Please see below our step by step instructions on lighting your oil lamp to ensure years of use from your oil lamp burner:
- Remove the oil holder from the lamp before filling it with paraffin or lamp oil
- Remove the lamp chimney and carefully unscrew the burner ( be careful not to use the stem of the burner as a lever when doing this)
- Fill the oil holder approximately 3/4 full with paraffin or colourless lamp oil.
- Screw the burner back on the holder again.
- Leave the wick to become fully saturated for approximately 30 minutes.
- Turn the wick until it emerges just above the wick holder.
- If necessary trim the wick level using a pair of scissors or sharp knife.
- After lighting the wick replace the lamp chimney and keep the flame low until the cold glass has had time to warm so as to prevent the glass from cracking.
- Now adjust the flame such that there is no smoke. When the lamp is first used the adjustment will need to be repeated a number of times as the wick stretches.
- To extinguish the burner turn the wick down until the flame goes out.
- Allow the lamp chimney to cool before relighting the lamp.
- To prevent the swollen wick damaging the turning mechanism of (normal) burners it is recommended that the wick be replaced on an annual basis.