Can you buy paraffin at a reasonable price?

[thesawls]

Could try Rest Express.co.uk

[mogga]

About the same price as B&Q and presumably with delivery cost on top.

[harryagain]

You are being conned. Just use (central) heating oil. ie find someone with oil fired heating & ask to draw a bit off the tank Also TVO (used in some tractors is the same stuff.

[michael adams]

There's nothing as evocative as smells IMO, and the smell of a paraffin heater is quite distinctive.

It's probably a bit late now, but in answer to your original question back there in August, would you consider moving to Japan ? Somewhat surprisingly maybe, given the amount of wood in their houses

- allegedly - according to Wiki anyway

In some countries, particularly in Japan, they are used as the primary source of home heat. Most kerosene [paraffin ] heaters produce between

3.3 and 6.8 kW (11000 to 23000 BTU per hour).

The high prices being charged nowadays in the UK presumably reflect low demand and the fact that its simply no longer economical to maintain an efficient supply chain from manufacturer to retail customer*. As with a lot of these things, its not the actual cost of the material that you mainly pay for, but the costs involved in supplying it to you.

*Saying which, it may be possible to buy it relatively cheaply by the tank load as maybe supplied to horticultural users.

michael adams

...

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I know we used tohave greenhouse heaters that ran on it. Its silly, the main issue with them as heaters in the house was always the water they gave off and it made all the dirt stick to the paint and go yellow. Brian

[michael adams]

In those days also a far larger proportion of people smoked than do now. Which whatever else it did, also imparted a nice warm tone to the ceilings.

michael adams

...

[Bob Henson]

One of the main problems, and possibly the reason they disappeared, was that the fumes, if inhaled for long enough, can cause lipid pneumonia.

[dr.s.lartius]

The more traditional Scout Groups may still use bulk paraffin at Camp, for Tilleys and Primuses. We used to use about a gallon a day, buying five gallons at a time. Consult your local Groups.

[meow2222]

Fire risk & bad smell were the usual concerns expressed. There were also question marks about CO - if you didnt keep a frequent eye on the wick, you got CO produced.

NT

[Bob Henson]

True. Whichever was most important, I was good to see the back of them!

[harryagain]

I think the ones with a mantle were OK. Smells and CO are the result of unburnt fuel.

[John Williamson]

You had heaters with a mantle?

I have some Aladdin laps with mantles and wicks. And yes, you do need to keep a *very* close eye on the flame when they're in use. I've yet to see a heater with a mantle.

Incidentally, the mantles contain thorium, which is radioactive, so that's something else that you'll probably claim needs banning.

[dennis]

They used to make the Geiger counter go pretty quickly when you held the tube close to a gas mantle, they aren't dangerous unless you eat them or you blow the house up with the gas.

[meow2222]

The mantles used in lamps dont make any difference to CO content. CO is a real problem with these things, its inevitable they'll produce it, you just have to watch the flame colour each time you light it and adjust or tidy the wick when it begins.

Smells unfortunately were inevitable with unvented paraffin.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not any more...we resurrected an old mantle lantern and the new mantle said 'contains no thorium'

Paraffin is available on-line in 5 litre cans for about 7 quid or less. Lamp oil which smells better is about 2-3 times more expensive.

[polygonum]

What is the constituent of paraffin that provides the delicate aroma - the one that seems to permeate the fabric of anywhere that it has been stored, burned, or even a drop spilled?

Is lamp oil just paraffin without that constituent? Or are the differences more substantial?

[Dave Liquorice]

At a guess I'd say lamp oil is desulphurised(*) and a narrower fraction of paraffin with added "nice perfume" and colourant.

(*) On the basis that sulphur produces some pretty smell compounds.

[dennis]

IIRC they sometimes add perfume to various fuels for enforcement reasons.. I can smell cars and trucks where someone has put red diesel or paraffin in the tank as they drive past so I am sure the C&E people can too.

[polygonum]

Isn't it a bit dangerous putting fuel in while moving?

[dennis]

What are you on?