Kerosene table lamp

The content of the article

• What is a kerosene lamp
• Story
• Device
• Types of kerosene lamps
• SPARTA
• FIT DIY
• PARK
• How to choose a kerosene lamp

For many years before the advent of electricity, kerosene lamps carried light in houses. There are many interesting pages in the history of this invention. Today, light sources based on the combustion of kerosene in air have limited use. Modern models of such products have an original design that can decorate the interior of almost any room. You can buy a kerosene lamp today in a specialized online store with mail delivery.

What is a kerosene lamp

This product is a lamp based on the combustion of kerosene, which is a product of oil refining. The device of the flashlight is relatively simple, due to which it was very popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the widespread introduction of electric lighting, such products began to be used only in places where there is no electricity, and tourists. Sometimes a kerosene lamp is used as an emergency light source. Use it as follows:

• A lamp operating from kerosene emits light of the greatest strength provided that the wick is replaced at least 1 time in 2 months. The wick should fill the entire tube..
• The new wick is first dried and only then soaked in the oil product.
• Before igniting, the wick should be cleaned of soot and trimmed evenly with scissors.
• The flame height must be kept within 1-2.5 cm: a large height can lead to soot, and a low one can reduce light intensity.
• It is necessary to add kerosene regularly to prevent it from burning out completely..

Story

The first prototype of the kerosene lamp was oil, which was described by the poet from Baghdad Ar-Razi in the distant IX century. The lamp of that time was a lamp from a container with oil and a cotton wick floating in it. Such a source could give a weak light and at the same time strongly smoked. Replacing oil with an oil product increased brightness and reduced deposits. Due to the high volatility and kerosene fluidity, the design of oil sources of illumination has been significantly simplified.

The first historical references to the use of kerosene for the operation of a lighting device date back to 1846. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci took some part in the creation of kerosene lamps. He supplied the sample with glass to allow air to flow into the flame, but he tried to cool it with water – the glass could not stand it and simply burst.

The inventors of kerosene lamps (1853) are considered to be pharmacists from Lviv, Jan Zekh and Ignatius Lukasevich, who finalized the oil model and began to use the product of oil processing for lighting. In the same 1853, Rudolf Ditmar from Vienna proposed his design of a device operating on kerosene – he used a flat wick. The design became the prototype of the first serial lamp on kerosene, the production of which began in the USA three years later.

Another transformation has become the so-called “Auer net”. The luminous intensity of ordinary kerosene lamps reached several dozen candles, and the Auer grid increased the indicator to 300 candles. This corresponds to an incandescent lamp power of 300 watts at a voltage of 110 volts. True, this did not help, because the procession of electricity became a triumph.

Device

A kerosene lamp is characterized by a simple device and a principle of operation, which is approximately similar to an oil device. A combustible substance is poured into the container, from where it begins to be metered into the combustion zone. The burner is sometimes equipped with means for exhausting combustion products and air supply, and flame protection. The latter is an important element. For movement and suspension of the lantern, the structure is equipped with a frame. A lamp glass in the form of a pipe of variable diameter is installed above the burner. The device of a kerosene lamp:

• fuel tank;
• tube with a cap;
• bottom;
• tube for a wick;
• rack;
• collar for fixing the concentrating cone;
• bulb glass bulb that provides traction and protects the flame from the wind;
• liner, which is necessary in order to adjust the position of the wick in the hole of the cone in order to increase or decrease the flame.

Types of kerosene lamps

On sale in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of the country you can find several design options for kerosene light sources. The traditional view is wick products with an annular or flat wick, in which liquid fuel rises from the tank to the combustion zone, due to the capillary effect. Cotton is used to make the wick. Previously, various types of wick structures were common: with protection against spillage of kerosene during capsizing, an air heating system to improve combustion, equipped with reflectors, windproof, etc..

Often you can also find glowing devices, which are close in design to the primus, i.e. non-filter heating device. The fuel in them is under pressure, which is created by a manual pump. It rises to the combustion area through a tube, where it evaporates and heats up. Then, kerosene vapor goes from it to the burner, where the fuel burns and heats the heating grid. These types of lamps burn significantly brighter due to the complete and rapid combustion of the oil product and the use of glowing grids.

Traditionally, wicks and glass for kerosene lamps are indicated in lines (unit of distance). For example, the diameter of the lamp glass at the bottom equal to 20 lines is 50.8 mm. A device with a wick width of 7 lines (approximately 18 mm) became known as the seven-line. Kerosene light sources also differ from each other in operating time and power. The first parameter, depending on the model, is from 4 to 20 hours, and the second is from 5 to 400 W.

SPARTA

To make the optimal purchase of a kerosene lamp, pay attention to the shape of the bulb, dimensions, fuel tank volume and some other parameters. A popular option is the Bat Flashlight SPARTA, which comes in a windproof design. The name comes from “Fledermaus” – that was the name of the German company, which in the year before last invented a wind-resistant lantern. The kerosene lamp bat is designed for lighting outdoors and indoors. The outer surface of the body is painted with weather-resistant enamel:

• model name: Bat SPARTA 932305;
• price: 319 r.;
• characteristics: lampshade material – tin, glass bulb, protective coating – galvanized, width at the base – 11.5 cm, height – 23.7 cm, weight – 337 g, brand homeland – Germany, country of origin – Germany, equipment – 2 wicks, 1 funnel, there is an adjustment of light brightness, color – black or metal;
• pluses: protective grill, heat-resistant glass bulb, stable stand;
• cons: flimsy mechanism, poor quality.

FIT DIY

The FIT DIY 67600 kerosene lamp is used to illuminate a small room in the absence of electricity. This model can be used as a source of lighting in the country or in the garden. The tin case is equipped with a bulb made of heat- and shock-resistant glass. The product has hinges for suspension:

• model name: FIT DIY 67600;
• price: 473 r.;
• characteristics: type – table lamp, country of origin – China, height – 24 cm, weight – 325 g, structure – metal;
• pluses: the presence of a protective grill, durable glass, a stable base;
• Cons: flimsy body, more expensive than analogues.

PARK

Another great option is the PARK windproof luminaire, designed for lighting both indoors and outdoors. This model is ideal for a summer cottage, to which electricity is not supplied. The case is durable, there is an eyelet for hanging the structure on top. Luminaire parameters:

• model name: PARK-235;
• price: 200 r.;
• characteristics: height – 24.5 cm, tank capacity – 0.2 l, burning time at one gas station (approximate) – 14 hours, materials – glass, metal;
• pluses: convenient design, cheap;
• cons: no.

If you are looking for a lamp that burns longer than its counterparts, then pay attention to PARK-225. In appearance and design, this model does not differ from the previous one:

• model name: PARK-225;
• price: 280 r.;
• characteristics: height – 28 cm, tank capacity – 0.3 l, burning time at one gas station (approximate) – 20 hours, materials – glass, metal;
• pluses: good capacity, burning time, convenient design, reasonable cost;
• cons: no.

How to choose a kerosene lamp

When buying a lamp running on kerosene, keep in mind that such a light source will not be able to illuminate large rooms. It is ideal for small rooms (for example, in the country) and for use in tourism. The main selection criteria:

• Pay attention to the case, which must be strong and durable. Often it is made of tin, on which traces of dents can remain, but its use reduces the weight of the lamp and the cost. True, durable material can significantly increase the cost of production, but in return you get a reliable and durable flashlight that runs on kerosene fuel.
• Make sure that the base of the lighting device is really stable, otherwise it may tip over in any light breeze – the fuel will spill over, which can be dangerous.
• If possible, find out the volume of the fuel tank, because the more it holds, the longer the kerosene lamp will illuminate the room with light.
• Flask glass must be shockproof and heat resistant to protect users from direct contact with the flame.
• Well, if the lamp is equipped with hinges for suspension, a protective grille and the ability to adjust brightness.