How to Care for and Repair a Hurricane Lamp
In today’s world, a Hurricane Lamp can be defined as any lamp that has a glass chimney or globe over its light source. Its flame can be fueled by oil or kerosene. Or it can have a light bulb and be lit by electricity. Of course, the light bulb doesn’t need protection from winds or drafts. The chimneys of electric Hurricane Lamps are made more for decorative purposes.
Hurricane Lamps come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are made completely of glass, while others have brass lamp bases with glass chimneys attached to them. I have a few of these lamps in my home; most are fueled by oil, while others are operated by electric. Mostly, my Hurricane Lamps are for decoration, but the oil-type sure do come in handy when a storm knocks the household lights out. Oil lamps are generally safer to use than candles with their hot, dripping wax.
Some people collect Hurricane Lamps, especially the antique ones. You can always find them on the auction block at web sites such as eBay.com. The lamps that fetch the highest bids are the ones that are in the best condition. The secret to keeping a Hurricane Lamp in good-working condition is to care for it properly and keep it in good repair.
The first task on the “Care List” is to keep it clean. If the Hurricane Lamp isn’t used, you can pretty much dust it off periodically with a clean, soft cloth. To give it a more thorough cleaning, you’ll need to consider what material it’s made out of. For example, I have an electric Hurricane Lamp that has has handpainted flowers adorning its chimney. Many ammonia-based cleaners such as WindexâÂ?¢ can damage the paint. Therefore, I use a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a quart of warm water and a soft cloth to gently clean it instead. I then rinse it with clean water and carefully dab it dry with another clean, dry cloth.
Many metal lamps can be wiped off with a weak solution of water and a non-ammonia glass cleaner. Brass, especially if it’s tarnished, needs to be cleaned and polished to bring it back to its original luster. There are several products on the market today that will do the trick nicely. Or, you can use rubbing alcohol to remove fingerprints and light soil. Once the brass is cleaned, lightly wipe it with a dust cloth that’s been treated with furniture polish to help protect its finish.
To remove the chimney or globe off an oil-fueled Hurricane Lamp to clean it, gently slide it up and off of the metal tabs located on the base. To replace it, position the glass onto the base and slide it down onto the flexible tabs until it’s held in place again.
The second task on the “Care List” is to keep your lamp in good repair. If the glass chimney of your lamp gets broken, you can often find replacements at your local hardware or home supply store. (I recently had to purchase one of my globes that was broken in an accident with a broom handle.) Or, perform a search on the Internet for the right size, color, and style of chimney or globe you need.
You can also find other replacement parts for your Hurricane Lamp in this same manner. The parts to an oil lamp are basically the oil bowl, burner, wick, and chimney or globe. The wick rolls into the burner and the burner screws onto the oil bowl.
