Kerosene

[Scrounger]

When I was a kid half the people I knew used kerosene because they didn't have electricity. (No, CarpetMan, they didn't run computers and televisions on kerosene,) But yet I know little about it. I just picked up a couple of kerosene lamps from WalMart because of the frequent power outages here, so I have a couple of questions for the more knowledgeable here.
1. How best to store it? (metal, plastic, gas, ?)
2. Shelf life. Does it go bad like gasoline?
3. Silly question. Why is kerosene spelled with an 'e' but gasoline uses an 'i'?
4. Other uses?

[Char-Gar]

I have always like "coal oil" lamps and have about a half dozen around the house. I mostly use lamp oil because the wife object to the smell of Kerosene (I don't).

I recently gave about a dozen more away to my kids.

I have used allot of Kerosene and it comes in gallon metal cans. I pour what I need in the lamps and leave the rest in the metal can until I burn it up or use it to mix Ed's Red.

I have had kerosene around for five or six years and have not noticed it going bad in any way.

[redneckdan]

it can be used as a light machining lubricant with aluminum I believe.

[floodgate]

Scrounger:

I've used it ever since I was a kid and we used Aladdin lamps at a cabin we had in the Eastern Sierras. Here are some answers:

1. It is normally kept in blue plastic cans, to distinguish it from gasoline, in red ones. (We had the old round metal cans in the old days, with a blue stripe painted around the top). Check your local fuel oil distributor for the best price. You can buy a red kerosene and avoid the diesel sales tax; I use it in our Monitor heater, but have never tried it in lamps. (I have a spigot on my fuel line I can tap for lamp use, just in case...);

2. I've never seen any problems with shelf life. Standard Oil used to sell a version they called "Pearl Oil", it left a hard soot in the lamps and stank. If you buy the "odorless" lamp oil, buy it in gallon or larger jugs, but it is still pricier than the bulk kero;

3. Damifino; in the old days (pre WW II) gas was often still spelled "gasolene";

4. Ed's red, general cleanup (it is essentially the same as diesel - can even be run in some diesels, I am told, though I've never tried it) of oily and rusty parts. It has a high flash-point, so is MUCH safer than gasoline (gasolene?) for this purpose. Those scenes of someone shooting at an oil lamp and the saloon goes up in a big fireball are bunk. But you can reach wood ignition temperatures a foot or so above the top of a lamp chimney (don't ask!).

floodgate

[schutzen]

Kerosene is best stored in a plastic container. They sell blue plastic containers that have the label kerosene molded in the side. These are convenient, but the real reason you want plastic is the water that condenses in the metal cans. Depending on your local climate, in 3-5 years a metal cans develop rust on the inside. Nothing that burns kerosene likes rust.

[Bigjohn]

I have a drum (4 Gal) in the shed which I have been drawing what I needed from it, for over 12 years. It still works, sheet metal drum, keep the lid on tight.

Did you know that 'Kero' is the most powerful liquid in the world as the following story relates?

Li' Johnny was sitting on a fence starring into a small bottle containing a blue liquid. He was so intent at watching the liquid as he swirled it around in the bottle that he did not see the local pastor/preist approach.

The preist asked, Johnny, what have you got there? and Johnny answered, "A bottle of the most powerful liquid in the world, Father."

The preist said as he removed a small bottle containing some Holy Water from his pocket, "Oh no Johnny, this here is 'Holy' water; the most powerful liquid in the world. Why, just a drop or two of this washes away all the sins of mankind."

Johnny replies, "Father, I just applied a little of this liquid kero under the tail of a cat and when I released the cat, it overtook a Harley Davidson and rider doing about 60 kph down the road.":-D

John

[wills]

(No, CarpetMan, they didn't run computers and televisions on kerosene,)

He has a ewe running on a treadmill to power his computer. Where is he anyway? Havent seen him on here in a couple of days.

[Scrounger]

John, what is 60 KPH, about 37 miles per hour? Sounds faster as 60 KPH.
Wills, I think he's on the tradmill too, trying to catch the ewe...

[Bigjohn]

John, what is 60 KPH, about 37 miles per hour? Sounds faster as 60 KPH.
Wills, I think he's on the tradmill too, trying to catch the ewe...

It certainly does sound faster but you are right it works out to about 37mph.

Here in Aust. 110 Kmh is the open road maximum approx. 55mph., 60 kph is the around town/city maximum limit approx 37 mph.

Yes, I have noted carpetmans absence as well; his quips can be quite humourous, I hope all is well with him and his family.

As well as some of the other characters who frequent this forum, they make it worth while checking in here.

John.

[DLCTEX]

I have had the same kero. in my emergency lamps for 17 years and it still burns fine. This winter I burned diesel in my kero. shop heater and I think it produced less smell than kero. The current road diesel now is low sulphur, which I think was what produced the smell and carbon buildup if used with the old diesel. When I smell kero fumes, it brings back memories of being at Grannies and hearing the clunk, clunk of the gravity feed of the "coal oil" heater. Dale

[Slowpoke]

My kerosene lamps are gathering dust these days, they have been replaced by D cell LED flashlights.

good luck

[Steve E]

When I was a kid I remember a guy that a 1 ton truck with a covered back that you could walk up into and buy some of the essentials(kinda like a rolling store) and candy(to a 5 yr old candy was essential) but he had a big square drum(maybe 50 gal.) on the back of his truck that contained Kero. We called him The Peddler. Brings back some memories.

Steve E.............

[Four Fingers of Death]

110klicks is more like 66mph.

I used to love th eold kero heaters, but when I got with the wife, she detested the smell of them. It's strange how smokers are the first o complain about smells :D