Hi, I'm hoping some of you in the US have some brand names of kerosene they use along with the reasons for their choice. I am switching two 111b to kero as it was pointed out to me that their 4 tube burner is made for it. They both work on gasoline however I want to optimize their performance. I looked around a bit and only came up with a paint store brand, FIVE STAR , Clear Kerosene, that costs $4.59 a quart.That puts it right in line with Coleman fuel. I'll pay that if I have to but would like to know what's around My plan calls for emptying the tanks of gasoline, rinsing with alcohol, and letting air out for a day, Do you think that's enough to start it on kero? Thanks, Paul
I thought the 111b was coleman only. I would definitely post a photo of the burner here so the 111 and 111b experts could comment. As far as kerosene, I've found k-1 undyed to be the best. I've used the ACE hardware brand as well as the Kleenstrip? wal mart stuff. I've also managed to locate a gas station that sells undyed in bulk. 5gal for +/- $17. BYOBottle. I have kero heaters so I always have between 5 and 15 gallons on hand.
Some pictures might help me find out what I am dealing with. Here is #1 filled with kero and runs very well- it is stamped 111B on lid Here is #2 filled with Coleman runs very well and has label 111B For Gaso;ine Only Here is #3 that I want to fill with kero- it has nothing on top, however I went back over my purchases and found I had bought it from the $54 dollar guy on ebay and he advertizes them as 111 HIKER This is #4 the second one I want to run on Kero, it is stamped OPTIMUS INTERNATOINAL on top [/img][/i]
The ones with the silent caps are 111t's Yes they will burn kero well. (at the bottom) The roarer burner ones (like the one at the top) come in 2 different variants. The straight 111 burns kero only. The 111b (B for Benzin)(gasoline) burns gasoline type fuels only. The 111t (triple fuel) burns kero, gasoline, and alcohol (with a slight modification) Odds are if this is an ex-military stove it's set up with a multi-fuel jet which will burn kero as well as gasoline type fuels. There is no special proceedure when switching between kero and gasoline type fuel. What you have already done should be fine. Kero requires more priming than you are used to for gasoline. I would recommend using alcohol to prime the stove. fill the primer pan right up with alcohol. That should be enough to get it started.
That's a great help, Paul. Just another question about fuel. You say K-1, dry , that you get at a gas station. Does that mean it is Diesl Fuel? If so, what about the ultra-low sulphur fuel they are pumping now? Is it compatible with stoves?
My wife is an artist, a painter.Link I brought her down to look at my side to side comparison of my two 111T (thank you Paul) Now I have the one on the left burning Kero and the one on the right is still burning Coleman. I was very happy with both until she points to the gas fired one and said "lots of ultramarine in that one. So I asked about the kero one and she says "It's alot more turquois". Not knowing what that signified in her world, I asked her. "Ultramarine colder, turquois warmer". Tomorrow I change the coleman to Kero.
yeah those color shifts are interesting. I know exactly what you mean. Evidently scientists can tell a lot about the chemical properties of the material burning from the colors. I have most recently noted that when i fire up my coleman suitcase, the color is one way for the first minute and then when i move the lever thingie to the "burn" position it changes to more blue. (or the other way around i can't quite remember) I looked at your wife's web page. Great stuff. I think a good subject would be a study on flame and she seems to be already thinking of colors... Ring of fire... that sounds good... 8)
I have a 111B set for kero. I buy K1 at the gas station. Have never had a problem and it's way cheaper than $4.59 a quart. I use it in all my kero stoves and lamps. Pete
Hey, Pete, and All, Pete, if you truly have a 111B, then it should only be used with Coleman fuel, and not kerosene. The "B" stoves have two tubes on the burners, while the straight 111's (without the "B" designation) have four tubes in their burners, and not two, and are meant to be used with kerosene, and not Coleman fuel. I know that this can sometimes be confusing, but that's the way of it: 111 = roarer burner with four tubes, for kerosene. 111B = roarer burner with two tubes, for Coleman fuel, only. 111T = silent burner with inner and outer burner caps, and four tubes, for kerosene, Coleman fuel, and Meths (with proper restrictor and jets). I hope that this clears away some of the confusion, but if you have further questions, or are still confused, please let us know, and someone else can take a swing at it. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc P.S. You may wonder which of the three stoves is my favorite. The 111, the 111B, or the 111T. Well that answer is very simple. It's YES!!!!!!!! 8) 8)
No the general consensus i've noticed on this site is that diesel shouldn't be used. Too messy and hard to light. I've never tried it. Out here in the boonies of upstate, Kerosene space heaters are popular. Therefore at most gas stations there is a separate pump for kerosene. The bad thing is that most places have dyed kero that is supposed to prevent truckers from using it. The upshot for consumers is that if you use it in your space heater, it'll screw up your wick. It'll supposedly fowl stoves up too, but i've never had a problem. I found a station that sells it undyed and i get mine from there exclusively.
Hi Paul - I live in NJ. Most of the Wal-Marts around here sell K-1 Kerosene in 1 gallon and 2 gallon containers. It is crystal clear and goes for around $6.50/gallon. They usually only sell it during the winter though, so stock up (it will be in the aisle by the kerosene heaters). Gas stations in the more rural areas here sell kerosene straight out of the pump (usually has the red dye added) for around $3.50/gallon or so (usually around 20-30 cents higher than whatever they're selling diesel for at the time).
Check around some of the gas stations in your area....not sure if you guys have "Hess" gas stations in NY but here in NH they carry undyed kero for "heating purposes only". It's not real cheap, about $3.50 a gallon, but it burns nice and clean in the kero heaters I use for heating garage, etc. Alot cheaper than buying it at the Home Depots, Walmarts, etc of the world in gallon containers.
Hello, I have found an older gas station in Lambertville, NJ that sells the kerosene without the 'red dye' it usually goes between 3 and 4 dollars a gallon. I have not purchased any in awhile as I still have some left from the 5 gallons I bought for last years meet. It was just by dumb luck that I found the gas station as I drove past it one day and saw the K-1 clear kerosene sign. I have found that any of the 'newer' areas or 'subburbia' with the pricey homes don't use kerosene heaters or lanterns, or stoves. So there is no need for the kero. Like Rich stated 'Rual Areas' will provide more of an option. Check out little towns that are out of the way. Like down in Barnegat, Manahawkin or in some of those shore towns in Ocean county. Those little bungelos may need a heat source especially if they are Summer homes being used in the Winter months. That may be there sole source of heat. Asbury park may be a source with all those imigrants living in those homes, one is bound to have a kerosene heater !!! Worth a try anyway. Ace hardware sells it but, it was 8 dollars a gallon and that was last year. Chuck
If you think about it, even at 3.50 it's the cheapest thing going. The same amount of heat potential in alcohol would be 2 gallons... $30. Next best is coleman for +/- $7 gallon for roughly (slightly less) heat value. Unleaded would be cheaper possibly depending on the day of the week... but all the additives!
No doubt Paul, I can remember not too long ago though that I was paying .39 cents a gallon for Kero to heat my garage. I think next year, I'm going to move my coal stove that I'm using to heat my house out there and install a wood pellet stove in the house. The coal stove barely cuts it in the house when it gets below 0 but I think it'll do a good job out in my workshop...and coal is a heck of a lot cheaper to heat with than oil right now, especially when you're buying it by the 5 gallon pail. Tim
Alright! Thanks to you all. Hey Timmus, that's the answer for me. I called a friend on Long Island and found out that some Hess stations 2 counties over have K-1 most of the year. Just a 40 minute run and I'll get a couple of gallons. I'm sure there is some New York City but you could spend a day just checking out stores in a couple of neighborhoods. No one around me uses heaters in their homes and if a repair shop uses one they must stock up further out and have it on hand. A couple of big bus garages I've been in use monsters but they tweaked the burners to take diesel and have enough open drafts to get rid of soot and smell.Thanks again.
I would REALLY love to know where you found 1-K kero in NJ! I need some and have been paying $10 at the depot for their kero substitute!!! Please let me know where you found it as all I can find is stove kero which is unacceptable for my indoor application...
I would take the gift of a pellet stove as a mortal insult.wood pellets are not "cheap" by comparison with coal in terms of BTU/Dollar I heartly endorse moving your current coal stove to your garage but not replacing it in your house with a pellet stove but rather with a larger coal stove. My 14yo house has oil fired hot water baseboard heat as the "primary heatsource", atleast in theory..... in practice my handfired Harmon handfired coal stove is the defacto primary heat source. Remember that a ton of coal has approximatly the same heat value as 275gal of oil. My last load of coal, which I picked up myself in my pickup truck cost me $135/ton My last batch of heating oil (still used for producing domestic hot water) was $3.39/gal Or whatever 139gallons for $500USD works out to... When it comes down to a choice between spending $1200 on oil to stay warm through an entire winter OR spending
