Are you having a performance issue? Outlined below are some of the most common performance related problems. In many cases, there could be more than one cause. It can take time to find the right solution – but don’t get discouraged, just keep trying! If you try all of the solutions below and continue to experience issues, please feel free to contact us for assistance. Note: It helps to first know your model number. Check your wick raiser knob to determine your model.
Initial Diagnostic Questions
Start by going through this list of questions to identify some issues that are fairly common, or jump to a list of problems and solutions below.
- Did you allow 20 minutes for the lamp to warm up before trying to turn it any brighter?
Turning the wick up too high too fast can create black spots on the mantle; brightness will increase as it warms up
- What fuel are you using, and is it fresh?
Only Aladdin lamp oil and clear K-1 kerosene are recommended; other fuels can clog the wick
- What is your altitude?
At higher elevations (above 3,000′), a high output chimney or light booster is required for optimal performance
- Are the burner, outer wick tube, gallery, mantle, and filler cap screwed on tightly?
There could be an air leak, make sure all of these parts are properly installed and on tightly
- Is the flame spreader in place and at the proper height?
If installed too high or too low, only part of the mantle will glow; look across the gallery – you should see one row of holes
- Is the mantle in place and sitting evenly over the flame?
Try removing the mantle and putting it back on again – line up the four indentions on the bottom of the mantle with the four slots on the gallery; twist until tight
- Is the chimney in place and is it sitting in the gallery straight?
A crooked chimney will affect the air flow and will cause the burner to malfunction or the mantle to not light properly
- Did you recently change your wick? Were you having any problems before changing the wick?
The burner, outer wick tube, gallery, or mantle might not have been replaced tightly which could cause an air leak; make sure you didn’t forget to install the flame spreader
- Does the wick need cleaned from excess carbon build-up?
Wicks should be cleaned every 10-15 hours (or each time you refill with fuel); use a wick cleaner to remove some of the carbon build-up, but leave about 1/8″ char; make sure there are no loose strands as those will cause spikes in the flame
- Does the gallery and/or outer wick tube need cleaned?
Remove the parts and look for any dirty or blocked holes
- Does the flame spreader need cleaned or replaced?
If any of the holes are blocked, it will not function properly; if any part is even slightly dented, this is enough to disturb the air flow and cause issues
- How old is your fuel?
If the fuel is kerosene and it is older than 6 months, it should be dumped and replaced with fresh; the wick may also need to be replaced, as the old fuel may have clogged it
If you are still having issues, look for your specific problem below.
Problems
1. Bad Smell or Odor
2. Brightness dims after an hour or two
3. Chimney cracking
4. Flame is spiking
5. Flare-up or severe smoking
6. Mantle collapsed or has a hole
7. Mantle has black spots
8. Mantle is only partly lit
9. Mantle light is pulsing
10. Wick is hard to light
11. Wick raiser is hard to turn or wick does not raise/lower
Preventions & Solutions
1. Bad Smell or Odor
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Bad or old fuel |
Replace fuel and wick; possibly also clean font |
| Wrong type of fuel used |
Only use clear K-1 kerosene or Aladdin lamp oil |
2. Brightness dims after an hour or two
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Not enough oxygen in the room |
Open a door or window to let in fresh air |
| Fuel level running low |
Add more fuel to the font |
3. Chimney cracking
⋆ Broken or cracked chimneys need to be replaced
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Lamp turned up too quickly and the glass did not have time to warm up (glass expands slightly as it gets warmer); warming up too quickly causes it to crack |
Allow lamp/chimney to warm up for 20 minutes on a low setting before turning the wick up for a brighter glow; as the lamp warms up, it will naturally get brighter |
| Lox-on chimneys tend to crack more often than heel-less chimneys because of the crimped base; may be locked too tightly |
Use only one finger and thumb to turn/lock (turn only until it doesn’t rattle); do not overtighten |
4. Flame is spiking
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Top of the wick is uneven |
Smooth top of wick with included wick cleaner to remove excess carbon or loose threads |
| There is an air leak |
Tighten or try rotating outer wick tube, gallery, and mantle to a different position |
| High altitude and using regular height chimney |
Get a high output chimney |
| Gallery is dirty or bugs got trapped inside |
Remove gallery and clean the bottom |
| Outer wick tube flange is dirty |
Use steel wool to clean off any dirt or gunk |
5. Flare-up or severe smoking
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Flame is turned up too high; lamp naturally gets brighter as it warms up, so if it is turned up too high at start, the flame will get too high and will come through mantle |
Raise wick only slightly after lighting (about 1/3 of its normal output) and let the lamp warm up for 20 minutes before turning up |
| Improperly trimmed wick |
Use wick cleaner to keep top of wick smooth and free of loose threads and excess carbon |
| Dirty, dented or cracked flame spreader |
Clean flame spreader, or replace |
| Malformed mantle– if the mantle has irregular dips or dents in it, they will burn hotter than the rest of the mantle |
Try lowering wick and allow black spots to burn off, or discard and use a new mantle |
| Bad fuel—if the fuel has water or other impurities in it, it will burn erratically; using Ultra-Pure or something not recommended |
Remove fuel from lamp, remove the wick, soak it in vinegar, air dry and reinstall; or a new wick may be needed; only use Aladdin lamp oil, kerosene, or KleanHeat |
| Bad burner |
Replace burner |
6. Mantle collapsed or has a hole
⋆ Broken mantles need to be replaced; hole allows hot gas jet through which can crack chimney or cause a runaway
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Mantle was touched or jarred |
Handle carefully by the wire frame only and make sure not to bump or jar |
| Wick turned too high and flame burned a hole |
Watch lamp closely and turn wick down when black spots begin to form |
7. Mantle has black spots
⋆ Lower wick and allow black spots to burn off; if there are any holes, mantle should be replaced
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Lamp turned up too quickly |
Allow lamp to warm up for 20 minutes on a low setting before turning the wick up |
| Wick turned too high; flame is too high, causing too much fuel to vaporize and is too much to be burned by the lamp |
Monitor the mantle and turn wick down as soon as black spots begin to occur |
8. Mantle is only partly lit
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Only top is lit—flame spreader is too low |
Adjust the height of the flame spreader (one row of holes should be visible); replace fuel with fresh |
| Only bottom is lit—flame spreader is too high; poor fuel quality |
Same as above |
| Only one side is lit—mantle is not centered over flame or wick is uneven |
Carefully bend mantle frame until mantle is centered; use wick cleaner to trim wick |
9. Mantle light is pulsing
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Air movement in the room (i.e. fan) |
Turn off fan or move lamp further away |
| Air leak issue or possible defective burner |
Tighten burner, gallery, etc., or replace burner |
10. Wick is hard to light
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Carbon build-up or loose threads on wick |
Use wick cleaner to remove the excess carbon build-up and trim threads |
| Wick is not charred enough |
Rechar wick (should be 1/8” of char) |
| Wick is not fully saturated with fuel |
Soak longer, make sure there is enough fuel |
11. Wick raiser won’t turn or wick does not raise/lower
* Replace fuel every 6 months; use lamp every 1-2 weeks
| Potential Causes |
Preventions & Solutions |
| Oil left in lamp for too long may have gummed up the wick and wick raiser |
Try WD-40 or soak burner in kerosene for 24 hr or longer; wick may need replaced |
| Wick raiser is not engaged with gear properly |
Remove the wick and wick raiser and re-install |
