How to Use an Oil Lantern

With this big winter storm coming up, I'm being sure that my oil lanterns are within easy reach if the power goes out. Without power my fireplace and oil lanterns come in really handy. I know a lot of people who tend to panic during power outages but I like to make the best of them, I grab a good book, cuddle with my pets and just enjoy the calm. A few people in my life are worried about me using oil lanterns. They feel that they are dangerous. But as long as you use them correctly, never leave them unattended, and follow instructions then you shouldn’t have a problem.

How to use your oil lantern: If the instructions that came with your lantern say anything different, follow those not me!

 Remove the oil container from the base of your lantern.
Take off the glass lantern “chimney” (the clear glass part that surrounds the burner)
Fill your oil container about 3/4 full with your lamp oil.
Take the burner off of the rest of the lantern.
Reattach the oil container to the lantern, then put the burner with the wick in it back onto the lantern.
It will take about 30 minutes for your wick to become saturated with enough oil for you to light your lantern.
Use a nice sharp pair of scissors to trim the wick in a clean even cut, the wick should just barely reach out of the wick tube.
Carefully light your wick.
Replace your glass lantern “chimney”.
Set your lantern in a safe place, where there is no risk of it being knocked over.

 Be sure that once your lantern is lit that you do not touch the glass “chimney” as you will burn yourself. The glass gets very hot. When I’m done with my lantern I put out the flame by blowing over the top of the “chimney”. I try to keep extra oil lantern wicks on hand in the winter months in case the power goes off any or stays off for an extended period of time.