Fuel in the Netherlands

Discussion in 'Stove Forum' started by Paulus, Oct 17, 2023.

  1. Paulus Netherlands

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    So this is a question for all the Dutchies heren. I Just bought a pressure lamp petromax 827 rapid 250cp. A guy at the pressure lamp forum says that instead of Coleman fuel , he uses wasbenzine.
    This is a naphta type and cheaper then Coleman fuel.
    Is this wasbenzine good and clean enough to fuel burners ?

    Thnx in advance
     
  2. Wim

    Wim Subscriber

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    Not a Dutch person, but close neighbour.

    For years I've been using wasbenzine or, when I ran out, ASPEN4 in all of my stoves & lanterns that run on Coleman fuel. This is a perfect fuel and, as you mentioned, cheaper than Coleman fuel. It is absolutely clean, as it is used as a cleaning agent! It is also used to extract stuff (like veggie oil etc.) so again, it must be spotlessly clean. I think last time I paid 12.5 euro for a 5liter can. That was a couple years ago so it might be up in price now. Last time I looked at ASPEN4 it was around 23euro's per 5 liters. (can be found in any shop selling garden tools like lawnmowers etc.)
    The only question I have is wether it is the correct fuel for your lantern.

    Groetjes,

    w!m
     
  3. Paulus Netherlands

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    Howdy neighbour! thnx for reply. With clean I meant no additives that will cumulate sood. Thats good news! It defenitly is way cheaper. I' ll ask the vendor when I pick it up.

    Guess it will be fine
     
  4. Petroman

    Petroman Netherlands Subscriber

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    So completely wrong info !
    Why simple it is dangerous to use gasoline or "wasbenzine" coleman fuel in Petromax style lanterns.
    All petromax type lanterns are kerosene (petroleum) versions. Even the ex BW lanterns (all converted from 1960 due to toxic fumes from leaded gasoline).
     
  5. Paulus Netherlands

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    Hi Petroman, thank you for the warning. Will stay clear of those then !
     
  6. Pattree United Kingdom

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    I know we’ve confused fuel names across languages and cultures before.

    Kerosene is NOT petroleum.

    Petroleum = petrol = gas station gas
    My wife’s car runs on this.

    Kerosene = paraffin = aviation fuel = heating oil.
    I heat my house with this.

    Sorry if I’ve read this wrongly but
    THIS QUOTE HAS FUEL CONFUSED.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    I’m only emphasising because to get it wrong can be dangerous.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  7. Paulus Netherlands

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    I find it very confusing at times with all different fuel names. For instance: when it says " gasoline" in burners they mean the old time gasoline what nowadays is known as Colemans and so ( i gather here ) the Dutch " wasbenzine"

    Lamp oil ( kerosene )in the uk is in the netherlands sold as " Lampolie " and also " petroleum " , which is as far as I know the same stuff.
    In the netherlands we say that airplanes run on kerosene.

    I dont mind finding out stuff, but I my eyebrows want to make sure I don't experiment too much.

    Please correct me if I made a mistake what I wrote here, still trying to grasp it all.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  8. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

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  9. Paulus Netherlands

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    Yes thank you, real helpfull !
    My eyebrows thank you too

    Feel like such a newbe
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  10. Wim

    Wim Subscriber

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    What is wrong with the info I gave? The question was about the use of wasbenzine as a fuel. I ended my post with the question wether this is the right fuel for his lantern.

    @Pattree , it may be confusing but petroleum IS kerosene/paraffin in dutch! We also use the short "petrol" for petroleum which is confusing as your petrol is our benzine or the french essence (de pétrole) ((spirit of crude oil)) aka the stuff your wife's car runs on.
     
  11. Pattree United Kingdom

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    My sincere apologies.
    The two fuels have been misused here in the UK and domestic heaters have burned down houses and even killed a woman during one very cold winter. Several people had put gasoline into a gravity fed kerosene heater.
    It happened in my town when I was a child and is very clear in my memory.

    No wonder there is confusion across cultures and across this site.
    Please accept my apologies, I was wrong.

    Pat.
     
  12. Wim

    Wim Subscriber

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    @Pattree , no need to apologise, it is a very confusing matter! So sad people suffered from this. Maybe they should read the manual first when buying new, or carefully listen to what the seller says when buying second hand.
     
  13. Jeopardy

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    As I understand things, part of the issue is that petrol in the UK is actually "petroleum spirit" i.e. stuff that has been evaporated from petroleum. But us Brits, being lazy, unknowingly dropped the "spirit" part in normal speech so the room for confusion over peteroleum was created. Eventually the further contraction to petrol was widely accepted. I've never seen a pump in the UK labelled "petroleum" but do remember petroleum spirit and rarely motor spirit

    Because we used "paraffin" or "kerosene" or even "Esso Blue", the name "petroleum" was not in regular use for the stuff we used in the domestic stoves and heaters. This left plenty of room for misunderstanding here in Blighty.

    Regards
    John
     
  14. Pattree United Kingdom

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    Thank you @Jeopardy - some clarity that I had not realised. Just to confuse: I remember The National Benzol company selling very expensive petrol (gasoline) and I remember tin plate jugs labelled Motor Spirit.

    All things have to pass through the “junk barrier” before they become collectible. My fathers yellow Automobile Association can embossed with the words “Motor Spirit” didn’t make it ](*,)

    Edited to add
    The incidents happened in the winter of 1963 - 64. We were all buying any heater we could find. The coal fireplaces that we relied on were not enough. Coal fired kitchen stoves that had boilers were exploding and destroying walls because the pipes were freezing at night and the fire was lit in the morning.
    My parents bought a wick heater - a Valor. The Esso Blue and the Aladdin Pink bowsers did a roaring trade in paraffin (kerosene).
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  15. Petroman

    Petroman Netherlands Subscriber

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    When we stayed at the Meinweg camping park in Limburg the Netherlands I always smelled "petroleum", after a while I found out it came from the RAF airfield Brüggen just over the border in Germany where the awacs had/have their home.
     
  16. Blackdog

    Blackdog United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    @Pattree ,@Jeopardy Copied from a past topic to save time:

    The term 'petroleum spirit' is very much alive and still present on petrol cans and on pumps at garages and service stations. The word 'petrol' is actually very rarely used on pumps in the UK, just the grades.

    As mentioned, I own cycle lamps, stove instructions and an oil engine, all of which call for petroleum, and fire or explosion would result if petrol were to be used by mistake.
     
  17. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    That's the usefulness of the terms "kerosene" and "petrol" (or "gasoline"-- not "gas"): they can't be confused.

    Once "petroleum" enters the picture, confusion becomes likely (recognizing that "petrol" derives from "petroleum", but the clear meaning is gasoline.)

    They are all petroleum products, which of course is the origin of the confusion.
     
  18. ajvuik

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    @Paulus to come back at your question, please, do not use benzine, wasbenzine, Coleman fuel, Aspen 4 in your petromax lantern.
    I purposely used the Dutch words here.
    The lantern will run, but safety is not guaranteed in any way!

    Blanke lampolie or 'Qlima' kachelolie can be used, but petroleum is the preferred type of fuel.
    Lampolie en 'Qlima' kachelolie have additives against smell, but the petroleum we have here in the bouwmarkt are clean petroleum. If you buy it at Karwei, it even reads on the package that it's intended use is for stoves...

    I also advice to service the lantern before use. I don't know how old it is and how brittle the seals are.

    As I said, I used Dutch words so that @Paulus understands what I mean ;)
     
  19. Paulus Netherlands

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    Thnx @ajvuik , I understood you and offcourse will stay way clear of wasbenzine or coleman for the lantern.
     
  20. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    I recall a terminological evolution, so to speak, in the early years here at CCS. Brits said paraffin and petrol. North Americans said kerosene and gas. "Gas" to an American means gasoline, to the rest of the world it means a vaporous state. (Of course, it means that here, too.) Modern campstoves run on 'gas'; ie, butane, propane, etc.

    To Yanks 'paraffin' means a white wax used in food canning and candlemaking. To Brits, that's "paraffin wax". To Yanks, "petrol" was a weird Britishism, like lorry for a truck and boot for a car trunk...

    Gradually Brits here began to say kerosene, and Yanks to say petrol. Not universally true, of course, but I started doing that long ago, as did many others. This eliminated a lot of confusion.

    It reminds me of another gradual change back then. Brits were often highly wary of petrol-burning stoves and lanterns. North Americans grew up with Coleman-fueled devices and knew they were safe. Skeptical Brits gradually became comfortable with petrol-burning stuff.