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Hot Ceiling from fuel lamp

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Stormin Mormon

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Dec 1, 2009, 9:21:58 PM12/1/09
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Does a kerosene or propane lamp create enough heat to be a
fire hazard? When hung from a cup hook, from the ceiling?

Is a heat shield needed?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

aemeijers

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Dec 1, 2009, 10:21:33 PM12/1/09
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Stormin Mormon wrote:
> Does a kerosene or propane lamp create enough heat to be a
> fire hazard? When hung from a cup hook, from the ceiling?
>
> Is a heat shield needed?
>

Based on the cabin we had when I was a kid, I'd say yes, at least if it
is hung that close. The upper parts of the lamp got way too hot to
touch, and would singe paper. They also weigh way more than a cup hook
is rated for- you want a big S-hook into solid wood, not some itty-bitty
thing half an inch into a trim board. If a hot lamp falls and spills,
then you have a real fire hazard. I refer you to Mrs. O'Leary's cow, or
any old western movie where they have a fight in the old mine. We
usually used a sheet of shiny metal as a light reflector above or behind
the lamp- one of those old silver hot pads with heat-resistant back
would be ideal, but a patterned stainless stove backsplash would
probably work well too. Or even a sheet of galvanized with an air space
behind it.

--
aem sends...

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Dec 1, 2009, 10:30:20 PM12/1/09
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On Dec 1, 8:21 pm, "Stormin Mormon"

Try it, sit/stand by with a fire extinguisher, if it doesn't smoke or
discolor the ceiling after a couple of hours, you might be safe?????

Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 8:11:33 AM12/2/09
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From what I heard from field reporters. Some lamps such as
Alladin are far too hot to have near a ceiling. The wick
type lamps I've got, don't seem to be a problem. I ran two,
last night. For an hour. One, the ceiling was about 95F or
so, and the other was about 115.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"hr(bob) hof...@att.net" <hrho...@att.net> wrote in
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Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 8:15:27 AM12/2/09
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There are a variety of different oil lamps. The two I was
using are on the smallish side. The larger of the two, I
just put on a postal scale, and find out out weighs 1 pound
2 ounces (not much fuel; probably get up around a pound, 4
ounces if it was full).

I'd rather have a hot lamp hanging out of the way, compared
to on most of the flat surfaces I've got. These are smallish
lamps.

Aparently, other folks have bigger or brighter lamps, which
put out more heat.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"aemeijers" <aeme...@att.net> wrote in message
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Jim Elbrecht

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Dec 2, 2009, 8:27:19 AM12/2/09
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On Tue, 1 Dec 2009 19:30:20 -0800 (PST), "hr(bob) hof...@att.net"
<hrho...@att.net> wrote:

>On Dec 1, 8:21�pm, "Stormin Mormon"
><cayoung61**spambloc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Does a kerosene or propane lamp create enough heat to be a
>> fire hazard? When hung from a cup hook, from the ceiling?
>>
>> Is a heat shield needed?

-snip-


>Try it, sit/stand by with a fire extinguisher, if it doesn't smoke or
>discolor the ceiling after a couple of hours, you might be safe?????

I think *might* is the key. The sheetrock on the ceiling might just
discolor- but stay cool enough to not burn. But the joist on the
other side has no ventilation, so it dries out, heats up, and 2 months
from now you leave the lamp on by mistake, go to bed, and wake up with
the flames licking up a wall.

A heat shield is pretty cheap and can even be decorative. Even a
tile with an air space behind it could save the day.

Of course if you have those 10 foot ceilings like they did back in the
days when those lamps were in common use, you could drop the lamp down
3 feet from the ceiling and only have the soot to contend with.

Jim

nor...@earthlink.net

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Dec 2, 2009, 8:40:13 AM12/2/09
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Stormin Mormon wrote:
> From what I heard from field reporters. Some lamps such as
> Alladin are far too hot to have near a ceiling. The wick
> type lamps I've got, don't seem to be a problem. I ran two,
> last night. For an hour. One, the ceiling was about 95F or
> so, and the other was about 115.
>

Oil lamps all smoke a good deal, even if you don't see it. Up close to
the ceiling, when some smoke collects, might you set up a "flashover"?

Existential Angst

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Dec 2, 2009, 8:40:44 AM12/2/09
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"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hf4j28$7l9$2...@news.eternal-september.org...

> Does a kerosene or propane lamp create enough heat to be a
> fire hazard? When hung from a cup hook, from the ceiling?

Overall, candles and fueled lamps/heaters are sposedly THE #1 cause of all
fires.

The consequences of ANY mishap with these things are so extensive, and often
beyond our immediate control or anticipation, that I eliminate even the
*thought* of these things in my household.

Multiply this paranoia by 1,000,000 with kids around. Or rambunctious pets.
Or numerous wives. Heh.....

Not tryna be a killjoy, but the tragedies with these things are just legion.
Accidents have happenned just in *filling* these things, improperly storing
the fuel, you name it.

If yer camping etc, that's one thing, but around a regular domicile, our
guard gets naturally lax.

--
EA

Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 9:28:42 AM12/2/09
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As a former fire fighter, I'm not sure you use the word
"flashover" the way firemen do.

I couldn't see any vapors or smoke over the lamp. Trace of
soot inside the glass.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


<nor...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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Pete C.

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Dec 2, 2009, 9:51:25 AM12/2/09
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Stormin Mormon wrote:
>
> Does a kerosene or propane lamp create enough heat to be a
> fire hazard? When hung from a cup hook, from the ceiling?
>
> Is a heat shield needed?

Screw the cup kook through an aluminum (disposable) pie pan and you
should get an adequate heat shield / reflector. Hang with an extra S
hook to hang it a bit lower too.

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Dec 2, 2009, 9:53:05 AM12/2/09
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On Dec 1, 8:21 pm, "Stormin Mormon"
<cayoung61**spambloc...@hotmail.com> wrote:

What about using an LED light, like the kind that recharge in sunlight
and line pathways at night. There are even lights that have a
separate collector and spotlight. That would be much safer even if a
little more $$$

Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 11:54:59 AM12/2/09
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Very good idea. The couple small lamps I have don't seem to
put out enough heat to be an issue. Other lamps do put out
heat.

I was thinking a length of chain and a mini caribeaner for
more distance from the ceiling. S-hook or mini beaner would
work. Excellent ideas.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Pete C." <aux3....@snet.net> wrote in message
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Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 11:56:46 AM12/2/09
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Ideally, LED or other battery lights for power cuts. I've
had a couple moments when the power cut is winter time, and
the bit of heat from burning lamp oil sure feels good.

Harbor Freight has a "shed light" with remote solar panel.
I'm guessing the internal batteries are poor quality, but
some good with electric can wire in a set of nicads in
parallel.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"hr(bob) hof...@att.net" <hrho...@att.net> wrote in
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Smitty Two

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Dec 2, 2009, 12:06:46 PM12/2/09
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In article <4b166e5e$0$31270$607e...@cv.net>,
"Existential Angst" <UNfi...@UNoptonline.net> wrote:

> Overall, candles and fueled lamps/heaters are sposedly THE #1 cause of all
> fires.

Tis the season to recall the time I dutifully unplugged the Xmas tree
lights prior to leaving the house for a few hours, and came home to
discover that I had left two candles burning under the tree.

terry

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Dec 2, 2009, 12:50:28 PM12/2/09
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On Dec 1, 11:21 pm, "Stormin Mormon"

Quite possibly; yes. Back 50 to 100 years ago when typical oil lamps
with, say, a one inch wide wick, were installed on wall brackets, not
even close to the ceiling, a heat shield and light reflector was often
used. Such lamps were often used on boats (sailing schooners etc.).
PS. If you have to ask then the answer is 'for sure'!

nor...@earthlink.net

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:18:55 PM12/2/09
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One of my mother's chores as a girl was to watch the Christmas tree
whenever the candles on it were lit! I cannot even imagine having a
candle in the same room with a natural Christmas tree.....we burned one
one year after we were done with it. It is truly an awesome sight to
see a 5' tree sending flames 20' into the air!

nor...@earthlink.net

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:23:43 PM12/2/09
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I recall seeing modern lamps for boats, but seems that they had heat
shields above which were part of the mounting device.

Also recall the days before some family members had electricity in their
home - kerosene lamps, hung on wall. Of course, those lamps were low
enough to reach for lighting and refilling, and the ceilings were
probably 9' or 10'. They also had some sort of "fire extinguisher"
hanging on another wall - a glass globe with some sort of fluid inside.
In retrospect, I can't imagine those having much effect on a fire.

Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:40:29 PM12/2/09
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After asking, I did a practical test, and find out the
ceiling (in this case) didn't get very hot (with the two
lamps I have).

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"terry" <tsan...@nf.sympatico.ca> wrote in message
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Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:43:13 PM12/2/09
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Opens up the question. And.... do what? I can imagine that a
christmas tree flambe would be incredible to watch. And what
would a person of any type do about it? Hope she had a huge
fire extinguisher on hand.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


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Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:44:20 PM12/2/09
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I'm sure the wall brackets are still made. The glass globes
were probably carbon tetrachloride. They would have been
better with a bucket of water.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


<nor...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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Ralph Mowery

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Dec 2, 2009, 2:59:37 PM12/2/09
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"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hf6g4e$bnf$2...@news.eternal-september.org...

> I'm sure the wall brackets are still made. The glass globes
> were probably carbon tetrachloride. They would have been
> better with a bucket of water.
>
> --

The carbon tetrachloride chemical made a good fire stopper. The problem is
it is also very dangerous to people. If you do not get liver damage from it
by it getting on your skin, the hot vapors transform into another gas that
will kill..
You put out the fire and die by the chemical.

If anyone has the glass balls filled with it or any of the extinguishers
that were usually a brass container with a pump , they should be disposed of
by the proper method and never used to fight a fire.


Stormin Mormon

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Dec 2, 2009, 4:39:31 PM12/2/09
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And, the "proper method" would be? I've got antique carbon
tet extinguisher, some where. Long since dried out, but I do
have some carbon tet in a glass bottle, some where. I use it
very occasionally when a nonpolar solvent is needed.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Ralph Mowery" <rmower...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
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aemeijers

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Dec 2, 2009, 6:54:32 PM12/2/09
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Stormin Mormon wrote:
> There are a variety of different oil lamps. The two I was
> using are on the smallish side. The larger of the two, I
> just put on a postal scale, and find out out weighs 1 pound
> 2 ounces (not much fuel; probably get up around a pound, 4
> ounces if it was full).
>
> I'd rather have a hot lamp hanging out of the way, compared
> to on most of the flat surfaces I've got. These are smallish
> lamps.
>
> Aparently, other folks have bigger or brighter lamps, which
> put out more heat.
>

I still say use a GOOD hook, not some dinky little cup hook. If it
falls, even if it doesn't start a fire, hot oil all over the place (like
on skin) would be a bad day.

--
aem sends...

terry

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Dec 3, 2009, 2:55:56 PM12/3/09
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On Dec 2, 6:39 pm, "Stormin Mormon"

<cayoung61**spambloc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> And, the "proper method" would be? I've got antique carbon
> tet extinguisher, some where. Long since dried out, but I do
> have some carbon tet in a glass bottle, some where. I use it
> very occasionally when a nonpolar solvent is needed.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
>  www.lds.org
> .
>
> "Ralph Mowery" <rmowery28...@earthlink.net> wrote in message

>
> news:gNWdnYRF5uCLWovW...@earthlink.com...
>
> The carbon tetrachloride  chemical made a good fire stopper.
> The problem is
> it is also very dangerous to people.  If you do not get
> liver damage from it
> by it getting on your skin, the hot vapors transform into
> another gas that
> will kill..
> You put out the fire and die by the chemical.
>
> If anyone has the glass balls filled with it or any of the
> extinguishers
> that were usually a brass container with a pump , they
> should be disposed of
> by the proper method and never used to fight a fire.

IIRC they contained carbon tetrachloride. Now declared poisonous?
Also recall the brass pump variety sometimes used in vehicles.
Same fluid we used plentifully for cleaning greasy machine parts.
Occasionally someone would steal one of those globes off the wall if
short of 'Carbon-tet' for cleaning purposes!
That was some 60 to 65 years ago when was an apprentice!

Stormin Mormon

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Dec 3, 2009, 8:52:56 PM12/3/09
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Your memory is good.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"terry" <tsan...@nf.sympatico.ca> wrote in message

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The Daring Dufas

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Dec 4, 2009, 2:38:09 AM12/4/09
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That TV show wasn't on 60 to 65 years ago. *snicker*

TDD

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