Good morning everyone, I’m a new (and young) enthusiast of pressure lamps, and I’ve just bought my very first lantern. I’m really excited to get it going, but I’d like to ask for some advice from those more experienced. What should I check or do before lighting it for the first time? Are there any specific parts I should clean or inspect? I want to make sure I use it correctly and safely, and avoid any beginner mistakes. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help! Best regards to all!
Hi mate, and welcome Have you read this? The safety lecture for beginners I would start there first. Other members will have more advice on your particular lamp, good luck and enjoy.
Hi, That should help: Every lamp is a different adventure Your lamp seems to be in excellent visual condition and does not require external cleaning. Air tightness check up and seals replacement is recommended. all the best, Piotrek
Thanks, everyone!! I’ve tried to repair it and give it a test run. The lantern is a Petroflam (Italy) 200 hk. There are probably still a few things to sort out, such as getting a suitable glass globe. The combustion is a bit odd: the mantle doesn’t glow properly, the flame is yellowish and escapes from the mantle; at the top of the chimney, the flame even turns almost green. I also tried using it outside on the terrace, and thanks to the wind the mantle glowed more and the combustion seemed better… why would that happen? I also think there’s an issue with the needle: the valve doesn’t fully close, making it very hard to regulate the pressure and flame flow. What do you think?
The only valve on your lantern is the non return valve (N.R.V.) at the bottom of the pump tube. The needle is NOT there to control the flow of fuel, it is only there to clean the jet. This usually means either, there is too much fuel or, too little air. Some things to check are: 1) The distance between the top of the jet and the bottom of the mixing tube (sometimes known as the air gap) should be 12mm. 2)When the needle is up, it should not stick through the jet more than 0.5mm. this will ensure that when it is down, it will not interfere with the flow of vapoursied fuel. 3)If there is a small screw in the mixing tube, make sure the slot in the screw is vertical, this will ensure a good flow of air and vapoursied fuel. It's possible that the hole in the jet has become enlarged and is letting too much fuel through. You could try increasing the air gap a little. If this doesn't work, you will have to fit a new jet.
Have you adjusted the gap between the nipple (jet) and the J tube? There is no valve or pressure regulator. The needle only cleans the jet.
Hi friends, Here I am, back from the seaside! I gave your advice a proper go, and of course, you were right—the gap between the J-tube and the nozzle was only 7 mm. I’ve now set it to 12 mm, cleaned the carburettor and the vapouriser, and on first lighting the flame looks like this: blue at the start of the burner, then a sort of halo. I guess drafts might be affecting it too. (I need to get a 8x10 cm globe)
I’ve just read that the jet on my lamp has a 250 nozzle… but on the forum I see that the Petroflam lantern is rated for 200. Could this be the problem?
This phot looks fuel too rich This photo looks OK In this photo it looks like the mantle hasn't had enough time or pressure to inflate properly. To me the green indicates it hasn't been running very long and is still burning off the copper oxide that forms with unused years. With a full tank of fuel it will need 40 - 50 pumps to build pressure, more if the tank is only 1/2 full. It can take 10 min or more for a new mantle to settle in. If there is still a problem
the J-tube is ruined with an extra side hole. So you must replace it with a new one. 250CP if I am not mistaken.
@Marco Carlo Ensure that you're using actual water clear kerosene (K-1) and not the tinted "heating" or tax free pump station kerosene. Another newbie mistake is using "lamp" oil which can lead to heavily degraded burn as the oil is too thick to vaporize and combust properly. Never use gasoline/spirits in these types of lantern! The fount or tank's pressurized fuel is only held back by a submerged rubber seal and a spring, rubber can fail and you can have flammable fuel erupt out from the pump. Kerosene is very resistant to catastrophic ignition but gasoline is not. @WimVe I too notice the hole in the J-tube. I'm surprised @Marco Carlo hasn't passed out from the smelly fumes that may have escaped.
Hahaha, thank God it's summer, and I tried the lantern with the windows open... but you're right. That hole is weird. I don't know whether to close it with a screw (there's a hole on both sides of the tube) or with a high-temperature sealant. What do you recommend? I think someone made this hole in the past, with the idea of letting more oxygen in... I don't know. I haven't seen any other Petromax lamps with that hole.
Thanks @Dashwood , I use top quality C10-C13 kerosene. I think the problem is that damned hole or maybe the worn nozzle/needle
First, I notice from your remarks that you didn't read safety and operating rules. You should know how your machine is working and what the dangers are. So test OUTSIDE and replace the J-tube. Putting a bolt through, is possible, but your machine will not work at all.
Thanks @WimVe I’ve gone through all the relevant instructions. I asked about using a screw because I know that in some Petromax mixing tubes there’s actually a screw inside, as shown in this diagram. Instead of the epoxy resin suggested in the safety recommendations, I was thinking of using a refractory sealant or even hose clamps
Thanks @Fireexit1, this site is a real lifesaver. Unfortunately, the official Petromax only offer the 500HK mixing tube, and all the other sites I’ve found are not European
That is not a screw but a paddle. Inside the tube the is a paddle, flat piece of metal, which by turning effects the (important) already mixed air/fuel vapor. Your hole is at the intake part and will effect the intake and therefore mixing of air/fuel. Any repair must leave a smooth inner wall. Even the dent made by the J-tube fixating screw will effect the flow (and noise).
Honestly no real clue but mixing paddles were a common component with a lot of these style of lanterns prior to the 80s. But they often wore out and deform from erosion from the highspeed superheated vapors coming from the jet along with a slew of "everyday joe" who purchased these lamps having little to no clue what the paddle served so they often time overtorqued and destroying the paddle in the process. Their thought process assumed "tighter, the better." The paddles soon disappeared from later productions of petromaxes and subsequent clones.
