THE SAFE OPERATION OF KEROSENE LAMPSThis information is intended only as general advice for the safe operation ofKerosene/Paraffin Oil (UK) fuelled Lamps, Lanterns and Heaters (the appliances)which are not pressurised but use the principle of burning kerosene vapour
evaporating from a cotton wick (I.E. the most common design of these appliances).
It is not intended as an operating guide for any particular appliance because someof them require quite specific fittings and operating procedures and it does not
replace the responsibility of any person buying or using any appliances to ensure
those fittings are in place and to understand the correct operating procedures. Nordoes it void an operator only's personal responsibility to check and use the correct
fuel, burners, wicks and chimneys for those appliances.
HISTORY:- Kerosene lighting and heating was in common use by many of ourelderly parents and grandparents and it had that important role in mostWesternised countries for around 100 years. The larger and more expensive Lamps
were of sophisticated design, had good light output, burned very cleanly and wereoften very decorative.
Today they are often collected for historical or sentimental reasons and some arestill used for back-up/emergency lighting. Others are collected simply because they
are beautiful and decorative.
Chimneyless burners were often fitted to various Lanterns designed for use outsideof the home, but the most common type of kerosene lamp had a glass chimney andits individual components such as the burner, the wick (and with centre draft lamps,
a flame spreader) all needed to be of the correct design in order for the lamp tofunction properly and safely.
THEIR SAFETY RECORD:- I once viewed a 50 year collection of local area
Police/Coroners records beginning in the late 1800's with a particular interest in
accidents from Oil and Kerosene appliances. The records showed that of the total
incidents, those appliances had one of the lowest cause rates.
The following risks were listed as the main cause of building fires and serious burns
from Kerosene/Oil Lamps and in descending order of frequency: - Drunks overfillingor dropping the lamp, Using an unsuitable/unprotected house lamp rather than alantern for work in the dairy or barn, Animals (dogs, cows, horses) knocking over alamp, Children over balancing or dropping a lamp, Sudden strong winds coming
through open windows causing a lamp flare which then set fire to nearby curtains or
bedding, Hot fuelling (refilling while lamp is still alight and then overfilling or having
the vapours catch fire) Having incorrect fittings (Wicks and incorrect fuel).
These same records showed that fires caused by simple open flame candles or fromwood/charcoal open fireplaces had caused many more serious fires than Kerosene
Lamps.
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SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:Whether using candles, vegetable oil lamps or kerosene appliances; always
have a working ABE Dry Powder type fire extinguisher readily available.

Do not place lit lamps near open windows, Curtains or in drafts, or on unevenor easily moved surfaces.

Only small 'Finger Lamps' and various Lanterns are designed to be carried(some of those have in-built baffles to further reduce risk of fuel 'surge')
whereas any large lamp should not be moved while alight because surgingfuel in the tank/font may be forced up into the wick guides, which can cause
an uncontrollable flare.

***Unless it has a self contained oxygen supply, the flame from any device
requires some oxygen in order to burn, as you do to live, therefore never use
them in a completely closed and unvented room. Always ensure there is somein-flow of outside air available, either via vents that allow fresh air into theroom, or by opening a window or two by at least 15 to 20 mm.

It is not wise to leave a lighted appliance alone with children, pets or any
adult that is irresponsible or ignorant of safe kerosene appliance operations.
Nor should the lighted appliance be left unattended for any length of time.

Always ensure your appliance does not have any fuel leaks before lighting it
and that its burner is complete and in good working condition with thecorrect chimney properly fitted into the fingers/crown.

***Always ensure that it has a correctly fitting wick, which after it has fully
soaked up kerosene, always fills the wick guides but without being at all tightto wind. Unless it is a large and thick wick; typically when dry and first
installed, it should not have more than one millimetre of space between
either of its sides and the inside of the wick guides

N.B. 1- Any such space on either side of the wick, after it has soaked up
kerosene and the lamp is in operation, will present an ignition path for hotvapours and that is a very high risk scenario for a dangerous "flash over"occurring into the fuel tank, should you choose to blow out your lamp. BEAWARE, that in the past, this situation has caused very serious burns andproperty damage.

FUEL:-any use of alternative fuels in these appliances introduces greater risk
and requires expert knowledge to do safely. Unless you have that knowledge,ONLY USE GOOD QUALITY HOUSEHOLD KEROSENE and ensure that, if it islabelled as Lamp Oil, then its container also carries a UN Number of 1223.
Fuel that has any other UN number may have a much lower flash point which
can make it quite dangerous to use, or even a higher flash point, which
generally means it will just not burn well and may be odorous and smoke.

N.B. 2 - Citronella oil for repelling insects should not be used in a goodquality/valuable lamp because over time it will cause a gum build up in thewick guides and the wick itself and that may cause a jam or breakage.

WHEN FILLING THE APPLIANCE:- ALWAYS leave approximately 15 mm ofclearance from the fuel level to the base of the filler hole in the tank/font.
That space is important to allow for safe expansion of the fuel as the burnerheats up during normal operation.

If the font/fuel tank is overfilled, the expansion from normal heating canforce fuel up into the burner and that quickly becomes a high risk forgenerating an uncontrollable flare or possibly an explosion. With brass or
ceramic fonts/tanks, it is best to use a simple dipstick to regularly check thelevel of the kerosene within the tank during refilling.

Always ensure that there is at least 800 mm of space between the chimney
top when lit and anything remotely flammable above it. Avoid placing anoperating lamp close alongside of any flammable material.

LIGHTING THE LAMP:- Always light your lamp with a low flame and then turn it up
slowly over a period of about 5 to 8 minutes until you have about 25 to 30 mm offlame above the wick (s). This reduces the risk of heat stress cracking to thechimney.
If red streaks appear from the flame, then the wick should be turned back. If theflame top is uneven or has narrow peaks, then you need to re-trim the wick until it
is clean and level.
Note:- For good wick life and continued low odour operation, you should not use
more than half of the fuel level in the tank/font. If you let the lamp burn the tankdry, it will smell badly, soot your ceiling and can waste up to 10 mm of the wickbecause it chars badly as it slowly burns out.
EXTINGUISHING THE LAMP:-If your lamp has an inbuilt extinguisher lever, thenturn its flame down to about 10 mm (or less) and use that as your first choice.
Placing your hand above and to the side of the chimney top (and out of the hot gaspath) then blowing sharply into it, is a long practiced and common method of"blowing out" a Lamp, but if you choose to do this, the lamp should first be turned
down to about 10 mm of flame (or less) before you blow.
My own preferred method on any large lamp that does not have an extinguisher
lever, is to turn it well down and in stages to allow the chimney to cool without
stress and to then carefully place a slim cork or hardwood block over the chimney
until the flame is out (do not use other materials for this).

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CAUTION:- Both "blowing out" and "choking" a lamp with a block, needs to be donewith a good deal of care because unless the chimney is properly seated and is alightly firm fit within the finger grips, it is (A) very easily dislodged and a flaring
flame may then occur (B) It is very hot to any accidental touch (C)The exhaust gas
path from the chimney is often hot enough burn flesh.
After extinguishing, it is good practice to turn the top of the wick to about 5 mm
lower than the top of the wick guides because if left stored during warm weather,
this avoids the kerosene slowly evaporating and leaving a sticky residue in the topof the wick and the guides.
WHEN OPERATING THE APPLIANCE: Have a full understanding of how to safely set up and operate it.
 Ensure all of the correct fittings are properly in place.
 Have a small funnel which properly fits the filler without risk of falling out.
 Have a dipstick to check fuel levels in brass or ceramic tanks/fonts (a thin
wooden rod is OK but a thin non chromed Phillips head screwdriver ispreferable).
 Obtain a set of medium and small, sharp and pointed hair trimming scissors
for wick trimming (never use blunt paper scissors.
 Always take good care during filling and when operating the appliance.
TRIMMING & FITTING WICKS:- "Trimming" is the process of obtaining a goodburning surface on the wick top after it has initially been levelled. Then it only needs
regular removal of the small layer of char or occasional loose bits from the wick top
after each second or third burn.
This is best done by carefully wiping/brushing the char from the top edge of thewick with a small square of coarse lint free cloth (Linen or coarse cotton from oldjeans/jackets is ideal). It is best to wipe the wicks from each end towards thecentre otherwise you may spread the ends of the wick.
It is only the easily loosened and dark bits of char that need to be removed and theremaining dark brown line will help to protect the wick material from unnecessary
singeing. To obtain an odour free burn, the top of each wick needs to be level after
each trimming. Cutting wicks with scissors is normally only required when you first
install new wick(s) into the burner.
OTHER:- Do not force tight wick winders because you may damage either themechanism or the wick. A tight winder indicates that something has jammed and it
usually requires removal and examination of the wicks for gum or binding threads.
When unscrewing a burner, do not lever against the wick winder which may bend or
break. Instead grip it tightly around the very base of the burner neck, just above thefont/tank and then undo it.

When lifting an unlit lamp around, it is best to always remove and store the glassshade which typically sits loose in a recess on the shade carrier/gallery and don't lift
a lamp from directly under the font/tank if it has a base, or by its burner if it is adrop in font.

I wish you the best in enjoying the safe use of your Lamp/lantern/heater.
robgregor2015@gmail.com

I wish to acknowledge and thank the following people:My late father, who taught me basic lamp, candle and fire safety.
Miles Stair, (USA) owner of the World's most comprehensive Wick Shop andone of life's true gentlemen.
Alex Marrack, (UK) Historic lighting research and recreation.
All others who have contributed towards Rob and Ruth's collection ofrestored and working Kerosene, Colza and Candle appliances.

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