Which lamp oil

[tree beard]

I've just found this old lamp in my parents attic and would love to use it at home but SWMBO is worried it will smell the house out, could anyone advise me if there is a lamp oil that won't get me and the lamp thrown out?

Cheers.

 

[woodstock]

Kerosene is what we use in ours, it has a smell but its quite pleasant, I must say its a lovely lamp.

 

[Mesquite]

That's a great looking lamp and as mick said it'll run on kerosene or paraffin

 

[sausage100uk]

Look for "indoor lamp oil" in the garden centre or diy shop. I use my two feurhand lamps all the time and it has very little smell.

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

 

[British Red]

Get a pure paraffin and add a few drops of essential oil to it - lavender is nice - smells great!

 

[Goatboy]

Most of the good modern lamp oils shouldn't stink out the house, and as others have said you can get scented oils or scent it yourself. One thing I would say, especially after watching "period" programs is to keep your wicks short and trimmed. In too many programs/films you see the thing smoking away like a steel factory chimney. Lamps shouldn't reek like that, it'll smell and blacken your walls.

Good luck and have fun,
GB.

 

[ateallthepies]

I use Barratine or Bartoline whatever it's called indoor lamp oil which is refined Paraffin. I use this as a nearby shop still sells it for £3 a litre which is a good price for lamp oil. You still get a hint of Paraffin smell which is reduced by keeping the wick trimmed and a lower flame size.
I am also doing trials on testing the Co levels various lamps produce as I bought a alarm that shows the PPM of Co on a screen. I will report my findings back when done.

 

[rik_uk3]

Just use paraffin and keep your wick trimmed and don't turn it up too much, this is when you get sooting and strong smell. Kerosene was a registered trade mark, but its still paraffin.

 

[tree beard]

Thank you all for the replies, certainly got me pointing in the right direction.

But what is meant by "keeping the wick trimmed"? Is it trimming it in an arch to follow the shape of the wick shroud?

 

[ateallthepies]

I have always trimmed it flat after asking the same question here a couple of years ago.

 

[rik_uk3]

Pies is right, keep it flat and level on a standard wick such as typical in a hurricane lamp. You should get very little smell off a paraffin lantern so long as you don't turn the wick up too much, keep to a 'white' flame and you'll be fine.

Word of warning regarding 'lamp oil'. Its fine in wick lanterns but may well clog up pressure lanterns like Tilley or Vapalux/Bialaddin as happened to me.