Evening all, A quick question for you all after coming back from my local hardware store after being told that they are no longer selling paraffin from a tank and will not even be selling it in smaller quantities in cans due to (in their words) nobody uses it anymore. I have always used paraffin but reading other forums I noticed that some people are using other fuels ie domestic heating oils and brake cleaning solutions etc. Can you give me your opinion of these if you're using them ,are there any negatives or any positives?? Thanks in anticipation
I don't often light any of my "petrol" lamps/lanterns because of running costs. Here in the U.K. Coleman fuel is ridiculously expensive and I refuse to buy any. I've used Aspen 4 which although cheaper than Coleman fuel is still expensive, I think the last lot I got was £24 for a 5Ltr. container. Having an open fireplace, my house is sufficiently ventilated and if money didn't matter I'd happily use Coleman fuel or Aspen in the home. Other alternatives include panel wipe but not all brands are the same and whilst most (if not all) will burn cleanly in a lamp / lantern or stove, to avoid asphyxiating yourself make sure you use a brand that is naphtha based. Holts Brake Cleaner is naphtha based and burns cleanly with very little or no odour. I've used this in the home with no ill effect. I've been using 28 second heating oil in my kero lamps for years now with no noticeable ill effects on the lamps or me. Being slightly heavier than "Premium paraffin" it's probable that carbon builds up more readily but I simply clean the vapourisers if necessary. I suppose the two items which get used the most are a Tilley TL10 and an R1 heater which are lit regularly in the home throughout the winter months and the respective vapourisers are both well on their way to 800 burning hours. Many users find that heating oil is too smelly for use in lamps in the home but it doesn't bother me or my partner.
@Keith Warby .. if you did find it slightly ‘fumey’, then you could always try an Amish mix variety? Just a thought Regards
Pump petrol additives in lamp or stove? Not good for personal (or vapouriser) health. I think the original Amish mixture of kerosene and gasoline arose in an era where there weren’t additives in gasoline.
Thanks, but i meant use a panel wipe/naphtha type mix ? I’m only suggesting as I don’t have any heating oil to mix with the panel wipe.. it may not help with smells at all.. ‘twas only a thought
I still manage to pick up ebay offers on paraffin. Normally about £30 for 4 x 4 Liters, delivered. Cheaper than the hardware store. A little pricey compared to pump price (where available) but I only use it "recreationally"
@Fireexit1 That's not a bad price, I'll have to check it out, just telephoned another hardware store and they quoted me £5.99 per litre from a pump (which is currently why I'm sitting down).
I have used domestic heating oil which is 28 second kerosene. If you want to know what 28sec is all about, a quick Google search will give you the answer. As of the last two years, domestic heating kerosene uses a new formulation and is less stinky than it used to be and has fewer impurities... well, that's the sales pitch anyway, but in any case, it works perfectly in all my paraffin devices. I did experiment with using calcium carbonate to de-smell regular smelly kero with variable results. The first time it worked brilliantly - no smell at all - but I never got it to work again. As for naptha based brake cleaner, that's only a substitute for petrol/gasoline/Coleman Fuel. If you use that in a paraffin lamp and anything goes wrong you'll have a fireball to contend with and if you lit it indoors.... we'll, good luck, 'cos you'll need it. Amish mix can be useful in certain circumstances but as someone else mentioned, regular unleaded petrol/gasoline should not be the 10% - 25% fuel used or you'll gum up your jets and fuel lines. If you locate your closest heating oil (kerosene) supplier they will normally sell you a 20L container for emergency use but it won't be as good value as it would be out of the tanker in bulk IE, my central heating tank takes 1800L!!! Cost per litre is currently around 60p - 65p per litre.
In my area, the closest alternative for kerosene(paraffin in the UK) is mineral spirits(sometimes called mineral turpentine or just 'turpentine' here). They are not real turpentine which, is actually plant-derived and non-petroleum based. Real turpentine isn't suitable for use in these lamps. Mineral spirits are reasonably priced and available from just about any hardware store around here. They are mainly used as non-volatile thinners for alkyd oil-based gloss paints and brush cleaners. They smell exactly like kerosene.
@Keith Warby check out "Heating oil suppliers near Holbeach" and see if any have a pump from which you can fill your own container(s). The last time I filled my jerrycans at my nearest supplier (Tate Fuel Oils, Otley) on the 11th November, heating oil was 0.699p / litre. Well worth the 29 mile round trip.
I ran a paraffin stove on white spirit and it worked perfectly, same thing with a lantern as well. I'm not sure about the chemical make-up, maybe @David Shouksmith can shed light on this?
A note of caution here. in the UK “white spirit” is used for synthetic turpentine, but in some other countries it (or similar terms) is used to refer to naphtha (white gas). Always check the MSDS of the any fuel you’re not sure of. Here’s a handy link to International Fuel Names: International Fuel Names Tony
@Henry Plews local garage has it on for. 69p per litre so I'm off to fill a can. I'm quite happy to give it a go now but having never tried it I wanted to get some input before doing so in case things went terribly wrong. Thanks for everyone's positive input
White spirit is basically mineral spirits or mineral/synthetic turpentine. Its almost kero-like in composition, just slightly less percentages on the heavier petroleum distillates. Its totally different from white gas. White gas is light naphtha or more similar to Coleman fuel and early gasolines. White gas should not be used for kerosene lanterns and stoves.
Hi ... Just a quickie here ... from 1st April 2022 new regs coming in ... sale of fuel oils . see Gas Oil Duty Changes Find Out If You're Effected - NWF Fuels new regs concern supply of red diesel mainly and to whom etc !!! as for me check at the oil depot Aztec... kero and Paraffin will only be sold in 20 litre drums. Alb
