View Single Post
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
Stormin Mormon Stormin Mormon is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,530
Default OT - Heat output of oil lamp

If it's enough, then an oil lamp or two or more. Could be used for
heat when the power is off, or the propane tank is empty.

A few votive candles will keep you from freezing to death.


I had a friend who lived in the woods for a while. On a cold night he
would light a few candles.

CY: Well, candles do have flame, and do put out "a little" heat.
Another writer says maybe 50 BTU per hour.


I just checked Vermont oil lamps, and they claim thair 1/2" wick
lamps
consume roughly 1/2 ounce per hour - so a 1" wick should burn an
ounce
an hour. Either my numbers for a candle are off or the heat value of
wax is a lot higher than kero - which is POSSIBLE, but liquid
parrafin
puts out less LIGHT than kero in a wick lamp, so?????


I think, perhaps, one too many conversions in the calculations
somewhere. Ed's figure looks about right. In the neighborhood of 1000
BTUs/Hr for a standard oil lamp. Perhaps a bit less.

CY: I ran some numbers, and 1,000 BTU per ounce is more or less
correct.

It may not be worth cleaning up the smoke and smudge.

CY: Yes, candles do put out a lot of soot. I would only use candles
for emergency heat. And then as a last resort.