Oil Lamp Trouble Shooting
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- čas přidán 27. 12. 2022
- Oil lamps especially old ones may come with some problems, but most are easy to fix. This video is a little guide to help you trouble shoot your oil lamp problems.
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Love and prayers y'all
#oillamp #poweroutage #prepping
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I live in an area where the power goes out frequently, it’s amazing to think that these are over 100 years old and don’t fail me like modern day technology
Very true!
One Christmas in a 19" snow blizzard i used oil lamps, candles, fireplace and dollar tree solar yard lites. Elec was out for 6 days with a house full of company. We cooked dinner on the grille. Loved it!!!! Melted snow to flush the toilets. So already had a taste of SHTF. Hav plenty of pressure canned, canned and dehydrated foods!!!! I remember as a child my grandparents using oil lamps and fireplace.
That is so awesome and you were able to take care of guests on top of that. Well done!
Good practice for things that might come.
I am new to oil lamps but I learn quickly. We inherited a wall mounted swiveling oil lamp holder about 30 years ago. We buried it with other "junk" in the basement. Last year I was cleaning out areas and discovered it. I didn't even know what it was until I Googled a photo of it. Turns out to be an authentic 1800s oil lamp holder for mounting to a wall. I had a professional look at it to be sure. He compared it to reproductions and was impressed with the condition of ours, pointing out the important aspects of the holder. One issue with these old holders is that most have lost the piece that screws to the wall. Amazingly, I had mine.
The problem I had was that there was only one type of oil lamp made for it. He had hundreds of lamps and nothing came close. I searched the web and found broken ones that might have fit, but they were literally junk. That was almost two years ago.
Last weekend I had to travel to Vermont to pick up an order. On the way back I stopped at an antique shop and asked the lady if she had old oil lamps. She said no. I told her I would browse for other things. I found 5 oil lamps. One looked to be the perfect fit! I was looking at the lamp in my hands when she took it from me and tried to sell me the cheap mount it was in. I told her that I was interested in the lamp, not the mount. I asked for the price. She paused and told me the price of the mount. Again, I asked to purchase the lamp. She finally gave me a price. It was reasonable so I bought it. She reluctantly wrapped it up and put it in a bag. I felt like I was buying her grandchild.
The burner was in poor shape. I researched how to clean it and began to restore it. I had to push out dents and fix the collapsed burner, without breaking the supports. It was tedious work. I won't go into the details of restoring the luster of the solid brass because somebody has a CZcams video of how to do it. The guy is really good and it works. My metal parts were so filthy that they looked like burnt tin. I wasn't even sure if it was brass initially. The burner and collars now have a golden luster. It doesn't even look like the same burner.
Because I washed the fount in soap water, the water based paste used to glue the filler collar onto the fount dissolved. Therefore, I purchased JB Weld gas tank epoxy paste to remount it. It worked really well and will never disolve in water or oil.
I finally screwed the mount to the wall today and lit the oil lamp for the first time. Holy mackerel! It is beautiful! Simply amazing to see such an old authentic lamp burning again that probably hasn't been used for over a hundred years. It literally looks like it did brand new from the 1800s. The glow is warming and it illuminates two adjacent rooms because I can swivel the lamp out to shine in both. It burns clean and evenly as well. We will use it for when the power goes out or for when we want a nice warm glow in the house. It was well worth the effort to restore it.
Ummmm... and where's the picture!? You can't tell such a wonderful story and not send a picture. Taking your time and finding the right lamp is like a treasure hunt and you did it! Congratulations on your find and all your hard work restoring it. Blessings
I am glad that you were able to restore it! I also enjoy oil burning lamps. Don't really have any old ones, but that is going to change. I use them outside when me and the wife are camping, and also have a couple for when the power goes out. Good luck.
I just bought a oil lamp from 1876 it’s beautiful has the shade and everything
Wonderful!
Our last house was decorated in Victorian style with my mother-in-law's antiques, which was so much fun. A few other items I snuck in were not old, but looked Victorian, which was fine with me. About those items, my husband said they "played the part". That worked for me!
Love it!!
As a child I lived in the woods of Northern California… my parents used these lamps to light our home at night… I recently purchased one at an antique fair… this video was great bit of education… thank you
Thank you!
Great video. I would love to see more about wick trimming and tending in a future video. Thanks.
That sounds like a good idea for another video, thanks!
I love my oil lamps-I have big one's like yours-I use them almost daily. I've replaced a burner with a solid brass Queen Anne #2 burner from Antique Lamp Supply.
Great tip!
We use ours even when we have power. Makes me feel warm!
Thank you! We have 70 some lamps. Steve collects them. Hope, you look so pretty in this!
Always knew he was a cool dude. You are too kind. Blessings
Beautiful lamps, thank you for sharing them.
You are so welcome
You are so endearing. I was daunted at first by the length of the video but could not stop listening to you talk.
Glad it was helpful!
I love the information on the oil lamp, I was using every night to save energy, Your lamps are so beautifully.
Thank you!
My interest in these is now more the wick holder. I managed to use the basics to make a vegetable oil heater. I finally got the chimney right the wicks however have been a total pain to get right. They heat up a sand battery to 350°c and generally emit 200°c. I am hoping one of those wick holders with the thumb wheel will allow for some adjustment so I can grow and shrink the carbon felt wicks. They are a valuable technology and show a lamp maker was a very real skill back then as there was no end of problems to solve in making the basic set up.
Trim the wick with sharp scissors right along the curve of the wick slot. Works perfect.
Great video .Thank you so much. ❤
You are so welcome!
I decided to use my oil lamp while I put a new belt on my turn of the century treadle sewing machine. It took me a few minutes to remember where it was. I had just been having a conversation with a friend about how I like antiques and using them when I can. Once I found it, I realized it didn't have a wick. So I had to go look for the replacement wick I had bought over a year ago.
I came here to find out how to replace the wick, but I learned so much more! I squealed when I took the shield off! LOL It took three of us to get the burner off. Once I took my lamp apart, I realized that the wick had fallen down into the fount. Then I got it back together and burning. It just went out and I realized that the wick (that has been soaking in oil for years) was not touching the oil that's still in the fount.
Great job!
very enjoyable to present some very good information thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Thankyou for the video. Now I know the names of the parts. My mom just gave me her old lamps, we used them back on the farm when I was little. Now we are on an acreage and I look forward to cleaning them up and being able to use them with my kids and hopefully pass them on to them. My mom even gave me the spare parts she had. It was 0.59¢ for the wick holder when she bought it originally! I just have to clean them up and they will be ready to go!
That is awesome!
Never been without an oil lamp. It's over 60 years old and been through alot of stormy winter and summer powerless nights :)
That is awesome!
Very helpful, thank you x
Glad it was helpful!
I have an old Eagle like you demonstrate and I am trying to unscrew it. Hopefully I will be able to break it free and use it. Thank you for the information.
I hope so too! You are very welcome for the information.
Try putting the burner in hot water to soak. Obviously, you can't have oil in the fount. A heat gun might work too.
If soaking in hot water, you might disintegrate the material that holds the collar on because it is water based. If so, simply use JB Weld epoxy for gas tanks to refasten it on. Works great and sets fast.
The burners are brass, not steel, so they are not rusted on. The paraffin produced by burning oils gets into the threads and hardens. Thus, why heat will melt the paraffin to loosen it.
Thank you for this video…it’s VERY helpful…I have two lamps that are beautiful, but I cannot get them open…I’m going to try to find replacement parts!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video.
You are welcome!
A video on how to trim a wick would be great. Keep up the good work. 😉
You got it!
Not just on these but other antiques even with replacement parts and keep origional part will still be good. Value will still be same. Thanks for the information
Thank you!
Love this video. Very interesting!!! How far are yall from Booneville?
About 5 miles other side of Yadkinville neighbor!
I prefer oil lamps for the warm light they give off. On repairing them I think it's important to use new parts on lamps you use but keep the old part incase you want to use lamp only for decoration in the future.
Thanks for your videos.
Thank you
Great video . Ontario Canada .
Thanks and welcome
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
I absolutely love your oil lamps. How many of them do you own? Just curious.
Probably a dozen or so.
thanks for the explanation can you say something on which particular fuel they work?
Lamp oil but other oils will work.
Real good information right there! One question, I have the metal one, like storm lamp, what is the case if I need to constantly lift the wick to get the nice flame. If I leave it for a minute or so, it almost die down and just burns the wick.
From what I have read it sounds like your wick is the problem. Your lamp should only be burning the fuel not the wick. Try replacing it and let me know how it goes. Blessings
@@miraclefarm1927 Thanks, the wick is new, I forgot to mention, so is the oil. Does the level of oil plays big role? This is new lamp, I didn't have any like this before. I will try another wick from other place, but don't know if manufacturer is the same.
@@mihamaker did the new wick help. I can't think of anything else it could be.
@@miraclefarm1927 thnx, haven't had the chance yet. Will post about
Let wick sit in oil for 30 minutes before lighting to be sure it has soaked up enough oil so you won’t be burning your wick.
Thanks for sharing this video. I can’t get the burner to screw off the base… any suggestions? Thank you! ♥️
Sometimes the inside rusts to the base. If it's empty turn it upside down and spray WD40 or cooking spray around the rim and let it soak in for a day or two. Rubber hammer can be tried too. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for the suggestion ! I will try it out! 🤞🏼♥️
My lamp says Queen Ann on it and it screws inside the opening, I would like to clean that part, just don't know what to clean it with, I have the lamp itself cleaned and ready to use, just feel that I should clean that part, any suggestions would be appreciated, I have subscribed to your site. Thank you so much for the information. 😀🙏
Thank you! Hot soapy water might do the trick.
I have 2 atterbury lamps with milk glass bases....one came complete...the other is only the bottom...no burner..I would love to find a burner and chimney etc...but don't know how to get the right size.the burner needs a male screw in the base at the collar is female...I don't have much luck in my searches...measurements are are hard to get accurate...but t took pics the best I could...any search info would help...I love your videos...I just found them
Love those lamps! Here is a place where you can find some original parts.www.thelampworks.com/lw_companies_atter.htm
My parents used those type when I was a child in Trinidad W.I that was the only light we had and a flash light❤
Nice!
I have a run of the mill Weatherite cold blast oil lamp I got from Walmart, and it has a runaway flame, I have the right amount of oil in it, I use the standard paraffin oil,trimmed wick, but the flame starts off at 3/4" then after about about 5-6min the flame starts to grow to about 1-1.5", I then lower it a 1/4" , then a min or so passes and it keeps growing to about half the height of the globe, I notice it has a high amplitude flickering about 3-4x's a second, that seems to come and then go away every few seconds. I thought maybe the wick holder part was too tight and chocking the wick but it was still on the loose side, the whole assembly is wobbly put together, but I loosened it up a little more with some needle nose pliers then its loose but it still does it, I even cleaned the soot of from underneath the burner dome, my other cheap oil lamp from Stansport also bought from Walmart doesn't do this and seems to have a better assembled burner, I have no idea why its doing this, I know I can just buy another one for $10-$12but i like to fix things if I can.
I have a Lamplighter Farms diamond cut lamp just like the one on the right in the video. My flame goes down and the wick glows red and turns black. I’ve replaced the wick. Cleaned all the air holes in the base. Using a paraffin base fuel (Florasense). Same fuel works great in my Dietz cold blast lamp. An ideas as to the problem?
It sounds like you have done all of the correct things to fix the problem. I will do so more studying to see if I can help. Meanwhile if you find the trouble write me back and I will share it. Thanks
Hi,
I have managed to cause the collar to come away from the fount. I've cleaned all remaining residue from both and wondered if you had a suggestion for an adhesive to reattach?
Not sure about that. Sorry
Can you tell us about all the different chimney types, dates, etc? Thanks
I try to balance out the base with the chimney. I have found that lamps with the original chimneys are much thicker and heavier. Haven't found a good source of dating chimneys.
Thanks for sharing🤗What’s the brand of the lamp at the left front? The same as mine❤
I checked and it has no name, jut that it was made in China. Has to be made after the 1960s.
@@miraclefarm1927 Thanks ma’am for the reply. mine is lamp base only bought from a thrift store , that’s why i asked. 🤗
I adore oil lamps, although i dont trust myself with glass founts all mine are brass for peace of mind. but a downside is its impossible to see how full it is and ive got to guess when i need to stop pouring
That is a problem. Use a stick with no bark or maybe a chop stick to measure with, but the bass is safer.
Question. I just bought a few lamps at a goodwill. Some of them ,the thumb screw will not turn easily. After removing the old wick the screw turns fine, tried to put the old wick in and it wouldn't feed n was hard to turn again. So, the thumb screw is not frozen. I was told to try replacing the old wick with a new one. Do you think that's the problem? I've heard the old wick may be swollen or something from being saturated. Idk. Haven't tried the new wick yet.
Yes, that old wick may very well be swollen and the wick channel may have a build up in it that warm soapy water would take care of.
I couldn’t fix the thumb screw no matter what I did so ordered new one from b&p on Amazon.
Hi,
Just acquired an old lamp with a wad of string in the fountain chamber. It has an old wick in place. Wondered what purpose the wad of string served? Maybe to keep the wick from becoming displaced from the oil? Just thought this was odd.
You are probably right. The wad of string was probably used to be a wick extension when the wick was too short to reach the oil.
Hello, I have a question. I have antique oil lamps my Mother gave me years ago. I have large lamps and mini lamps. I've used them many times through the years but it's been awhile and the thumb wheel on a couple have gotten really stuck. How can I clean them or oil them to get them moving again? what kind of cleaner or oil should I use? also I noticed a lot of soot under the cap of the burner around the wick. Any proper cleaning methods for this as well? Thanks! Janie
Lot's of different methods to clean with. May just all be stuck from build up. Take your whole burner assembly off and soak and clean with hot soapy water. Oven cleaner can be used or simmer the parts for 20 min in citric acid water then wash with soapy water. Just make sure your hands and eyes are always protected.
Thank you! I will try these methods.💕
Any method for getting the spikes to actually move the wick instead of just spinning on it?
What lamp oil you suggest for safety? I intend to burn indoors
Paraffin lamp oil.
Are the brass replacement parts universal? In other words will they screw into any oil lamps?
Yes most are unless you have a very unusual lamp.
Have you ever noticed a difference between replacement parts and wicks made from China as opposed to ones that are made in the USA?
Hey I have a small oil lamp and lantern they both work perfectly with kerosene but will not stay lite with any other oil can anyone help it’s driving me crazy I tried changing the wick by twirling up napkin (seen on another CZcams video) no luck any advice would b appreciated 😊
Is there a company that will send a catalog.? Dating the lamps on table appreciated
Here is a good site. antiquesknowhow.com/antique-oil-lamps/
I have my Great Grandmother's glass oil lamp similar to the one you were showing. The burner is gone but the metal screw on collar is still there but it's 'glued' on. What can I do to loosen it to get it off? Or do I have to take it off? I'd like to use it
Hot soapy water or a squirt of oven cleaner may help.
It's an Aladdin. Model a is about the only one you can't get parts for. Get that old girl running! Grandma would want you too! Alladin has a website still.
Hello! Any idea how to get a stuck burner off? It won't twist off even with a bit of force.
I could be as simple as using hot soapy water. That's the first thing I would try.
I've tried that! I tried hot water. I tried Goof Off adhesive remover. At this point, the gold collar and burner is starting to rust in diff spots. Any other suggestions would be so welcomed!!@@miraclefarm1927
i got question ..have new oil lamp ,i fill it with oil lamp fuel close to top .i oil wick up to top and did same like you let him burn bit then lower till lips and put glass on and after min or two flame start to wiggle and shut down ,, what to do now ?
Oh my that sounds aggravating. Check the air vents to see if they are clear. Hope this helps.
@miraclefarm1927 - Thank you for the video. I bought a lamp that appears identical to the octagonal one that is lit in the foreground for most of the video. Could you tell me the name of the manufacturer?
Sorry I know it's an old one, but that is not the original burner. Check the wheel on the burner or the base. It may have a mark on it.
I have that lamp as well, but the replacement burner doesn’t fit properly. Can you tell me what size I should buy?
@@melissam3285 I have not made headway in figuring this out - my burner did not have a mark and because it was rusted on, I had to cut it off with metal cutters. I finally managed to get it off the glass, so now I will try buying a few replacement parts. If I have any success, I will update you all here.
Hello what kerosene do I use in my vintage lamp
Lamp oil from the hardware store. You can use kerosene, but it has more odor.
Can I find a new thumb screw? Mine is very hard to turn. I just got an oil lamp like the one in the middle from my parents home.
I would take the whole burner off and remove the wick and scrub in hot soapy water. It probably just has a build up. If not you may have to replace the whole burner.
You could also buy some carb cleaner and spray it down. If it is solid brass you could boil it in citric acid for a few minutes, 5 or 6 minutes at time. Does a great job. Eagle burners are plated so I wouldn't do it with them. I've freed up several burners this way.
I have a Danforth pewter Mariner lamp and I have a problem with it : as soon as I put the chimney on, the flame gets small and burns the wick instead of the oil. Without chimney the combustion seems fine. I verified and the chimney is the original one. What could be the issue?
Sounds like an oxygen problem. Around the wick and sometimes located under the cover around the wick are air holes that may be clogged up. Hope this helps.
@@miraclefarm1927 thanks for your answer! Yes there is holes around the wick but they aren't clogged. But I just noticed that if I don't insert the chimney all way down, but I let a small gap at the base, then the lamp works properly. Don't know if it's the way it should be...
Have you experienced your lamps going dim when the oil is halfway down? It looks like your oils are almost halfway down and they are burning great. My lamps are going out when the oil is halfway out. Any ideas?
You are the second person that has had this problem and I am wondering if it has to do with length of your wick. Is it long enough to lay on the bottom of the oil reservoir?
Yes... Wicks and nice and long to the bottom. 🤷♀@@miraclefarm1927
I am having so much trouble with mine. It seems to burn through the wick and/or oil so quickly. It’s not even useful for emergencies. I am not sure if it’s the oil, the wick, or if the wick tube is stifling something. Help!
Oh no! It may just be your wick wick is a cheap fix. It may not be long enough to be down in the oil properly or the wrong size for the lamp, like it could be too narrow and allowing air to come up beside it. A ne wick would be the first thing I would try. Blessings
@@miraclefarm1927 I got a new wick and new fuel (Aladdin fuel) and that fixed the issue! Thanks
Question, do you have an email? Can I send you a photo of my burner. It's rusty/dirty. How do I clean it?
Sure thing! miraclefarmhomested@gmail.com
Also the oil in it smelled horrible, I burned off what I could. How do I dispose of the oil that is left
You could use it to start out door fires, if not dispose it as a hazardous material.
I used octane in my lamp after burning for minute it stops why?
My thumb wheel will not raise the wick? Any advise
After watching and reading on here on the burner it does say eagle.😊
Glad you found a name. If the wick is just stuck you can take off the body and use pliers to pull the wick down through the bottom of the burner or soak in warm soapy water to get the wick loose. If the thumb wheel is stripped, turns loosely without moving the wick, it is probably stripped out and you will need a new burner. They do make replacement parts for your lamp.imperiallightingco.com/product/eagle-brand-1-oil-lamp-burners-brass-plated/
I have two like the one to the left . Hexagonal. One top removed fine leaving a metal rim. It looked like an orange lamp. I put a dollar tree cleaner in called Awesome. It melted all the old kerosene jelly and cleaned the glass off, back to clear, by just circling the fluid. The liquid turned black. Nice clean lamp. ( Fruit flies hate Awesome, spray it on cabinets and they take off ). The second lamp I cannot get the top off. It seems like the same lamp, but has a different screw top, looks like it's all one piece. Also has discolored old kerosene inside. Glass is a nice blue color ;). Not sure how to remove the metal from the glass.
Maybe try to run it under hot water. It's probably the same kerosene jelly under the rim.
Hot water with some dish soap. Or if your going to really clean it out. Some penetrate fluid like wd40 left to soak should break up any jelly or cooked on crust
What no kerosene mantle lamps?
I have a fake one that is electric. Hopefully I will be able to afford one in the future.
Make sure people know to crack a window or use outside...and other warnings
I would go head and repair that aladdin lamp, looks like a model b burner, not to hard find a b burner or the parts you might need. The chimney most likely has been replaced. The high heat of the lamp would often cause it to crack overtime or if it was not allowed to warm up. That lamp is no older the 1932 as that is when alladin bought a glass factor and switched to side draft burners. Worst case you could find a later model burner and save the orginal. That way you could use it and covert it back to orginal. The filler cap I would give a light spray of penetrating oil and just start trying to loosen and lighten going back and forth. Dont use a lot of force. The filler cap collar may come off with the cap. Which would be ideal. You could use more force and heat. Once you get them apart you could reattach the collar. Most likely with plaster, no epoxy. Everthing I do when fixing my old lamps is old school.
Thanks!
Can you burn these all night?
Will the globe crack?
The chimneys will not crack during regular use. No, I wouldn't burn them during the night for safety reasons and that would be a waste of oil. If you are talking about something like having a light to go back and forth to the bathroom we keep a candle stick beside the bed. If a night light is needed all night a solar light from the dollar store can be kept in a sunny window during the day to light the night.
Did you forget to replace something before you lit the lamp?
I'm having a problem with one of my lamps, every few minutes you have to raise the wick or it will go out. I've tried 3 different wicks, fresh oil , and still the problem persists...Any thoughts ?
Around the base of the wick shield are some ventilation holes that could be partially stopped up which would cause the whick not to get enough oxygen. Hope this helps. Blessings
Did you ever figure it out? I’m having the same issue.
No...Never could get it to work correctly . I figured it must be a design flaw . The wick does look a little under-sized .
@@donbrloks3959 Well , You prompted me to give it another try...This time I used a rather long new wick and I switched to Kerosene K-1 and all seems to be working great . Just let that new wick soak in for an hour before lighting .
What if you bought a lamp but doesn’t have a wick tube?
That whole piece can be bought new.
سلام من هم چراق نفتی دوس دارم ولی هرکدام از چراق نفتی های این شکلی میخرم درست آتیشش وایس نمیشه روشن وخاموش میشه
It could be something in your fuel oil or the wick is not long enough and down in it enough. Thank you for your question.