Antique Kerosene Lamps Will Beautify Your Home -- But How Do They Work?
Kerosene lamps were the main source of light in most households in the late nineteenth century. Many antique kerosene lamps are still available today in antique shops, though they are often found (as genuine treasures) at flea markets and yard sales. Called paraffin lamps in the United Kingdom, antique kerosene lamps ranged from very plain to extremely ornate, and were made from all varieties of metal (from iron to brass) and glass. The very ornate ones are highly valued as collectibles, and are lovely on a piano, or mounted and hanging on a wall. Some have flower or dragonfly images painted on the globes.
There are two main classifications of antique kerosene lamps. A wick lamp burns fuel as it is soaked up from a fuel reservoir through a cloth (usually cotton) wick, while a pressure lamp has a very thin tube that feeds the pressurized fuel up to the mantle for burning. Wick lamps are often known as oil lamps and usually have some sort of wick adjustment.
This is normally just a small knob that protrudes from the side of the wick assembly and allows the wick to be moved up and down. When the top of the wick is lit, it produces a yellow flame. Capillary action moves the oil up the wick, and the lamp will generally burn until the oil is depleted. The height of the wick controls the size of the flame, and therefore, the amount of light that the antique kerosene lamp will produce. When turned up too high, the burning wick will produce unburned carbon soot in the form of black smoke.
The flame is protected by a globe, which, in most antique kerosene lamps, was made of clear glass. These are typically known today as hurricane lamps. Besides protecting the flame from air, the globe protects people and property from fire hazard. Additionally, the globe causes an updraft, which carries more air past the flame, creating a brighter flame than would be produced without the updraft.
Some globes are backed by a shiny backdrop called a projector, which throws even more light. Pressurized antique kerosene lamps built with a fuel tank at the bottom and a small pump which pressurizes the fuel. The fuel moves up narrow gap up to the top of the lamp (the flue). At the top of the lamp there is an outlet. Just under the burner is a mantle, a fabric bag that has been coated with incandescent chemicals. The mantle glows when heated by the gas flame, producing a much brighter light than a wick lamp.
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