Hi guys can anyone recommend a good mantle for a petromax 829 as the ones I'm using look the size of a ping pong ball and don't do the lamp justice.
Picture? To be honest the mantles should be round to stay original. So I wonder how yours look. What brand/model did you use?
Hi again thanks for your patience I think I've got the hang of this site in a fashion. I have been using anchor mantles and petromax originals but to be honest the lamp is very temperamental and I've got through loads . A slight turn of the control wheel and its OK I guess but anymore and I get a total flameout. I've adjusted the mixer tube height and the mixture screw several times but alas it makes no difference well none that I can see anyway.
Well looks working good. As always you should know how and why your lantern is working or not is working. Like why is the outer hood not on, how do you pre heat ? etc.
Sounds like it's a air/fuel mixture problem rather than the mantle. Try increasing the mixture tube hight more. If that doesn't help the jet might be worn and needs a new one.
It could be that your rod running down the the foot valve is set a little too short, or the seal on this is not quite right
Sorry guys just one more question if you can help am I right in thinking that with no pressure in the tank there should be no fuel in the vapouriser only when I preheated x2 using the spirit cup then pumped the tank a few times and turned the control wheel slightly I was getting jets of neat fuel out of the jet . Shouldn't this be a mist or vape ? And as the flames were licking the roof of my greenhouse I thought somethings not quite right here.
Read the manual. Try to understand why and were, there are seals and how they are operated. Both is possible but that is not related (directly) to yes /no pressure in the tank. More how did you extinguish the lamp. I think you may have a cleaning needle issue too. Is the needle up/down, sticking out in rest/pre heat/full blast?
Thanks again guys for your hints and tips but I think I'm on the wrong website here. I am not a lamp guy it was just a lamp recovered from my neighbours skip I thought I'd have a tinkle with it . The fire went out courtesy of our fire extinguisher and is now in bits in a box . I was hoping it was an easy fix hence the questions but it either works or it doesn't no sleep lost either way . Once again thanks for your suggestions.
Seems a shame when all it probably needs is a new jet tip? Quite often lamps can be temperamental but it sounds like you have ruled out most of the other variables?
It's probably not the end I've just had enough of it for a few days and when I've tripped over the box a few times I'll drag its carcass onto the bench again especially with the dark nights approaching. Thanks
@Peter Perry Have a look at here for how to strip-down and reassemble your lantern, how to service it and make the necessary adjustments. Don't bother clicking on the highlighted sections in the first post, just keep scrolling down. a technical description on how to perform a complete cleaning and restoration of a PETROMAX 829 500 - Pelam.de Forum
Moin, For my own lamps I use "Geniol" mantles from old stock. Soaked in alcohol beforehand and burned off cleanly, they are somewhat elongated and create an excellent light.
@Dieselross wow that's one beautiful lamp you have and thanks for the tip however mine was brighter than yours yesterday the flames were at least four feet high
@Peter Perry , if you have masive flames , I told my children to let the air off, with the little screw on the pressure gauge. I still don't read what you are doing to light the lantern. Now since the lantern comes from your neighbour maybe he/she can tell you what to do. The lantern is not the problem.
@John sorry John I failed to answer yes it was a 500cp anchor mantle I was using but I think the problems run much deeper than first thought.
@WimVe I have taken your advice and asked my neighbour. When he got off the floor laughing he said why do you think it was in the skip in the first place . You know what I've had a fab idea what about converting it to electric
@Peter Perry Four foot high flames sounds like an incomplete preheat problem. Always run the lamp with the outer hood installed; these lamps depend on heat to vaporize the paraffin/kerosene. If it isn’t hot enough you get a warm liquid that burns with black soot and big flames. The outer hood keeps the entire air system and inner hood at temperature where it works as a heat sink to keep the Preston loop generator heated to vaporize the fuel. Even if you get it lit without the outer hood you risk the cooling off of the whole assembly. If you’ve removed the brass burner from the tank you will need a suitable lead seal to replace the one that came out, these can sometimes be reused but it’s a integral part of the setup and requires a complete breakdown if it leaks. These lamps can be finicky to get setup to burn correctly; but once set they generally outshine anything else in the area. Electrification??? Not even the Chinese clones deserve that.
@John Thanks John I think your onto something there if I remember correctly before I melted my eyebrows I used the spirit cup twice before I began to pump the tank and I wondered why the flames were going vertical and heating the nozzle rather than the vapouriser and of course when I turned the control wheel slightly a jet of neat paraffin shot out and you know the rest . Of course the rapid pre heater doesn't work suprise but no biggie job . I'm getting in touch with a place called base camp next week for lead washers and so forth I've been told there very good . Thanks for your input John still think going leccy is the easiest solution
Base camp will sell you a service kit. All seals and a pump leather as well as needle and jet. Happy times!