You guys remember that a few weeks back I bought a like-new Aladdin kero lamp for $25? Well,check this baby out…it is literally new-in-box from about 40+ years ago:
How cool is that? Absolutely brand new and left over from the Reagan years.
And, heres the sad thing: from a pragmatic, practical, and logistical standpoint this is a silly purchase. It’ll run eight hours on one quart of fuel. Thats four nights on a gallon, which means I have about 400 days worth of kero for this thing. Thats 20 5-gallon cans. Those take up a lot of space. And this thing generates heat, which isnt always welcome. And a degree of indoor pollutants. And a fire risk. And some delicate spare parts (mantle, chimney). Whereas a good 12v. LED light will, as I’ve proven, run 21 nights (at least) on one charge, poses no fire risk, generates several times the light, no heat, can be recharged from multiple sources (generator, car, solar, bike generator, etc.) and doesn’t require delicate spare parts. From a practical standpoint, this item makes absolutely no sense in my preparedness TOE. Except…I like them. I like their charm, warmth, good looks, and general homey-ness. But, make no mistake, the primary emergency lighting ain’t these. But…on a cold winter night, when youre sitting by the window watching the wind howl and blow the snow around, its a good deal more comforting than the harsh LED lamps.
Oh…price? $89 plus shipping. Couldn’t resist.
Heat… yup. The burner was originally designed to supply heat as energy for ancient stand-alone refrigeration systems. Something like what we use on RV’s today.
Yes, it will generate heat. In fact, it will nicely heat a small room in the middle of winter. Maybe not toasty, but certainly comfortable to a degree.
If you can source pure liquid paraffin, you will find it runs that lamp with very bright light and nearly odorless.
Ah, but that light could turn a cold 55° basement or underground bunker into shorts and t-shirts weather. And with the right Dietz cooker, a kerosene light will also heat up a cuppa.
https://www.amazon.com/Dietz-2000-Millennium-Lantern-Cooker/dp/B00MAFEIPQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3V8A6EXZVLTC0&keywords=dietz+cooktop+kerosene+lantern&qid=1687635624&sprefix=dietz+cooktop+kersoene+lantern%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc
Trade-offs. Always tradeoffs.
The heat escaping up that chimney is rather intense. Its an excellent candidate for setting on the concrete floor of my basement, under my pipes, and keeping on low to help keep the basement pipes from freezing.
That little kerosene time capsule could the the perfect manifestation of your preparedness values: it exists in the condition it is in because a man bought it as part of the preps that he had the good fortune to never need.
I should also mention, Aladdin lamps have a learning curve. Once fired up and set as low as possible, it will be at full blast in a few minutes as it heats up to operating temperature and needing to be turned down. Much like a kero heater. Don’t leave one unattended, especially after start-up. It might be best to do outside, on in a garage, till comfy with it.
Also, if used on a table for light (Great at that!) a metal heat deflector made of wire and a #10 tin can end set loosely on the glass chimney so it deflects the heat stream from reaching the ceiling…
Speaking from experience. I have used one for years. Wonderful wintertime light and heat. I speak as someone who had to repaint a ceiling once, as I learned.
The whole point to the Alladin design is the catalyst in the mantles, which do indeed produce “brilliant” light.
Was this another FB Marketplace score, CZ? Yes, Aladdins have some downside in the summer, but once the nights turn cool they are the cat’s meow. As for fumes, one trick I’ve learned is to turn the lamp almost out, let it run like that a few minutes, then blow out the flicker and put a little molded tinfoil “hat” atop the chimney. Fumes stay inside the chimney. This may result in chimneys needing a scrub a bit more often, but it’s nice to keep the cool-down fumes inside the chimney.
That is pretty cool though.
Yes. Although the new technology brought forward l.e.d. lamps and hand torches as primary and go to lighting sources for stationary and mobile needs there is still fall back uses for the kero lighting. Usage of that mode of lighting can help husband along your supply of batteries if you have a light or limited inventory of those or we are months plus deep into grid down spicy times. The heat emitted is it’s own attribute that can prove useful, especially for those of us in subartic climates that are chilly 7 or 8 months of the year. Having one to keep basements or crawlspaces from freezing up and bursting pipes is also my strategy along with the parallel use of a kero heater. That is a good find purchase and has it’s own intrinsict value, good job. All of the Kero heater bros should also also have lamps for lighting and heat gains that can also share with that fuel source compatability.
Stay frosty
If you don’t mind the smell, fire hazard risk and cost to operate… by all means. I’ll stick with very inexpensive 12V rechargeable lights.
That is cool. Perhaps the kerosene units can be confined to winter where the heat as well as light can be utilized more efficiently. Would also extend your LED bulb life.
Arthur Welling’ advice above is good. We often put a bar-b-que round cover over the wood fire grate when cooking outodoors. A lot of welcome heat is deflected to the people around it, rather than going straight up to atmosphere.