Hi CPL I have a problem with my new "working"-lamp, a Primus 1320 for alkohol. I have never used it for longer time before (hours) but now I started. It burns bright and white as the sun from the start for about 15 minutes - then the mantle starts turning yellow and just glow. The jet and needle looks fine. The pressure is OK. I use 97% ethanol, butanon as fuel. Anyone using alkohol (for lamps) with any ideas Claus C
From your description, I reckon that the vapouriser is not staying hot enough. Sometimes tying the mantle so that it's almost touching the vapouriser cures that problem, Jeff.
Thanks Jeff and Doug (pt) I put on a new mantle while the other did point away from the vapourizer Jeff, and I didnt pump the lamp as hard as usual Doug. It worked and the lamp has been burning fine for app. 1,5 hour now with no problems. Thanks for insight. Claus C
Why is it that there apears to be a red glow around the collar between the tank and bottom of the cage is that just a reflection or............. Graham.
That's a fine looking lantern, but it would cost a fortune to run it on meths in the UK., unless it could run on painter's meths which is non mineralised. Would that be possible? Painter's meths is no use for pre heating a lamp as it blackens everything, Jeff.
Hi JEFF and thanks. Alcohol, Ethanol, dont cost much in Danmark (same as gasoline) so I have never tried anything else. I saw Nils Stephenson wrote something here on CPL about what he always uses but I cant find the thread. I thought evrybody on your islands was making fuel for lamps Anyway if meths soots then it will soot in the vapourizer too and I wouldent rely on that for long time use - but have never tried. Claus C
Hello Claus, you are correct, painter's meths would clog up the vapouriser and the rest of the burner system, Jeff.
Hi Jeff - a newish product, Bioethanol, is sold here in 25 liter-plastbottles and this I will try and let you know about the result. Bioethanol is a bit cheaper than ethanol for the householding, and is used here back home for ex. greenhouse-heaters. I have seen bioethanol burning and it leaves no soot at all and dont smell at all. Claus C
I don't have a meths lantern, but I shall be interested to hear the results of your test of this new fuel, Jeff.
Hi Claus, I always use "husholdningssprit". All the alcohol lamps I have were converted to kerosene before I bought them so I havn't tried one yet.
Ok - thanks Nils - and I finally found the thread and it was not you, sorry, but Christer Carlsson who wrote he uses ethanol under lampref. gallery, Primus 1321. Funny but I have only found 1320's without rebuilding, ready to use "för sprit", though only 3 in all. I think I will make a test and see how long it burns on a full tank - I'll be back with that information just for fun. Claus C
Ethanol 97% test. 0,5 liter was put in a completely empty tank and the lamp was started up at 20 o'clock exactly. At 23 o'clock the lamp started pulsing in 2 minutes and then closed down. Result: Burning 3 hours on 1/2 liter ethanol for app. 1 euro. Next time I use Bioethanol.
On a related note. How much do you have to pump the lamp when running? More, less or the same as kerosene?
Hi - Nils Claus and I had 2 Primus 1320 (för sprit) running last night, and during the 2 hours I had my lamp running, I pumped it 1 time, 5-7 strokes. I have noticed that the fueltank on a lamp that runs on ethanol (husholdningssprit) remains cool for quite a long time and its therefore not a problem to place it on e.g. a wax table cloth, and a sprit-lamp doesn´t smell when burning. In all quite a nice lamp 8) Regards Niels Chr.
Yes, when working as they should, they are quite nice. Real gas-guzzlers, though, as always with alcohol fueled stuff!
I got so inspired by this post that I had to run one of my alcohol lamps yesterday. I took the old 394, seen in the reference gallery [url=http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/489 I had it going for a couple of hours, and it worked fairly well. It hunted a bit, but I turned the lamp off and inserted a rolled wire mesh around the cleaning needle rod, and it seemed to have helped. It had a more even light afterwards.
I don't have any personal experience with alcohol lanterns myself but I was wondering if this slightly erratic performance was normal for the Primus spirit-burning lamps? I have used a number of pressurized alcohol marine stoves in the past and found that they generally worked well but could be temperamental with occasional flaring and other misbehaviour. This could often be minimized by using much less tank pressure than in a similar kerosene or gasoline/naphtha burning stove. Otherwise, the lack of odor and fuel mess and general quick lighting were very welcome attributes. The expense of denatured alcohol was a bit of a drawback, however. Regards, Doug E.
