Aladdin Lamps

As we continue to make plans for our tiny off-grid home I'm certain we will be buying some Aladdin lamps.
I've seen several members here discuss owning these.

I have many antique stores nearby and see them, often. They are generally $85-$150. I've almost bought one on several occasions but I just don't know what to look for when considering a used one.

Any advice is appreciated.

The up-down mech can get worn out. Not so much on newer ones as they didnt get used like the old ones. Auctions are cheaper than antique shops, but if its a fancy one the price will be high regardless.

I'm almost alone on my view here, but I much prefer the RV propane wall lamps. Cheaper to run and hardly any refilling, about the same amount of light. They don't look as nice as the Aladdin's though.

As you know they still make Aladdin Lamps and the new parts will fit an old font. I use them all of the time. The best lamp burners are the Model A, B and C. These were made in the 30's and 40's. The model 23 that they have out now is fine but the old ones seem to make a better flame.
If you buy them on ebay make sure you ask about the condition of the burners. Any bends or cracks in them and they are useless.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me about them. I will be happy to help you. Here is a photo of my latest purchase. This is a bee hive pattern from the mid 1930's in emerald glass. It sits on the kitchen table and is used often. These can't be beaten when the power goes out. And they are great to use anytime you want to.

Thats a very pretty lamp. It makes the apples look tastier

Thank you. It's my favorite one.

Here is a link to a lamp supply company that carries all the current Aladdin products.
There is a lot to choose from.

http://www.oillampman.com/AladdinLamps/AladdinLamps.htm

That IS a beauty! I haven't seen one that pretty yet.
So, if the up/down mechanism is stuck, is that something that can be fixed/replaced?

We have the propane "Humphrey" lights at camp but I'd like something a little nicer for the house.
I wonder what the cost difference is to run these vs propane...

Just be sure to have plenty of cross ventilation !!!!!

Kerosene and lamp oil are hydrocarbon based fuels. They produce carbon monoxide, which is far more easily absorbed in your system than oxygen. It then blocks oxygen absorption.

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002807.htm

Not long after they came out, Suffolk County banned kerosene heaters that became popular back during the 1970's oil crisis, because people bought into the "clean burning" advertising and thought they could use them safely indoors during cold weather. While those kerosene heaters didn't make visible smoke, they still made plenty of carbon monoxide.

We used Aladdins for cabin lights on the boats, and I collected antique kero lamps for many years. However, I stopped using all my kero lamps with oil. Even with ventilation, I'd get head aches from the fumes, which are the early signs of kerosene/lamp oil poisoning.

Another reason I stopped using them was that most of our power outages here happen in winter when opening windows to get good ventilation wastes heat. And in summer, the oil lamps just made the indoors that much hotter.

However, I still love the look of the old lamps, so rather than not use them, I've converted many of them with electric bulb kits that don't destroy the original parts, or the value of collectable lamps.

http://www.oillampparts.com/index.html

For power outages, I keep plenty of LED flash lights and camping rechargeable lanterns. Many of the camping lanterns come with 12 volt car charges to be able to recharge them when house power is out for longer times.

Paul

I have two of the lamps and they do a nice job of lighting. These lamps don't put off the odor of burning kerosene as much as regular oil lamps as they burn hotter. The mantles are a bit pricy and they are very fragile. I went through quite a few of them while getting use to the lamps, they are cheaper if you buy them by the dozen.

As Paul already mentioned, they put out lots of heat so I do not use them during summer months. They are great during Spring & Fall to take the chill off when you really don't need a fire yet. As for the already mentioned carbon monoxide, yes, they do put out Co2 but they never even show up as a reading on my Co2 detectors.

Randy

auntievintage wrote:That IS a beauty! I haven't seen one that pretty yet.
So, if the up/down mechanism is stuck, is that something that can be fixed/replaced?

We have the propane "Humphrey" lights at camp but I'd like something a little nicer for the house.
I wonder what the cost difference is to run these vs propane...

If you know how long a gallon of kerosene will last compared to LP, and the cost of each, you will know the difference, but Im sure the LP is going to be a lot cheaper to use. Both use mantles and other than fuel, upkeep would be about the same. Lehman's used to have a chart showing fuel useage of both but Im not sure if its there anymore.

As compared to electricity for lighting, these lamps are not cheaper to use. I like them for the atmosphere... As for the cost difference between propane and Kero, I would not be able to help there.

When I first started using these lamps, I bought K1 kerosene at the pump, and I also bought a 2.5 gallon jug of it at Walmart. The stuff I got at Walmart is clearer and it seems to burn better in the lamps.

I also have 7 or 8 regular oil lamps as well as the Aladdin lamps and have started to use mineral spirt based paint thinner in them. This gives off very little smell and it burns brighter as well. You could just use mineral spirits but that is usually $2.00 more per gallon than the paint thinner. (This tip was given to me via an Amish family). I was talking will William about the possibility of using the mineral spirits in the Aladdin lamps. He said the thinks the Aladdin fuel is mostly just mineral spirits and thinks it would burn fine in them. I have not tried that yet, I have a lot of kerosene to use up first.

Randy

Those are beautiful!
That's all very helpful info.
I was wondering what the difference was with the Aladdin oil.
I've been keeping my eye on eBay but haven't bought one yet. I just don't want to waste any $ and I feel like I'm still a bit ignorant when it comes to picking one.
I'd like to have one because we lose power often here and the basic oil lamps don't throw good light, as you know.

AV you might want to give this place a try I have had good luck with them in the past and seem to no what they are talking about and very helpful ,/ http://www.LanternNet,com hope this helps and good luck.