a neck length of 1 1/1″ would I be able to use this or could it cause some sort of fire hazzard.
Many thanks
Linda
LEP · November 8, 2014 at 5:15 am
Should I be using parrafin
Should I be using parrafin based lamp oil for my mason jar lamps?
Using …The lamp oil from Walmart …flame is too high even though wick is trimmed all the way down..and I gey a lot of smoke…
LEP · November 8, 2014 at 5:16 am
Get a lot of smoke…
Get a lot of smoke…
Laura · December 8, 2014 at 3:13 pm
I just made my first mason
I just made my first mason jar candles yesterday, the ones that have been making the rounds on social media with pinecones, holly, and greenery. They are lovely. BUT the flame is about 5-6″ high and it smokes, thus making it dangerous to use. I’m using clear lamp oil. The wick is barely poking above the hole. Any suggestions? If I let it burn awhile, will it burn down?
Preparedness Pro · January 21, 2015 at 7:14 am
Cut the wick down. When it’s
Cut the wick down. When it’s too long it smokes.
Nick · January 20, 2015 at 5:20 am
Have used my oil lamp many
Have used my oil lamp many times, but this last time I tried to use it, the wick would go out every time I put the chimney on. Anyone have any idea why this would happen?
Preparedness Pro · January 21, 2015 at 7:14 am
It’s simply not getting
It’s simply not getting enough oxygen. Try making the wick a little longer before putting the chimney on.
Yard Sale Czarina · April 9, 2015 at 2:11 pm
I’m wondering if I can use
I’m wondering if I can use oil based fragrances in use my antique oil lamps and turn them into air fresheners when not using them for lighting purposes. I don’t know how effectively the wick and chimney would disperse the frangrance. Any suggestions???
Oinc · July 18, 2015 at 11:39 pm
Trimming to a point is the
Trimming to a point is the worst in terms of light output. Str8 across is best, maybe a very, very barely noticed trim on the corners, 1mm. It depends on the lamp. A taller globe will alway produce a bright light, more strongly draft, more room for flame. A wider wick will produce more light.
10 minute warm up causes the lamp to be more efficient. Mainly because burner heats up, the oil in the font warms up, allowing the oil to flow more freely thru the wick.
You will soot a globe if you adjust to max bightness at startup. I can see my Kirkman lantern step pulse up brighter over a ten minutes warm up, usually in the last 2/3 of that time.
Cara · August 22, 2015 at 4:01 am
You think that being NEAR
You think that being NEAR hydrogenated oils is bad for your heart? You do know it has to actually enter your body to clog your blood stream, right?
Preparedness Pro · August 22, 2015 at 12:34 pm
I think you’ve misunderstood
I think you’ve misunderstood something. Using such oils for lamps is the only use I have for such products that I find myself stuck with after learning a bit more about their impact on my body.
Marty · September 13, 2015 at 3:35 am
Kellene, could you post a
Kellene, could you post a picture of your wick in your oil lamp to show how it should look after it is trimmed?
Preparedness Pro · September 13, 2015 at 3:54 am
When I find them amongs these
When I find them amongs these 300 moving boxes I can! 🙂 Sorry. I dont’ like it any more than you do!
Lynda Meyers · October 15, 2015 at 2:54 pm
I bought an oil lamp at a
I bought an oil lamp at a yard sale then noticed a hole in the glass at the bottom of the handle. It goes all the way through. Can it still be used? Thanks.
Preparedness Pro · October 15, 2015 at 3:37 pm
I’m having a hard time
I’m having a hard time picturing where the hole is that you’re describing. So I don’t know at this point.
Luis · October 31, 2015 at 12:17 am
Thanks so very very much for
Thanks so very very much for the info. I bought two beautiful railroad wall lamps and I was having issues burning the wicks by the second. Got the tips, thanks again. Super happy face here!!!!
Alice · December 26, 2015 at 9:24 pm
Thank you for your article.
Thank you for your article. I was always fascinated with oil lamps as a kid but we’re not allowed to use those because our parents were always paranoid about getting the house burned down. LOL
The same fascination returned last year and I decided to buy two old oil lamps from a garage sale, one big & one small. I couldn’t find any flat wick locally (I am in western Canada) so I ordered some from eBay for the big lamp. For the small lamp I bought the round cord wick from Canadian Tire. I also purchased some paraffin lamp oil for indoor use.
We had our Christmas dinner last night and I decided to try out my two oil lamps. The small lamp that used a round cord wick burned beautifully and I really loved it.
The big one with a flat wick on the other hand was just terrible. I had rounded off the corners of the wick and let it soak for 1/2 hour before lighting it. But the flame was uneven and it burned either too low or too high. The wick seemed to be burning too fast and I could see the burned wick forming something like a tiny pillar of ash! If I turned the wick down the chimney tended to snuff out the flame but if I allowed the wick to come up it gave off and uneven flame and a lot of soot inside the chimney. I kept going back and forth over dinner, turning a little bit at a time but found no happy medium.
What do you think my problem was? The two lamps used different wicks but the same oil. Since you mentioned making your own wick using just cotton, I have a feeling that the wick may not be the culprit. The only possible cause is the amount of oil I put into the large lamp base. I filled the small lamp about 1/2 full but the big one I filled it close to the top. I’ve read somewhere on the Internet that I was not supposed to fill the oil near the top but there was never an explanation. Do you understand the wisdom behind the 1/2 filled oil lamp theory?
I will clean the chimney today and will take out some oil from the large lamp to see if it will make any difference. I’d really love to be able to get that big lamp going. Not only I like to have something for emergency but I also love to use it as a focal point for my meditation.
Thank you very much.
Alice
Larry V. · January 8, 2016 at 8:27 am
Friend—I had quite a time
Friend—I had quite a time trying to not have the soot—-I have learned that if I trim the wick rather pointed and set the wick approx 5?8″ below the top of the dome to the burner that I can preheat the lamp for the 10 minutes you suggested and then install the chimney and fine tune that burner anyway I want the flame to be without any soot—-thanks for your wonderful site—I must explore the rest of it—convinced it will have a wealth of information—-Thanks Again….Larry
Mary · March 11, 2016 at 6:54 pm
thank you so much for these
thank you so much for these useful information.
i have a question about a stone oil lamp that i have recently bought. it is a flat pieces of stone that has a hole in the middle of it and a glass bole glued to the stone under the hole that you will fill with oil.
i have filled it with the same oil as i use for other oil lamps (i have a lot of them) and the same wicks but when i turn it on, it burns for a minute until the part of the wick that is out is burnt and then the light goes off. i have tried thinner or thicker wicks, but no result.
do you have any idea how to fix this?
thanks.
Preparedness Pro · March 11, 2016 at 8:34 pm
Wow. I’ve never seen anything
Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that, I’m afraid. If it were be, I’d be contacting the manufacturer with that question. Sorry I’m not much help here.
Deb D. · July 3, 2016 at 1:15 am
I have several oil lamps in
I have several oil lamps in which I cannot turn the handle to make the wicks move up or down. Any suggestions on how I may be able the loosen the tightness of these wicks? In the past, they have burned and were fine.
Preparedness Pro · July 3, 2016 at 2:31 am
If it were me, I’d start
If it were me, I’d start taking everything apart and make sure nothing’s gummed up or is oiled sufficiently.
Sugar · November 28, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Please tell me what brand of
Please tell me what brand of oil is best ! Also thanks for this valuable information
Preparedness Pro · November 30, 2016 at 5:00 am
Be Young Total Health is the
Be Young Total Health is the brand I trust after evaluating more than 2 dozen brands.
Lee · September 6, 2017 at 10:49 am
I have a question: If you buy
I have a question: If you buy a whole roll of wick, like what’s pictured above, is there any reason not to stick the entire thing in the bottom of the lamp, figuring you might never have to get another wick in your lifetime?! Or must you cut them to some reasonable length, and if so, what’s the longest you can put in there, so you really don’t have to change it out often?
Preparedness Pro · September 6, 2017 at 5:41 pm
It’s best to just use a
It’s best to just use a strand at a time. If you were to put all of that in there, it would absorb all of your oil and expand. Yes, the wick has to have oil on it, but it also need to pull from a puddle, so to speak.
Megan · September 12, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Hi! I have a question! I just
Hi! I have a question! I just bought an oil lamp from walmart, and bought the oil lamp from the same manufacturer, I followed directions and let the wick soak for 15 minutes (that’s what the box said to do) before lighting it, but the flame was HUGE and smoked like crazy. I didn’t trust it so I just blew it out… I’ve never had an oil lamp before, and just wanted something for light if we lose power during the winter, so I’m completely inexperienced with this.. Did I do something wrong? I made sure to keep the wick short, any shorter and it would have been down in the brass part if the lamp. Any advice?
Preparedness Pro · September 12, 2017 at 4:42 pm
The first time you light a
The first time you light a wick, it can be pretty smoky indeed. I keep lowering the wick until a get the size of flame I want. Different lamps perform differently. I can think of two of my lamps in which the wick is low, inside the brass casing.
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