How to measure wicks for unknown heater with no markings, brands, or model tags.
It is possible you have a "brand name" or "unique" heater that is not listed in either the alphabetical list or the list by wick number. Don't give up, as working together we can almost always find a wick that will make your heater work as well as new. Those "odd" heaters were made by a reputable factory and sold to a chain store or other retail outlet under a different name and model number, or sold (even manufactured) in a different country under another name and model number. So the wicks are available...it's just a matter of matching the proper wick with your individual heater. I have wicks to fit Wards, Kenmore, Zibro, Eurostove and other heaters which simply do not exist on any list of heaters, or I can make them.
What we need are the measurements of your old wick and heater, and only you can do that. I have over 100 different models of wicks in stock, and I've measured and recorded the size of every one of them. You can e-mail me with your wick measurements, and I will compare them with my list of wick measurements and let you know which wick will fit your heater.
There are four critical measurements I must know: (1) the wick diameter; (2) the wick width, (3) the wick length; and (4) the distance from the TOP of the wick to the pins (if any), or any wick attachments.
The wick must fit precisely the wick gap and diameter:
The wick diameter is found by measuring the width (diameter) of the central air pillar (center in the illustration above) and the outside diameter of the wick opening, or "gap." The wick must fit into the wick "gap." Just as an example, the central pillar (around which the wick fits) measures 2 1/2", and the outside-to-outside measurement (outer edge of each side of the wick gap, across the air pillar) is 2 5/8". The diameter of the wick is the average of those two measurements. In this case, the wick would be 2 9/16" in diameter. There are 12 different wick diameters, so this is an important measurement.
The wick length and width is found by measuring the wick when removed from the heater. The wick will have to be removed in any case, so this is a relatively easy measurement to make. (It is a whole lot easier to remove and measure a dry wick, so empty the fuel tank and burn the wick dry if at all possible.) Remember that you wouldn't be replacing the wick if it were burning like new, so it was probably about 1/8" to 1/4" longer than your measurement. Note the metal wick raising attachment on the wick illustrated - that is an important factor in identifying the correct wick. This wick is 5 1/4" wide and 5 3/4" long.
The distance from the top to the pins (if any) is important because some wicks are the same diameter and length, but the pin placement can be either 2 or 2 1/2" below the top of the wick. Once again, we have to assume the wick is burned down a little or you would not be needing a replacement wick, so add 1/8" or so to your measurement. If a wick with the pins 2" from the top of the wick is installed in a heater designed for a 2 1/2" pin depth, the wick simply will not be able to be raised sufficiently to burn properly. Conversely, if a wick with a pin depth of 2 1/2" is installed in a heater designed for a pin depth of 2", the wick will sit too high and not retract sufficiently to turn the heater off, and will be too high for efficient and proper burning.
With those three (or four, if the wick is pinned) measurements, you can e-mail me with those measurements, I check my list of wicks sizes and let you know which wick will fit your heater. Then a perfectly good kerosene heater can be used again - and burn as it did when new!
No, this isn't as easy as simply reading a list and finding the wick number listed, but it will work and get your heater working again!
Modern kerosene heaters were invented in Japan and they established the standard dimensions used for those wicks. There are other sizes, of course, but the vast majority of wicks will have one of the measurements below. Remember, these are the FLAT WIDTH of the wick across the cloth band when the wick is pressed flat. The length will vary and you will also need to let me know that measurement.
HOW TO MEASURE TO DETERMINE THE WICK SIZE REQUIRED
The diameter of the draft tube determines the wick required by the heater. The draft tube is easier to measure if the burner is removed, which leaves the draft tube as the only thing protruding from the tank. You can see right through the draft tube to the floor, rug or drip pan beneath the fuel tank (font) so it is easy to identify. In the illustration below, left, the draft tube on this heater measures 2.696''. The draft tube on a Perfection heater measures 2.50'' so a Perfection wick or wick #3L will not fit this heater; in this case the measurement is typical for a European heater using a 71mm diameter wick.
If there is a fragment of wick existing, please remove the wick from the wick sleeve or wick carrier. Lay the wick flat and press it flat, then measure ACROSS the flat so I can have that measurement. A Perfection clone that uses wick #3L will be 4 3/8'' wide flat measurement.
A wick to fit the wick sleeve above left must be a solid tube - no tails on the wick, and the wick fits on the outside of the draft tube. The wick above right extends below the wick sleeve and must have ''tails'' on the wick, as shown. In this case the wick is 4 3/8'' wide and wick #3L will fit inside the wick sleeve.
It is important to note if the wick fits on the inside or outside of the wick sleeve and the diameter of the wick sleeve. A wick fitting on the outside of a wick sleeve must be larger in diameter than a wick fitting on the inside of a wick sleeve. See the photo illustrations below.
Some sample measurements of the outside diameter of draft tubes:
Perfection 500 draft tube: 2.5''
Florence models 81-21, -24, -25; 82-21, -24, -25; 83-12, -24, -25; H-81, -82, -83 -84, -85, -86 -87, -88: 2.5'', same as a Perfection heater.
Florence Model 10 draft tube is 3 1/16'' diameter.
Florence H-124 draft tube is 3 3/4'' diameter and the wick sleeve is 4 1/4'' in diameter.
Acme No. 215, 4.705'' draft tube diameter.
Aladdin B-61, C-10.C20, S-1 & S-2, 3'' diameter.
Buhl No. 11, 3'' diameter.
Puritan #44, 1.910" diameter.
Standard New Process 40B, 3.031".
