Saturday, January 30, 2010

New Type of Effusion Lamp wicks!

If you read this blog on a regular basis, I'm sure you must be thinking that I dropped off the face of the earth. Actually, I'm still here and working on a number of projects. I've spent most of the past month trying to get organized-a never ending project in itself. FYI-I'm still not organized and probably will never be, but I do try.

I've been writing this blog now for several years and the most common email I get is always about effusion lamps. I know why-they can be tricky. The wicks burn out, clog up or the scent doesn't smell up the house, etc, etc. I've done so much research on these lamps that I really feel I finally know what I'm talking about.

I was surprised to get an email from Carol a few weeks ago. She was having some problems with her effusion lamp and needed some advice. She surprised me by mentioning a new wick that she is using-which I had never heard of. I seriously don't even know how long the have been around. These wicks have no stone either...... hummmmmmmm......this is soooo interesting. It starts instantly, which saves on fuel, and eliminates the 5 minute (sometimes scary) lighting of the stone. Called the "Platinum Wick", it can't clog or flood. It fits all types of effusion lamps and retails for about $14.95, depending on where you look. My only question would be: how long will it last? I can't answer this yet, but I will let you know.

I ordered mine from here because the price was right and they offered free shipping. I've had it for two weeks and I burn it everyday, so we'll see how it goes. Below are some step by step photos and a good look at the wick.

To start off: here is the wick, right out of the box.











Below is the lamp filled 1/2 up with fuel. Remember, don't fill over 1/2 way up-these lamps need oxygen to work. Pop in the wick and leave it for 10 minutes.



































Above: the wick. Looks like something that goes over a chimney. Notice there is no stone with these new wicks. The stone is replaced with a metal grate that heats up during the process.




Here is the wick being lit.













Here is the flame that is created. You keep the wick lit for 30-35 minutes, a little flame appears for a few seconds and then you blow it out! The metal grate gets hot and the smell starts almost immediately. It's a big difference from the old stone wicks. I still like them and use them, but this new one appears much safer to use.

So there you have it. A new type of wick for the effusion lamps.

Here is my original post on effusion lamps which includes history, information and the fuel recipe.

FYI-I have purchased so many nice and inexpensive effusion lamps at this store in the local mall. Check their site and see if there may be one by you.

Christy









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38 comments:

  1. Hi,
    I was just curious why the name of the place you said you purchased the platinum wicks with no shipping etc. no longer shows. it is just a blank spot.

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  2. I tried the link in my post and it worked fine for me. So give this a try: http://www.theimportstoreonline.com/Platinum_Wick_p/newwick.htm

    Hopefully this will take you right to the site.
    Christy

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  3. I wish I would have known all this when I got mine! We had no idea how to set it up and DH burned part of the metal top off!

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  4. I am wondering if you or anyone has purchased essential oils from www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com? They have incredible prices - so low I am skeptical - that is why I am writing. I want to make a large purchase, so if anyone has used them I would love to know. Thank you.

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  5. I have not used this company, but their prices look right in line with what essential and fragrance oils should be.

    Christy

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  6. I can't afford certain eo's that are so great for blending and their smell(vanilla, rose etc.). I want to try making my own blends - would it be ok to add a couple drops of a fragrance oil to the eo's for blending? Thanks.

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  7. I use fragrance oil all the time. Just make sure it's 100% pure or it will clog the wick. Most oils you find in retail stores like Walmart are not 100%. Just make sure of that and you should be find. I blend essential oils and fragrant oils all the time.

    Good luck!

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  8. thanks for tip on where to get wicks on ebay. they work great the others at stores are crap!!! lampe bergers are best they have real good scent throw. i get my oils from aroma haven.com they are great and low priced. beware of some lower priced places you get taken. but there great alot to choose from. if you try them you will be hooked and they only take 2 days to get them thanks again

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  9. I just bought a few lamps, and I can't seem to be able to have them running for longer than 3 hours. They're always turned off by itself after that. How long your lamp can be running? I am using the platinum wick.

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  10. Did you read all my posts? Go to the top of this blog and enter "effusion lamps". I have written numerous posts on the subject that will help you troubleshoot your effusion lamps. Check it out and let me know if you still need help.
    Christy

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  11. Yes I did read all 4 of your effusion lamp blogs before buying my lamps, and my question was specific to the usage of the platinum wick. I followed your recipe exactly and even tried with less fragrance oil concentration, but the wick would extinguish itself after about 3 hours. I'm wondering if it is normal or not?

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  12. How full do you fill up your lamp. If you fill it half way (in a regular sized effusion lamp) you should get more that 3 hours from it. Try soaking it in the 91% alcohol for 24 hours. Let it dry on a paper towel and try it again. The very best way (that I have found) to light any wick, is to use the type of lighter that produces the blue flame on the end. I bought mine at Walmart and it's refillable. It's very much like a little torch and produces a blue flame at the end. It does a great job of turning that platinum wick, red hot. It's called a Bernzomatic. I have found this to work wonders for making all stones and platinum wicks red hot. Mine burn for hours or until I cap them off. See if you can find this lighter. It's like the ones people use to light their grills.
    Do soak it for 24 hours first though. The blue flame will make that wick red hot. I think that's the trick. Hope this helps!
    Christy

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  13. I Christy, I just bought the new platinum wick...it wouldn't stay lit for more than a 1/2 hour...I'm soaking it as u suggested...but I have a question...once it has soaked...does it have to dry out completely before I put it back in the lamp or can it go in still soaking wet with alcohol...also do you know how to take the platinum wick apart...one came with part of the rope separated....

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  14. Did you buy 2 platinum wicks? One with the wick broken and the other that doesn't light? I would call the people who you bought them from and ask for a refund.
    I have never taken one apart and have had no problems with mine. The directions do state that you must dry the wick out first (after soaking) and then light it.
    You really should contact them though. Good luck!

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  15. Sorry to hear you are having trouble with the wicks. With our new fuel and some other brands we have no trouble at all lighting them.

    Most problems that have been reported have been caused by one of 4 reasons. The first thing to make sure is that the catalytic screen is not touching the top of the wick, it should be at least 1/8th of an inch from the top.

    Make sure you are only trying to heat up the screen that is going around the wick, you do not want or need a flame of any sort to come from the wick.

    I use a jet flame or wind resistant lighter to light the wick. It should only take 10 to 15 seconds to heat the screen. After you see the screen start to glow that should be all you need.

    My lamp will burn all day if I let it. If it is placed in front of a fan or under one it will eventually go out.

    I have seen a few brands of fuel work for a while but then clog up the cloth part of the wick. The only reason we can see for this is that they put too much fragrance in the fuel because most effusion lamp wicks burn through a lot of fragrance just to get the aroma in the air.

    If you are still having problems with the wick please contact us thru the website at Stonewick.com and we will be glad to assist you anyway we can.

    We have our own fuel coming out this fall as well as a new wick that has two parts. The top part is the catalytic screen assembly and the other is a replaceable cotton wick.

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  16. Hello. I read your blog about the Platinum Wick with interest as I just purchased for my wife a Lampe Berger lamp. Can you tell me how long the Platinum Wick will last? I see that the ceramic (stone) one that came with the Lampe Berger says it should be replaced after about a year or 200 lights. I was wondering if the new Platinum Wick was the same, more or less?

    Thank you.

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  17. I wish I could answer that question accurately. I am not really sure how long they last, but in my experience it is longer than the stone wicks. The stone wicks have so many problems and they need a lot of upkeep. The stones get clogged frequently. The platinum wick has no stone, so that problem is eliminated completely. These wicks do not clog, light quickly and last longer. They need no upkeep. I know some people have had them working for over 6 months.
    Hope this answers your question.

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  18. "Here is the flame that is created. You keep the wick lit for 30-35 minutes, a little flame appears for a few seconds and then you blow it out!" DO YOU MEAN, 30-35 SECONDS?

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  19. Yes, that is exactly what I mean. It usually takes under a minute to light these platinum wicks. The stone wicks take 3-5 minutes.

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  20. Hi Christy, this is Carol. I still LOVE the Platinum wicks. But, I too was discouraged, just as others, after trying to lite them after about three separate burns they just didn't last long.

    But, now there's a new improved plantinum wick where the wick itself disconects from the metal connection. Which is great! You can buy 10 replacement wicks on Ebay for $17. Since June 2010 I've only used 5 wicks so far.

    I've learned using the orginal plantinum wicks that didn't come apart from the wick, that after time the wick would chard and prevent re-liting and the burning of my oil. And that is discouraging.

    However, I found out that if I put more distilled water in my recipe the wick burns less hot preventing the fast charding of the wick, burn time is much longer and not only that... less fogging from the fragrance being dispensed in the room.

    I burn my effusion lamp daily and usually with the slow burn (help of added distilled water in my recipe) my lamp will burn constantly for about 16 hours and fill my house with the aroma of my choice.

    I hope my comment has helped someone. I truly think the secret with these plantinum wicks is the added extra distilled water. And the New improved replaceable wicks that can be disconnected and replaced.

    Btw, I've only had one incident with my wick not staying lit and that was resolved by putting the metal head in a small container of 91% alcohol and shaking it around for a a minute. I didn't let the metal dry out, I just lit it and it was good to go!

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  21. Carol,
    Thanks for sharing this.

    I have one of the "new" ones with the replaceable wick. So far, I've been happy with the results. Please tell us, how much extra distilled water do you put into your recipe??

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  22. Hello,

    My name is Scott and I just would like to let everybody know that this platinum wick will last a VERY long time... much longer than the ceramic wick. It also diffuses the fragrance better than the ceramic wick and is EPA-compliant, which the ceramic wick is not.

    If anyone would like more information on this new wick feel free to email me at scottintexas@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer questions. I know the scientist who developed and patented the wick.

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  23. Why doesn't my stone remain hot. It cools off right away? Also, everything talks about "lighting the wick" none of my wick is exposed. Is it supposed to be? I bought my lamp at goodwill and have never had one. Thanks, in advance, for your help.

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  24. People just refer to lighting the wick when in reality, they are lighting the stone. Your stone may be damaged. Soak it in alcohol for 24 hours. Then try lighting it. See if that works. You may have one of those cheap wicks that just don't work. Get yourself a Lampe Berger wick. They light without any problems. Hope this helps.

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  25. Are the recipes for the Platinum effusion oils the same as they were for the stone-wick effusion oils?

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  26. Hi Christy,
    Do they still make & sell Platinum Wicks??? I have only found one website iscentu.com that lists them however they seem to only ship to the USA. I'm in Australia & am desperately trying to purchase a couple for my mini-lamps - I'm sick of mucking around with clogged up stone wicks.

    Any help will be great :)

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    Replies
    1. Chris-The platinum wicks became very popular years ago. I think the company may have gone under. I still see them occasionally on Ebay, but they have all but disappeared. Always keep your wicks soaking and maybe they will work better for you. Keep looking though, you may run into them out there. Good luck!

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    2. Thanks Christy. After reading all the good responses with the Plantinum Wicks, I would have thought more people would have made something similar.

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  27. I was recently convinced to change my stone wicks to a Platinum Wick but I have more problems with the Platinum Wick than I do with the stone wicks. They don't work at all for me. The stone wicks do. If they clog, I know how to clean them, if the Platinum Wick doesn't work, I have no clue how to make it work?! I went back to my stones! :)

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    Replies
    1. As much as I liked the platinum wicks, they are almost impossible to find anymore. Maybe the company went out of business. But, you're right, at least you can troubleshoot the stone wicks!

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    2. Yes, my quality stone wicks have lasted for 10+ years where the platinum wicks barely lasted 1 week at a time. The hardest part is getting good formulas down for scents I like & remembering to write them down so I can repeat them. ;) Scent recipes, yip, those are the hardest!

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  28. Hi Christy,
    Have you tried those Platinum wicks on IScentU. If you have, are they the same?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, actually I have. I used them all the time. But, now they are hard to find, so I've converted back to the stone wick.

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  29. HI Christi
    In canada I can only get 99% alcohol, how do I make it 91%

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  30. Diana: 99% will work just fine. You can use that. Hope this helps!

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