Does lamp oil go bad?

[wombatcat]

Just found a 20 year old bottle of lamp oil--can I still use it?

[Bearfootfarm]

It should be fine

[Cabin Fever]

I would use it if it was still clear. If the oil has darkened, I'd not use it in my Aladdins.

[Grandmotherbear]

I mixed some veggie oil in when the lamp oil got low last year- is there going to be a problem if/when i attempt to use that lamp?

[Cabin Fever]

I certainly would not use the mixture in an Aladdin...not sure about a regular kerosene lamp. I would imagine that the veggie oil made the kerosene thicker so I'm thinking the fuel will not be drawn up the wick as easy.

[shawnee]

Ok somebody told me they use #2 diesel for lamp oil. Anybody on that? At least they said not the diesel full of additives and I assumed she meant her grandpa used #2.

Kerosene is expensive; and this might be a good thing to have on hand.

[Jim S.]

#2 diesel will soot up the lamp a lot faster, and it stinks to high heaven when you trim the wick and shut down. But if you want to try it, use a lamp that holds just a little and see if you like it. It ain't me. Heh.

On the OP, lamp oil does indeed go bad, sometimes in as little as a year. It will burn, but is sootier and stinkier. Flame quality suffers.

[FrankTheTank]

Health wise, whats the best type of oil to burn in a not so great ventilated area?? (say the power goes out and i want to huddle down in the basement)>>??? I wouldn't mind picking up a lamp/oil....thanks

[e.alleg]

I buy all my lamp oil at yard sales, everyone seems to have a few lamps and a few quarts of oil for $1 in the summertime. I don't think the oil ever goes bad, the kind I use is just basically liquid candle wax, paraffin I think they call it. You can use kerosene or diesel or waste motor oil in the lamps also but they smoke and aren't very pleasant.

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by FrankTheTank

Health wise, whats the best type of oil to burn in a not so great ventilated area??....

Healthwise, the best thing you can do is get yourself and Aladdin lamp. These lamps burn much, much cleaner than any regular kerosene lamp as evdienced by their white light. Regular kerosene lamps burn with a yellow light which indicates incomplete combustion which results in much more air pollution.

[Farmerwilly2]

Yes, it can go bad, but usually only if it's hanging out with the wrong crowd.