# Burning Oil Lamps/Safety/Fire extinguishers



## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

Who all burns oil lamps on a daily basis? Anybody? I have several, and burn them occassionally. Especially in the winter, I just like the soft light they give. But....I always worry about fire! I am very cautious, and just purchased fire extinguishers for the house (which I need to mount today) but still. I bought a small wall mounted one from Lehmans and would like to purchase another one. I feel safer with these. 

How do you all deal with the safety issue? Just by being extra cautious? Maybe I'm just paranoid.

We do have electric light, and kids, so more often than not, that's what we use.

Also, do you have fire extinguishers mounted in your house? I just bought the smaller size ones which came with wall mount brackets. We used to have the big ones, but they always seemed to get put behind something or whatever. I figured that it would be better to have smaller ones right at hand than big ones I had to hunt for. Any experience with these smaller ones? I hope they weren't just a waste of money.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Remember that kerosene is not as volatile as othe fuels like gasoline or Coleman fuel. Kerosene is more like rubbing alcohol. Consequently, it is relatively easier to extinguish with a wet towel, blanket or fire extinguisher. With that said, stay safe and resist the urge to move lighted lamps around the house. Place them on a steady counter or table so if the table/counter gets bumped it does not tip or more the lamp.

We have four Sentry Brand 10lb fire extinguishers in our home. These are quality, refillable extinguishers that we bought from a fire protection company....not a big box store.


Off topic:
And remember, never attempt to use water to put out a cooking grease fire ==> [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95_gFWD9lc&feature=related"]this is what can happen.[/ame]


----------



## Riverrat (Oct 14, 2008)

Great advise on making sure the where you put the lamps is solid and stable. We try to have one in each room where we will need to sue instead of moving them lit. 

Also if you have the powder type extingushier, be sure you turn them at least once a year. By this I mean;
1) flipping them upside down
2) hold them at shoulder height 
3) listen and feel for the powder to move 
4) once it does, put back in place
If you do not do this and you need to use it, you may get a blast of air and very little, or no powder.


----------



## fixitguy (Nov 2, 2010)

Riverrat said:


> Great advise on making sure the where you put the lamps is solid and stable. We try to have one in each room where we will need to sue instead of moving them lit.
> 
> Also if you have the powder type extingushier, be sure you turn them at least once a year. By this I mean;
> 1) flipping them upside down
> ...


I own a repair shop, so the fire dept stops by once a year, for my inspection. The inspector, flips the extingushier up side down, holding it, and hits it with a rubber hammer


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

For most small fires, baking soda works as well, and the clean-up is much easier. We always keep a couple of open boxes somewhere near the stove in case of flare ups.

We do the kerosene lamps in the winter as well. The heat and the light make winter more bearable. Like Cabin Fever said, once lit they stay on a stable surface with nothing around them. Because of the fire and indoor pollution issues, and my sensitivity to certain smells, we almost NEVER burn candles. We have a couple of the little LED fake candles that look quite real.


----------



## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I like to burn candles, not lamps... My favorites in an emergency are tea-lites and floating candles. We do keep fire extinguishers around but they are the small ones.


----------



## FyredUp (May 22, 2010)

From a firefighter standpoint the most serious issures with kerosene lamps is a stable base so they don't tip and cause a fire, careful fueling so as not to spill the fuel, keeping children and pets away, extinguishing them before you go to bed, and having adequate fire extinguishers on hand.

The fire extinguisher should be an ABC rated dry chemical extinguisher. I must admit I am not a fan of smaller fire extinguishers and I actually prefer multiple 10 pound extinguishers in the home. Those few extra seconds of firefighting capability can mean all the difference

Remember to call the fire department if you need to use a fire extinguisher in your home. Believe me we would rather show up and find out you put out the fire than be called 2 hours later when the fire you thought you had out rekindled and burned your house down and possibly hurt, or killed, members of your family.


----------



## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I have a lot of oil lamps and for a long time I've been wanting to get some wall hangers for them. I don't have kids around very often, but when they are here, I don't burn the lamps. I also have a lot of flashlights, so if the kids are here when the power goes off, I hang a flashlight in the center of the room. I have hooks in the ceiling and the flashlights have handles with a loop so they hang nicely from the hooks. It works real well.


----------



## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

I used to use kerosene lamps as my only light source. Like FyredUp up pointed out proper placement is a very good idea. I prefer wall mounts because there is less of a chance knocking them over. I also have a few lanterns hanging up in my house. No chance of anything knocking those over either.


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Thanks for posting this. Always better to prepare in advance and take neccessary precautions.


----------



## lorian (Sep 4, 2005)

Interesting that most of the Amish around here use gas lamps instead of kerosene, not sure why, guess it's brighter?


----------



## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

lorian said:


> Interesting that most of the Amish around here use gas lamps instead of kerosene, not sure why, guess it's brighter?


Gasoline is cheaper than kerosene. I am sure that has something to do with their preference.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

PhilJohnson said:


> Gasoline is cheaper than kerosene. I am sure that has something to do with their preference.


Even though there are some lanterns that burn gasoline, I think she meant gas as in propane or LP.


----------



## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Do not throw flour on a fire either. I was visiting a friend one day and her stove caught fire. She grabbed the flour and thru on it. I don't know why she didn't grab the fire extinguisher first. Thankfully she had one. She nearly burnt the house down with the flour.

You can throw baking soda on a fire safely.


----------



## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I have a fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink, one in two different bedrooms upstairs, and one in the garage. We change them out every 2-4 years, as the meter shows they need replacing. I also have lids to cover any pans that might burst into flames as I cook. And I have a wrench out by the gas tank, to turn off gas to the whole house quickly in case of an earthquake, explosion, fire or other emergency.

And because I'm really afraid of a house fire, we have smoke detectors on all levels, and I change the batteries every 6 months. This is one area where I'm super-prepared and always have been, even before I knew was "prepping" meant.


----------



## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

Cabin Fever said:


> Even though there are some lanterns that burn gasoline, I think she meant gas as in propane or LP.


All the Amish I've ever ran into ran their gas lanterns on gasoline. After working around, for, and with Amish for the past 6 years I can attest that they are huge cheapskates. They could be using propane l suppose but that would go against the cheap nature of the Amish. Those little canisters aren't really all that cheap.


----------



## SurvivalBus (Sep 18, 2010)

im always buying oil lamps and Wal-Mart or Yard Sales and lots of wicks, I burn them rather often, I like to do my work at night when every one is asleep, and I like to have a couple lamps going with all the light out in the house,


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

PhilJohnson said:


> All the Amish I've ever ran into ran their gas lanterns on gasoline. After working around, for, and with Amish for the past 6 years I can attest that they are huge cheapskates. They could be using propane l suppose but that would go against the cheap nature of the Amish. Those little canisters aren't really all that cheap.


So tell me more. Are you saying that the Amish use gasoline in a Coleman type lantern? I assumed what lorian was referring to was LP lamps that are plumbed into a LP gas line that runs throughout the Amish home (not the little 1lb LP tanks) similar ot the ones below.


----------



## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

Cabin Fever said:


> So tell me more. Are you saying that the Amish use gasoline in a Coleman type lantern? I assumed what lorian was referring to was LP lamps that are plumbed into a LP gas line that runs throughout the Amish home (not the little 1lb LP tanks) similar ot the ones below.


Never seen those in any Amish houses I've been in. I've seen similar setups in people's cabins.


----------



## coehorn (Jul 29, 2009)

Sarabeth said:


> Who all burns oil lamps on a daily basis? Anybody? I have several, and burn them occassionally. Especially in the winter, I just like the soft light they give. But....I always worry about fire!





My DW got on an inventive streak a short while ago and ran an experiment to see if olive oil would work as fuel. We made a wickholder/handle with a coathanger and installed a piece of cotton cloth for a wick. 

She poured olive oil into a wide-mouth pint jar, soaked the wick and set it to correct height above the level of the oil. We lit it and burned it for several hours on multiple days.

She says the olive oil will not burn even if the jar gets turned over. Food for thought...


----------



## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks for the advice folks! My internet wasn't working yesterday, so I was unable to reply till now. 

Think what I will do is get a couple of large extinguishers also. I'd rather have them and not need them.....

Here's another quick question - do you buy regular kerosene for your lanterns? It sounds like that's what you all are using. I have been buying the lamp oil, but it has gotten terribly expensive! Is it the same thing as kerosene? Where is the best place to get the kerosene?

Thanks!


----------



## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

coehorn said:


> My DW got on an inventive streak a short while ago and ran an experiment to see if olive oil would work as fuel. We made a wickholder/handle with a coathanger and installed a piece of cotton cloth for a wick.
> 
> She poured olive oil into a wide-mouth pint jar, soaked the wick and set it to correct height above the level of the oil. We lit it and burned it for several hours on multiple days.
> 
> She says the olive oil will not burn even if the jar gets turned over. Food for thought...


On another site I recently saw how to make an olive oil lamp. They took a jelly jar, punched a hole in the lid to run a piece of cotton throughh ( I think they used cotton yarn like you make dishcloths with). Then in the jelly jar, fill it half with water and half with olive oil. The reasoning for the water in the bottom was so that it didn't take so much oil to fill the jar, and the olive oil would not go rancid if you didn't burn it for a while. I have been meaning to try this and haven't. It would be a nice use for the interesting shaped small condiment jars that you can't re-use for canning.


----------



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

there are floating wicks that can be made or purchased and floated on veg oil, ccoking oil, olive oil on water - they burn until oil is used up and water hits the wick, or you blow it out. I love using these cause it's easy to use multi use "fuel". And I think it's safer, in general.


----------

