I ordered a Genie for our home and the same for my Dad for Christmas. He is not necessarily into homesteading but finds it interesting. I think he will like it even if only for when the electric is out.

The light comparison chart at Lehman's says they put out slightly more light than a 60 watt bulb. That sounds great!

Does anyone have any comments about this type of lamp or helpful hints about using one? Thanks!

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), December 12, 2000

Answers

I have a number of Aladdin lamps and generally like them. I haven't been using them this year though. First they put out a lot of heat and you must keep them well below the ceiling, and in the camper I'm living in there just isn't room for that. Even with the lamp on the table the ceiling gets hotter than I'd like. Second problem is the mantels are fragile and expensive. I bought some a few years ago and paid about $3 each, when I bought a dozen. They doubled in price after the company changed hands a bit over a year ago. I had hoped that with the Y2K panic behind us the price would drop, but the last time I checked it hadn't. Third they are not safe to leave unattended. They can (very rarely, but occasionally do) turn into flame-throwers. I've never had a lamp go into a full "run-away" mode, but I've had the mantles soot up and that's the first stage.

I'm using a propane lantern most of the time now. The fuel costs more, but I'm about to get an adapter that will let me refill the non-refillable tanks. You can also get adapters to run a lantern off of a 20lb BBQ tank, but I don't have room for that. The biggest problem with the propane lamp I have is that it hisses a lot.

If you want to depend on the Aladdin for emergancy use, get 2 or 3 extra mantles.

==>paul

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), December 12, 2000.

Wonderful piece of equipment! Bright light! Love them! End of accolades - also dangerous unless monitered carefully! We had one when we lived in Alaska, and it gave light, in my opinion, close to that of a 100 watt bulb. HOWEVER, it was necessary to closely monitor the "flame". A trip to the "bathroom" was sufficient to let the flame turn into the equivalent of a chimney fire, and I had to actually take the whole lamp out to extinguish it in the snow. Not a fun time. Be careful and they are wonderful. Be less than attentive and look for another place to live! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), December 12, 2000.

I echo all the above statements.

Another hint I will tell you is when you put them out, blow them out. They can not be extinguished just by lowering the wick. They may look out when you do that, but they are not. Blow them out first gently so that you can actually see the flame extinguish in your breath.

I almost caused a ceiling fire one time when I lowered a wick and thought the flame was out, but it wasn't.

The mantles are extremely fragile once they have been lit for the first time. Avoid touching them.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), December 13, 2000.

Wicks will last years if you are careful with the lamp. I only use kerosene or clear lamp oil. The colored lamp oil will give you fits. Sometimes ours is used for fun but it is perfect when the electricity is out and this happens. I love ours and we have many other lamps. We have had it over 20 years. DW in Colo.

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), December 14, 2000.