Quick question, I'm using my oil lamps more, and buying the premium stuff at over six quid a litre is getting a bit to costly. I don't have my own transport, so would have to continue relying on eBay to buy it from. Can anyone recommend a brand of fuel that I can use in them.? Thanks, Sammi Jane xXx
Tricky one. Although the major paraffin bands in the UK all say "premium" and "clean burning" they all smell a bit more than the nice lamp oil. I have observed that some people can't detect or are not bothered by a slight paraffin smell. I guess also the condition of the wick and how high it is turned up may change things. I reckon the Bartoline paraffin is is less smelly than Barretine. Others have reccomended this for heaters and wick lanterns: Paraffin Extra This also look promising : Odourless Kerosene/Paraffin Premium Grade Winter Fuel 20 Litre 20L | eBay
@Fireexit1 , thanks for the reply, I'll go with the Bartoline just now, storage space is at a premium here, and I don't want to be stuck with a fuel I can't use. Thanks Sammijane xXx
Hi @Sammi Jane Recently I have been using 28sec heating oil which we have on tap for our hot water/heating system. Perhaps a little more odour than standard paraffin in the liquid form but not particularly noticeable when being burned providing the wick is trimmed and maintained. In a pressure lamp I have noticed no difference at all. Good luck sourcing a reasonably priced suitable fuel. Regards, Jeremy
I think i am going to give the heating oil a go in my little Aladdin heater then if any comes up cheap locally, i use Paraffin Extra for everything but its getting quite expensive now.
For ideal results on indoor, wick-type lamps, it is better to stick to paraffins(kerosene) having the lowest aromatic hydrocarbon and sulphur contents that yòu can find. The presence of aromatic hydrocarbons in the fuel would tend to make any fuel burn with a sooty flame, especially on a wick. It won't be apparent on pressure lamps though. Those with higher sulphur contents would tend to have stronger odours. If you don't mind the odour, the cheapest kerosene would just be fine. Usually, odourless kerosene would fit the purpose perfectly for indoor lamps. Even odourless mineral spirits can be a good substitute since they are highly purified and almost entirely paraffinic(check the msds first). You don't want to be getting gum turpentine instead. Odourless mineral spirits would have slightly lower boiling and flash points than regular paraffins/kero but that won't make it a lot more flammable than regular kerosene. Therefore, it is still safe to be used in a wick lamp if premium kerosene proves too costly. 6 quid per litre is pretty expensive if you are using the lamps very frequently. Having said that, odourless fuels are generally, more expensive than the regular ones.
