I'm having problems with my lamp's performance, what is wrong?
- Chimney keeps cracking — make sure to let your lamp warm up for 10 minutes before turning it up to full power
- Black spots on mantle – let your lamp warm up for 20 minutes; to remove: turn down the wick—the spots will slowly burn off
- Only part of the mantle is glowing – the flame spreader may be too high (bottom part lit) or too low (upper part lit)
- The wick is hard to light/flames spike — clean the top of the wick with a wick cleaner; don’t turn lamp up too high too fast
- Lamp is not very bright – if lamp is used above 3,000’, try using a high output chimney to increase the draft
What type of fuel should be used in Aladdins?
- Aladdin lamp oil or K-1 kerosene (clear only) are recommended for the best performance (kerosene has an odor and will smoke)
- KleanHeat can be used if Aladdin lamp oil or K-1 kerosene is not available (caution: KleanHeat may burn hotter than kerosene)
- Do NOT use: Ultra Pure or paraffin oil (because they are too thick to travel up large wicks) or colored/dyed oil
What else do I need to purchase with my Aladdin Lamp?
- Aladdin lamps come complete with a mantle, wick, chimney, etc. as well as a detailed Aladdin owner's manual (#3313); suggested:
- Lamp fuel (kerosene or Aladdin lamp oil) – essential for the running of the lamp
- Mantles – they are very fragile and are essential for use, so it’s good to have a couple extra on hand; last 3 months
- Wicks – need replaced about every 6 months on regular use, so it’s good to have a couple extra on-hand
- Chimney – chimneys will never wear out, but could break if dropped or crack if lamp is heated too quickly, so it’s good to have an extra
- Flame Spreader – most easily lost part when changing wick; absolutely critical for use, so it’s good to have a spare around
- Other parts/accessories:
- Shade –Lamps come without a shade (unless you purchase a kit that says it includes the lamp and shade); don’t forget the shade ring or tripod
- Electric burner – For some versatility, consider buying an electric burner to be able to use lamp with or without electricity
- Bug screens – good idea to keep bugs from falling down into the chimney and breaking the mantle
How do I know what replacement parts I need for my aladdin?
- The first thing you need to know is the model # of the Aladdin (model # is found on the wick raiser knob)
- All of the parts that we have are matched with the model #s that they will work for.
- Some parts for very old Aladdins are no longer made; check eBay or antique stores (see the Antique Aladdin Lamp Dealers list)
Do I need all of the parts (Mantle, Chimney, Flame Spreader, Etc.) for my lamp to work?
- Yes!! All parts are extremely important, and the lamp cannot function properly without all of the parts in working order. The mantle is the light emitting portion of the lamp. Without the flame spreader, the wick will not burn with a blue flame and the mantle will not glow. Without a chimney, the lamp will not draw oxygen and the lamp could overheat.
Do Aladdins provide more light than a flat wick lamp?
- Yes--Aladdins use a mantle which provides the light instead of the wick. The light produced is equivalent to 6-7 flat wick lamps combined.
Is there a lot of maintenance involved with Aladdin Lamps?
- There is a little more than with a flat wick lamp because they use a mantle will need to be replaced several times a year if used regularly; the wick will also need to be cleaned from time to time as well as the burner, gallery and flame spreader.
Can I change from using a Lox-on Chimney to a Heel-less?
- Yes—you will need to replace the gallery/burner with a new heel-less version.
Do I have to use an Aladdin Chimney, or can I use one from one of my other oil lamps?
- You must use an Aladdin chimney! They are specifically designed for high heat – other chimneys could crack.
What is the "high output" chimney and what's the difference between that and a regular chimney?
- High Output chimneys are about 3” taller than regular chimneys to increase the amount of draft which in turn, creates a brighter light
- H.O. chimneys are required at elevations of 3,000 ft. and above for proper burning; at sea level, they can increase brightness up to 20%
What has changed with the newest Maxbrite 500 version?
- The burner has been tightened up and closes gaps to improve air leaks, which then creates brighter light and less spiking.
- New MAXbrite parts: knob, burner basket and outer wick tube, flame spreader, chimney; staying the same: gallery, wick, wick raiser
What is the difference between a table lamp and a shelf lamp?
- There is no difference in the working parts--burner, mantle, etc.; table lamps are preferred for reading, as the light is higher off the table
- Table lamps will not fit into a wall bracket—only shelf lamps can be hung on the wall
Will any shade work on my Aladdin lamp?
- Aladdin shades are specifically designed for high heat – other shades could crack (glass) or catch fire (parchment). Using a non-Aladdin shade is NOT recommended!
How do I know if my lamp is an Aladdin?
- All Aladdins have the name “Aladdin” and the model # printed on the wick raiser knob (models 1-4 don’t have the number)
- If there is no name on the knob, check on the fuel cap or flame spreader (inside the round wick) for wording
- Commonly mistaken for Aladdins: "Rayo", "B&H", “Rochester”, “Miller” (hint: Rayos don't use a mantle)
- If it doesn't use a mantle, it is not an Aladdin; Aladdins commonly have taller, more slender chimneys than other types of lamps
- Website for the National Association of Aladdin Lamp Collectors, Inc.: click here for details
- The flame is probably too high, so turn the wick down. The wick should not be visible after it is lit. The optimal flame height is about 1”. After that, the flame becomes erratic and a lot of smoke is produced.
- If you are using kerosene, it will smoke more than other fuels. Consider switching to KleanHeat or Aladdin lamp oil.
- Kerosene, KleanHeat, and Aladdin lamp oil burn the brightest.
- Keep your font at least 1/2 full so the fuel doesn’t have as far to travel up the wick.
- Keep your wick trimmed neatly (no stray strings or excess carbon build-up; shaping your wick to a point or with trimmed corners can often produce more light than wicks cut straight across or rounded.
- Keep your chimney clean; excess soot build-up will dim the light.
- Yes! Pay attention to wick size. The wider the wick, the brighter the light will be.#3 burners will burn the brightest because they have the widest wick – 1 1/2”.
- Lamps with a double wick will obviously burn brighter than lamps with only a single wick.
- Most antique lamps will take a solid brass #2 burner, however, you should measure the inside diameter of the threads on the collar to ensure that you get the correct size.
- Threads on the inside, you need a solid brass burner; threads on the outside, you need a brass plated burner.
- #00 Acorn or Nutmeg – 11/16”
- #1 Gem Arctic , #0 or #1 Queen Anne – 7/8”
- #2 Queen Anne – 1 3/16”
- #3 Queen Anne – 1 3/16” or 1 3/4”
- Duplex – 1 1/2”
- Rayo – 2 1/4”
What size wick do I need?
- If the lamp still has a wick in it, measure the diameter of the old wick.
- Measure the width of the wick opening on the underside of the burner.
- #00 Acorn or Nutmeg – 3/8” – 5/16”
- #1 Gem Arctic and Queen Anne – 1/2”
- #2 Queen Anne – 1 5/8”
- Queen Anne – 3/4” - 7/8”
- Queen Anne - 1 1/2"
- Duplex - 1" = 1 1/16" (x2)
- Chimney height and bulge diameter are not too important, however, the base diameter needs to be measured closely.
- Measure the fitter size on the burner (in between the tines) to determine the base diameter you need.
- #00 Acorn or Nutmeg – 1 1/8"
- #0 Queen Anne - 2 1/8"
- #1 Gem Artic - 1 5/8"
- #1 Queen Anne – 2 1/2" - 2 5/8"
- #2 Queen Anne - 2 7/8" - 3"
- #3 Queen Anne - 3"
- Duplex - 2 1/2"
- Rayo - 2 5/8"
- For an existing shade ring, measure the inside diameter of the ring, or for a tripod, measure from the end of the tripod to the center of the burner and multiply by 2.
- If there is no existing shade ring/tripod, usually any size will work as long as you buy the correct shade ring and tripod.
- Also take into consideration the size of the lamp – a shade too large could make the lamp too top-heavy.
- Most lamps and lanterns, will work with Kerosene, KleanHeat, Aladdin lamp oil, liquid paraffin, or regular lamp oil.
- Kerosene, KleanHeat, and Aladdin lamp oil will wick-up well, and burn more brightly than liquid paraffin.
- Also take into consideration the size of the lamp – a shade too large could make the lamp too top-heavy.
- Liquid paraffin should not be used in a lamp with a wick over 1/2” because it is too thick to travel up the wick.
- Olive oil cannot be used be used because it will not travel up the wick.
- If they are all on the same gas line, the further the light is from the source, the dimmer each one will get.
- The more lights that are on the same gas line, the dimmer each one will be.
- Turn on: Light a match. Turn the gas flow to the lamp “ON”. Light the mantle with the match.
- Turn off: Turn the switch to the gas flow “OFF”.
- Equivalent to about 65-70 watts.
What size chimney do I need?
What size shade do I need?
What type of fuel should I use?
Why are some of my gas lights brighter than others?
How do I turn the lights on and off?
How bright are gas lights?
- Taken from the “I Didn’t Know That Olive Oil Would Burn!” book.
- No, because olive oil does not wick up like other fuels. That is why the top of the wick and the flame is so close to the oil in an olive oil lamp.
- No! Use of kerosene or lamp oil would be unsafe – the entire surface could catch fire.
- Olive oil burns the cleanest and the best, but the following may also be tried, but may not produce consistent results: sunflower, canola, safflower, peanut, sesame, walnut, grape seed, corn, hemp, and soy.
- Do NOT use any type of fuel like kerosene – the flame is too close to the fuel and the whole thing could catch fire.
- Yes. You can add essential oils of your choice and also pieces of aromatic amber directly to the olive oil in your lamp. Experiment with a few drops at first. Don’t use tinctures, which may contain water and would interfere with burning.
- Drafts of air around the flame will cause it to flicker. The drafts could be in the room or caused by the flame itself within the container.
- Sometimes a wick is too long or ragged and will draw more fuel than can be evenly handled and will cause flickering.
- Cold rooms can be a cause of flickering, as the difference in temperature inside and outside the jar may cause turbulent air exchanges.
- Sputtering is usually caused by water in the wick. When you clean the jar, make sure that it is completely dry before adding oil. In humid conditions, water may condense from the air onto the inside of the jar. When this happens, you will probably need to change wicks. If the old wick has length left to it, wash it in soapy water, rinse it, blot it, and hang in a warm place to dry thoroughly.
- Often an olive oil lamp will smoke because the wick needs trimmed. Smoking can also occur if the lamp is sitting in a draft or if it is making its own draft because of uneven drawing of air into the flame.
- It may also smoke if it has burned all of the oil that it can draw up to the burning height of the wick, and it will then begin to burn the wick instead of the oil.
- Remove the metal wick holder and the wick from the lamp. Wipe the lamp with a piece of tissue or paper towel to remove as much oil as possible. Then wash the jar in warm, soapy water. Rinse the jar and blot it, and then let in a warm place to dry thoroughly.
- Do NOT add fuel if the inside of the font has any moisture!
- The wicks are flat because the opening in the burner is a U-shaped slot. As the wick is fed through the burner to the top, the wick is formed into a circle, making it round.
- Look on the wick raiser. It may say “Aladdin” or have a model number – if the lamp uses a mantle, it’s an Aladdin.
- If there is nothing on the wick raiser knob, look at the flame spreader (metal part inside the wick) – it may say a name on it, like “Rayo”, “Success”, or “B&H”, which most likely means you have a Rayo.
- Take the burner out and look at the wick. If the wick has 2 tails and it round on the top, it is an Aladdin. If the wick is flat at both ends it is probably a French round wick lamp if the bottom of the burner looks like a “U”.
- Yes. You will not have a nice flame if the wick is not even. After feeding the wick into the burner, you can use a wick trimmer or very sharp scissors to trim the top of the wick to make it even the whole way around.
