How to Care for Your Oil Lamp
Oil lamps come in several different styles, and can burn both bottled oil, and kerosene as well. If you plan to use both in your lamp, remember to always clean the lamp well if you switch from oil to kerosene, or kerosene to oil. Make sure the bottle of lamp oil or kerosene is sealed well and put away before you light the lamp. Wash the chimney of your oil lamp after each time you use it to clear away any soot that may have accumulated.
To keep your oil lamp well maintained, you should know how to light it properly, to prolong the life of the wick. If the wick is new, let it become saturated in the oil before you light it. It should be wet all the way to the top of the wick. To light it, take off the chimney, the glass part on the top of the lamp. Turn the little knob on the lamp’s side.This will raise and lower the wick. Raise the wick just enough to be able to touch a lit match to it, but no higher. When it is lit, quickly and carefully put the chimney back on, and turn down the wick.The flame will be small and smokeless when properly lit. The wick should be below the top of the orifice where it comes out from.
Keeping the burner clean is important as well. The air intake holes can be cleaned out with a paper clip that’s been straightened. Poke it into the holes to remove any grime. This is especially necessary if your flame produces smoke, which usually indicates that the holes are clogged. If your wick is burning unevenly, you can trim it with a pair of scissors.
When cleaning your oil lamp, or if it needs to be fixed or adjusted, you should always make sure first that the flame is completely out. Then let the lamp cool completely before proceeding with any repairs or cleaning. To extinguish the lamp correctly, you need to blow into the top of the chimney. Don’t turn the wick down to extinguish the flame. If you need to get any replacement parts for your oil lamp, or a new wick, you can easily purchase parts, like new wicks, burners, or chimneys at a hardware store.
The proper care and use of your oil lamps is important to keep them working right when you need them the most. Take good care of them and they will take good care of you.
