Oil Stoves

22. Purpose of Oil Stoves. Oil stoves are designed for the comfort of the woman who cannot have a gas or an electric stove. They consist of tank, feed pipe and burners (Figs. 11-a and 11-b). As they are portable, they can be moved to a summer kitchen or sheltered back porch on hot summer days.

Oil stoves are not fool-proof and should never be used by those who are afraid of them and who do not understand them. Manufacturers have done much to make accidents avoidable, and they send detailed instructions with each stove. These should be followed exactly.

23. Mechanical Parts of Kerosene Stove. The kerosene oil stove consists of a tank of oil with a pipe leading to a hollow ring-like cup below the burner (A, Fig. 11). When the burner is lighted, the oil passes down this pipe into the ring, where it becomes heated and is vaporized. As the vapor rises, it is mixed with air and burns with a blue flame. The small holes in the chimney of the burner and at the base of the burner are to admit air. They must be kept open.

If the burner is dirty or not properly adjusted, the right amount of air may not reach the vaporized oil to mix with it and the stove will burn with a yellow flame, making soot and smoke.

24. The Burner. The burner consists of a chimney, a wick or ring of asbestos, a valve or a lever, and a ring-like cup at the base of the burner. There are three distinct types of burners known as long chimney, short chimney and wickless. The wickless stoves are equipped with a ring of asbestos which serves the purpose of a wick.

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The burners on one oil stove are usually all alike. The burners on various makes differ. Those in which the flame comes nearest the kettle or cooking food produce the most heat for cooking (Fig. 12). Those with the blaze farther away from the food seem to be easier for the excitable woman to manage (Fig. 13).

25. The Chimney. Kerosene stoves are furnished with metal chimneys. A device for mixing air with the burning fuel forms a part of short chimneys (B, Fig. 11). The chimney must set on the burner properly, or the stove will not burn with a blue flame. After lighting a burner, give the chimney a turn or two to make sure that it is in place. There is usually a groove into which it fits.

26. Lighting the Stove. When lighting a stove, turn the valve which permits the oil to flow (C, Fig. 11) into the cup below the burner, or lower the lighter into the oil. Wait a moment, if need be, for the wick or ring to become saturated with oil. Raise the chimney and touch the lighted match to the ring or wick at several places. (Fig. 14, and Fig. 11, also, show the position of the chimney and wick for lighting.) Lower the chimney, seeing that it fits back into place. Adjust the wick to the proper height to get a blue flame (Fig. 15). Do not turn very high at first, for, while the stove is becoming heated, the flame burns higher and higher, and may begin to smoke.

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27. Management of the Flame. Turn the flame no higher than is needed to keep the pot boiling. Some stoves do not burn well when turned very low. Do not have the flame so high or so low that it gives off smoke or gas. When turning out the fire, be sure to turn the wick clear down, or turn the valve or lever (Fig. 12) to the point indicated as out on stoves which lift the ring above the oil. If this precaution is not taken, most stoves leak oil when not in use, because the wick or rings carry oil to the upper part of the burner where it spreads over the stove.

28. Adjustment and Care of the Stove. To prevent trouble with uneven flames, set the stove perfectly level, particularly the wickless one. Keep the tank filled, but not too full. Stoves are made so that it is difficult to fill them too full. An oil stove cannot explode unless gas has formed in some part, like the tank, and becomes ignited by heat or a spark. Gas is more likely to collect in the tank when it is almost empty.

When the tank is removed for filling, any gas forming passes out into the room and mixes with so much air that it is harmless. If it is filled before the oil burns out of the pipe above the level of the burners, no gas will be formed.

Stoves must be kept clean. A clean stove means one with a clean framework, clean burners, clean chimney, clean oil and a clean wick or ring.

If a stove has not been in use for some time, replace the old wick with a fresh one (Fig. 16). Clean the stove by wiping off all the parts with a cloth. Keep the charred edges of the wick trimmed level. The wick with a crust of char on top does not burn well. Use a match or small stick in removing the char. Light the wick to see if it is even. If any point burns with a yellow flame, trim this place until the wick burns even. The tank can easily and quickly be lifted off modern oil stoves. Do not refill near a lighted stove.

29. When the Stove Gives Trouble. In case the stove begins to blaze and cannot be controlled by the valves, remove the tank and carry it to some safe place where the kerosene in it cannot catch fire. When this is done, there is less than a pint of oil left in most stoves, and this will soon burn out without doing much harm, if clothing and water are kept away from the blaze. Open windows and doors to let out gases and smoke. If necessary, move the stove away from walls or furniture. Do not attempt to smother out the flame. There is too much danger of clothing catching fire when this is done. It is far safer to let the small amount of oil left in the stove burn up. Oil stoves cannot explode when the tank is removed.

As soon as the oil has burnt out of the pipes and the wicks are burning with a dull glow, extinguish the smoldering fire on the wicks by patting them with the blade of a knife or a piece of woolen cloth.

If a burner has been blazing beyond control, remove the chimney. Brush out any soot which has formed. Examine the burner, taking it apart, if possible. Blazing may come from wicks not fitting, or from their getting so short that the screw on the lever fails to move them up or down. The ring in wickless stoves may not be thick enough, or they may have slipped out of place, or become broken. Replace with new wicks or rings.

Notice if any part of the burner shows evidence of melting. If it does, do not use this burner until inspected and mended by an expert. If the lever has become worn so that it fails to work, it must be replaced or a new burner put on the stove.

30. Construction of Gasoline Stoves. The gasoline stoves consist of a burner and an oil tank connected by a pipe (Fig. 17). The tank is elevated for the purpose of forcing the gasoline into the burner. The pipe may be any length. The danger from a gasoline stove comes from the fact that gasoline vaporizes at a low temperature. If the tank becomes heated, producing gas, and then becomes mixed with the proper proportion of air, it may explode if it comes in contact with a spark. (Fig. 17-a is an illustration of the cross-section of the Red Star gasoline or vapor stove. See page 38.)

From the pipe to the burner is a very small opening, so that a stream of gasoline little larger than the diameter of a needle flows into the burner proper, when the valve is open. The valve may be partly closed so that the stream will not flow so fast.

Below the burner is a small cup. When the stove is cold, the gasoline flowing into the burner collects here.

31. To Light the Stove. The way to light the stove is to turn on the gasoline until it fills the cup below the burner. When this is full, close the valve. Set this gasoline on fire. As it burns, it will heat the burner.

The burner is heated so that when more gasoline is turned on, this heat will change the gasoline to gas. If the burner is not hot enough to do this, the gasoline flowing from the pipe will flow down into the cup and the stove will burn with a smoky flame which becomes higher and higher and looks very alarming.

When this happens, the valve should be closed, and the fire permitted to burn all the gasoline which has collected in the cup. This may be sufficient to heat the burner. Test after the fire has gone out, by lighting a match, turning on the gasoline and touching the lighted match to the burner. If all right, it will burn with a blue flame; if not, it will burn with a yellow flame. If the yellow flame is noticed, turn out the fire by closing the valve, and let the burner get cold before attempting again to light it. See that the burner has not become clogged with soot or dirt. Then proceed to re-light the stove.

Air must be mixed with the gasoline to make it burn with a blue flame. The air enters the burner through the same tube that the gasoline flows into the cups when the burner is cold. In the burner are small holes for the escape of the gas mixed with air, and here the blue flame should appear, and nowhere else. If it appears elsewhere, the burner is not working properly. Sometimes the gas ignites at the point where the air is mixed with it. The fire should then be turned out and the stove re-lighted immediately.

If the little holes where the flames should be, or if any other part of the stove is clogged with soot, it will not burn as it should. It must be cleaned. A dirty gasoline stove is dangerous.

32. Filling the Gasoline Stove. Never get oil on the tank or any part of the stove while filling it. If oil is spilled, wipe it up before igniting the stove. Do not fill the tank when the stove is lighted or when there is a fire anywhere near the tank. If the fire has been burning, close all the valves and wait until it goes out before opening the tank. Close the valve from tank to pipe before filling. Fill the tank and cover it before lighting the stove again.

Keep the tank filled. As soon as the indicator, which is attached to a cork which floats on top of the gasoline, shows that the oil is low, turn out the fire and refill the tank. Do not fill the tank to overflowing. Gases from the stove can only get into the tank when it is empty and while there is gasoline in the pipe to feed the stove. Gasoline gas is very inflammable and will cause an explosion if it becomes ignited. The tanks from gasoline stoves cannot be removed, as all the joints must be tight to prevent the escape of gasoline fumes as well as the oil itself. The opening to the tank must never be left uncovered, except for the few minutes while the tank is being filled. The greatest care is required in using a gasoline stove; in fact, they are so dangerous, that they should not be highly recommended for household use. The description and care of them are given here because some persons persist in using them when they desire a quick, hot fire in cases where fuel gas is not available.

33. When a Burner Blazes and Cannot Be Controlled. When a gasoline stove burner blazes and cannot be controlled, first close the valve leading from the tank into the pipe. There will then be little gasoline to burn, and no gases can get back into the tank.

Keep clothing and water away from the blaze. Remember that the stove is set on a metal frame which is not inflammable. Shield walls and other objects so that the burner may blaze high without doing damage. Clothing catches fire easily, but the metal stove will not be consumed.

If the valves are shut, the blaze will cease when the gasoline has burnt out of the burner and pipe. If the gasoline continues to flow out of the burner in spite of turning the valve and there is a danger of its spreading to the floor or table, set a shallow pan under the stove to catch the gasoline. It can burn in this way with considerable safety. Do not attempt to carry a burning stove. Simply protect floor, walls and furniture from catching fire, and let the gasoline burn.

34. Changing Fuel in Vapor Stoves. There are some stoves which are interchangeable, in that they may be adjusted to burn kerosene, gasoline or distillate. These are of the type called "vapor" because they change the oil to gas before it is ignited. A change from one kind of fuel to another should never be made without thoroly cleaning the stove and adjusting it to the fuel that is to be used.

35. Operation of Vapor Stoves. It is safest to use kerosene in these stoves. Distillate is a name given to a different mineral oil product from kerosene or gasoline. To work well, these burners must be kept clean. (Fig. 17-a.)

The operation of the stove is simple. Put enough fuel, such as alcohol, into a burner to heat it hot enough to change the oil to be used to gas and ignite it.

After the burner has heated for three or four minutes, turn on the fuel valve in the pipe which leads from the tank to the burner. The fuel will light from the burning alcohol already in the burner. Adjust the height of the flame by valve, which regulates the amount of fuel flowing into the burner.

If anything boils over, put out the fire. Close the valve. Remove the parts of the burner. Clean and wipe them dry. Replace the parts of the burner, and, if not cool, turn on the fuel and light. If cool, heat as for first lighting, and turn on the fuel.

Extinguish the fire by closing the valve which stops the flow of oil to the burner.