Regular maintenance keeps your oil lamps burning bright
Saturday night high winds turned off the electric to my home for about three hours. My wife and I secured our oil lamps, turned on our wind up radio and stocked the wood stove for what could have been a long period with our modern conveniences.
As I sat reading in the flickering light of my oil lamp, I realized I didn’t know a whole lot about this rather efficient light source. When the power returned, I spent several hours researching this outstanding invention.
The first description of this simple item was provided by Al-Razi in 9th century Baghdad (Book of Secrets). Modern versions were later constructed by Polish inventor Ignacy Lukasiewicz in 1853 and by Robert Dietz around the same time.
Life in America was very different in 1909 compared to the world we live in today. More than half of the population lived on farms or in small towns and hamlets without electric power. Much of the population had never seen an automobile or had running water, in door bathrooms, washers and dryers, telephones, light bulb or mail delivery. With Edison’s enhancement of the 50-year-old light bulb all of that rapidly changed; however, the oil lamp has not gone away. It has proven itself to be one of the best defenses during electrical outages. Surprisingly, this invention has gone through only a few modifications since its initial development in 1853.
Basic care:
Filing: Carefully remove the chimney and unscrew the burner from the lamp. Fill up the lamp with oil; however, leave about 1/2 inch from the top. Reattach the burner.
Chimney cleaning: Gently remove the chimney. Mix a solution of 25 percent vinegar and 75 percent water and add several drops of Dawn dish soap into a spray bottle. Mix the solution by shaking the bottle. Using a soft rag, spray the soot buildup in the chimney, let it set for a minute or two and then gently wipe away the soot. Gently dry and polish the chimney. Note: If you clean the chimney after each use, cleaning will be a breeze.
Trimming the wick: Before you relight the lamp, elevate the wick and trim off the charred portion of the wick, this procedure ensures a quick and clean ignition the next time you use it.
Extinguishing: Please don’t touch the chimney, it’s very hot and will burn you. Just cup your hand at the back of the chimney and blow. The flame will extinguish.
In closing, this invention is and has been very useful throughout the ages. It has given man the ability to see at night which would have other wise ended their day. Please be careful when using it, especially around small children. With improper use they can and do start fires.
If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to nwees@hughes.net or send them to Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do? For more information, go online to www.nwees.com.
Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified indoor environmental professional, forensic, fire, flood, mold Inspection and remediation/restoration contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.