Mirelle
N/A
Serious question; serious answer
I have used paraffin lamps on boats for 35 years now. There are some "simple rules and few" which, back in the days when your Grandmother had a paraffin heater in the hall, everyone thought they knew, for ordinary wick lamps.
1. Don't over-fill the reservoir - leave a bit of an air gap to allow for expansion. Clean the lamp, after filling. Use a funnel, and fill the lamps over the sink.
2. Turn the wick down, light it, put the glass on, allow a minute or so for the glass to warm up, then adjust it, but err on the side of too low, not too high. Too high and you will get smoke which dirties the glass. Give it a little longer to be sure you've got it right. be cautious about washing lamp glasses - it is better just to wipe them with kitchen paper - they tend to shatter in use if washed.
3. Try not to carry a lighted lamp; in the case of hurricane lights, riding lights, etc. this is unavoidable and you must carry them, but do so carefully and close the lamp before you move it.
4. Don't forget to blow it out in the morning! But in the case of a cabin light, the traditional wisdom is that you don't blow it out when you turn in at night; you turn it down to the merest glimmer. Then, if you need a light, and cannot find matches or torch. you need only turn it up.
Lamps will often go out if knocked; indeed this is the recognised way of putting an oil sidelight out in the morning - unscrew it from the light board and tap it gently on the deck.
!!!!By far the biggest danger arises from mixing petrol cans and paraffin cans!!!!
<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?
I have used paraffin lamps on boats for 35 years now. There are some "simple rules and few" which, back in the days when your Grandmother had a paraffin heater in the hall, everyone thought they knew, for ordinary wick lamps.
1. Don't over-fill the reservoir - leave a bit of an air gap to allow for expansion. Clean the lamp, after filling. Use a funnel, and fill the lamps over the sink.
2. Turn the wick down, light it, put the glass on, allow a minute or so for the glass to warm up, then adjust it, but err on the side of too low, not too high. Too high and you will get smoke which dirties the glass. Give it a little longer to be sure you've got it right. be cautious about washing lamp glasses - it is better just to wipe them with kitchen paper - they tend to shatter in use if washed.
3. Try not to carry a lighted lamp; in the case of hurricane lights, riding lights, etc. this is unavoidable and you must carry them, but do so carefully and close the lamp before you move it.
4. Don't forget to blow it out in the morning! But in the case of a cabin light, the traditional wisdom is that you don't blow it out when you turn in at night; you turn it down to the merest glimmer. Then, if you need a light, and cannot find matches or torch. you need only turn it up.
Lamps will often go out if knocked; indeed this is the recognised way of putting an oil sidelight out in the morning - unscrew it from the light board and tap it gently on the deck.
!!!!By far the biggest danger arises from mixing petrol cans and paraffin cans!!!!
<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?
