MAXbrite® 500 Series Burner – Product Introduction

Updated: December 2016

The Aladdin® side draft burner design has been time-tested and proven for over 80 years. Aladdin® introduced several incremental burner changes over the years.  We introduced the New Aladdin® MAXbrite® 500 burner in August/September 2015, which continues that tradition of changes and improvements.

The Aladdin® MAXbrite® Model 500 is a refined and improved version of the previous Aladdin® Model 23 side draft burner.  Therefore, the new MAXbrite® is now the replacement for side draft lamps. Our goal was to maximize light output. Many Model 23 burners suffer from random air leaks.  Those air leaks caused troublesome spikes in the flame.  As a result, Model 23 burners prevented mantles from reaching their maximum brightness capabilities. The MAXbrite® Model 500 burner eliminates the air leaks and spikes and allows mantles to reach their full brightness potential.

The Aladdin® MAXbrite® Model 500 burner is to be paired with a new MAXbrite® chimney. The chimney shape modifes the airflow and to further increase the mantle’s light output.

A new factory in China now manufactures the Aladdin® MAXbrite® burner.  We moved the final assembly and quality control to the USA and all of our current stock was inspected and assembled here in Ohio.  Collectors are calling it the finest burner produced in the last half century!

Model 23 burner part tooling was destroyed prior to Crownplace Brands taking over Aladdin® lamp and accessories production.  The MAXbrite® 500 uses all new tooling. We have many old parts in stock and in many cases MAXbrite® burner parts will fit on the Model 23 burners.  Unfortunately, Aladdin® Model 23 burners did not adhere to tight tolerances during production. In contrast, the MAXbrite® burner adheres to very precise specifications. As a result, we cannot guarantee that MAXbrite® parts will fit or produce the best results with all Model 23 burners.

We offer 2 finishes on the MAXbrite® Model 501 burners – Brass and Shiny Nickel.

Read on to learn about the new burner improvements.

MAXbrite® 500 Burner Improvements:

Improved Knob!  Aladdin® MAXbrite® 500 features a knob that is larger in diameter. As a result, wick adjusting is much easier. Knobs are now made from a special alloy called ZAMAC (Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium and Copper). The knob will stay cooler to the touch because ZAMAC is not as heat conductive as brass.

Smooth Wick Adjustment!  The Aladdin® MAXbrite® Model 500 burner uses a slightly re-engineered Wick Raiser (N233) that moves the wick up and down more smoothly.  Finite adjustments in the wick height are now possible.  The new wick raiser is backwards compatible with the Model 23 and Model 21 burners (when paired with the N230 wick).

Shortening of the wick adjustment shaft has improved the wick changing process. Now, the wick is less likely to get caught on the gear.

The wick adjustment bushing is now attached in a way that does not deform the side of the burner.  Model 23 burners are often seen with a dent around the bushing where too much pressure was applied from the outside during production.  Our new tooling produces a better product.

The MAXbrite® uses the same English-made Wick (N230) as the Aladdin® Model 23.

Precise Fit!  Close examination shows that some of the corners in the burner where parts come together are tighter or sharper than on the Model 23.

Improved Air Flow!  There are many improvements throughout the Aladdin® MAXbrite® Model 500 burner. Those improvements provide metered air supply when needed in order to eliminate leaks that reduce performance.  The result?  Improved combustion and brilliant light!

The gallery appears identical to the Heel-less Gallery (N239AB – Brass & N239AN – Shiny Nickel) used on the Aladdin® Model 23A burner.  Internal clearances on the new gallery improve the air flow to the mantle.  The new gallery is not fully backwards compatible due to the variations in diameter on the Model 23 burners.  We have an excellent supply of Model 23 Heel-less Galleries.

UPDATE: Flame spreaders used on very early models of the MAXbrite® burner may be slightly too large to work on some older burners. Starting with Model 501, we made improvements in the tooling designed to improve backwards compatibility. As a result, you should be able to use our new N106 flame spreader on older models all the way back to 1928 (12, 21, A, B, C, 23, 23a, 500 Series).

The MAXbrite® and new N106 flame spreaders have one notch cut out of the base. In addition, the distribution and size of the air holes gives improved performance over many earlier versions, which had two notches on the base.

Unfortunately, burners and flame spreaders from all eras and model runs often vary slightly in size.  Flame spreaders must fit very closely to avoid air leaks. Therefore, even small variations in size can make things tight.  If your new flame spreader is too large, try filing or sanding the bottom edge.

The new MAXbrite® Model 500 outer wick tube (on right in the photo) has many changes to provide improved air flow.

The attachment sleeve (which connects the outer wick tube to the air diffuser) on the new  MAXbrite®  is longer than on the Model 23. The Model 23 attachment sleeve is 0.25″ long. Six evenly spaced dimples hold it in place.  The attachment sleeve on the MAXbrite® Model 500 is 0.37″ long. Four equally spaced dimples hold it in place.

The outer wick tubes can be interchanged about half the time, due to variations in the Model 23 burner basket.  We have a very limited supply of outer wick tubes for the Model 23, with a shiny nickel finish.

On the bottom, the Aladdin® MAXbrite® burner base now has four drain holes in the base of the burner. The increased number of holes helps to keep excess kerosene from puddling inside the burner.

New Chimney

We introduced the Aladdin® MAXbrite® 500 chimney was in 2015 along with the MAXbrite® 500 burner. The chimney shape is designed to maximize the light output of the R-150 Lox-on Mantle. MAXbrite® Model 500 burners should always be used with a MAXbrite® chimney to maximize light output and burning efficiency. Early production chimneys feature a fired-on green Aladdin MAXbrite® logo. Later and current productions feature white logos and print.

NOTE: MAXbrite® chimneys will also work with all heel-less Aladdin® galleries. They are available in the standard 12 ½” tall version and in a 15 ½” tall high output version. Altitudes higher than 4,000 ft. require the taller, 15 ½” “high output” chimney. Additionally, the “high output” chimney can increase light output by up to 20% when used at elevations lower than 4,000 ft.