You have your preferred oil and your wick. Now, let’s look into the rest of the oil lamp’s components to complete.
An oil lamp’s essential parts include; the fuel stored in the fuel chamber, the wick held by the burner, and the wick knob that controls the size and intensity of the flame.
It also has the globe of the lamp or chimney where exhaust gases are released, and oxygen may enter to keep the light burning.
When it comes to using an oil lamp, you’ll be surprised by how simple the process is.
First, start by carefully removing the chimney and the burner so that no pieces are broken or displaced. And then, you can now fill the chamber with oil. Make sure not to fill it up entirely. You must allow 1/2 to 1 inch between the oil and the chamber cover.
Next, allow up to one hour for the wick to absorb the liquid fuel. The burner’s color change can also indicate that the wick has soaked in the oil, especially if it feels greasy to the touch.
After you’ve got all those covered and done, you can now set the wick on fire. Adjusting the flame size using the knob can help you ensure no black smoke comes from the wick.
Then, put the chimney back on top of the burner. You should know that the chimney may intensify the flame if you’re using Kerosene. In that case, you can pull down the wick until the fire is steady.
When turning off the lamp, you can cup your palm over the chimney at a 45-degree angle and blow softly but quickly to extinguish the flame.
As an additional tip, you will be burning the wick rather than the fuel if you do not allow the wick to soak with oil – fuel runs to the heated end of the wick, where it vaporizes due to capillary action. The vapor rather than the wick provides heat and light.
Finally, make sure you always fill Kerosene lights outside the house. Mop up any spills right away. Because Kerosene is very flammable, never leave a kerosene lamp alone and carefully handle the fuel.
I really appreciate the details you’ve put in the process on how to use an oil lamp. I recently discovered three vintage oil lamps, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I suppose you could say that I have an old soul. Once again, many thanks for this blog. 🙂 Wishing you all the best for the day.