Pariffin

A place to chat about anything you like, including non-gardening related subjects. Just keep it clean, please!

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nog
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Posts: 169
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Surrey Kent Border

I was in the Garden Centre today and they were selling pariffin for £4.99 for 4ltr. It may be cheeper to heat the greenhouse with wiskey.

Anyoune know where to get it cheeper?
peterf
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Posts: 218
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:46 am
Location: co durham

youre not wrong there nog,i think the days of parraffin are well and truly over.we can still get it for £2.70 a gallon from our locall garage,but i switched to propane 2 years ago to power a second hand thermostatic wee willy winkie £35 ebay,and i use a 47 kilo propane bottle £30 locall tool hire company.its already paid for itself and with a bit of care will last for years,no more wicks to trim and paraffin spilt all over the place,you can even spend a bit of quality time in the greenhouse without going home smelling as if youve just fin ished a shift in the refinary,should have made the move over a lot earlier.peter :lol:
jane E
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Posts: 369
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:00 am
Location: Leics

I still pay just under £3 for paraffin. I think the garden centre stick the price on a lot of things. I avoid them if I can.
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John
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Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:52 am
Location: West Glos

Is it possible to use domestic heating oil in paraffin greenhouse heaters? I was talking to the tanker driver when we had a delivery and he said he knew people who did this. Apparently heating oil and paraffin are virtually the same stuff. He did say though that he didn't know if it would burn as cleanly as paraffin. As heating oil is about 30p+ per litre it would be a big saving.
Anybody tried this?
John
Walt D
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Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:10 pm
Location: Manchester

Try your local allotment society we sell paraffin at £2.00 for 4ltr.
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nog
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Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Surrey Kent Border

We would but the the would then last about 20mins after sunset.

I will investigate the Propane option.
sally wright
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Posts: 722
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:32 pm
Location: Cambridge

Dear Nog,
I would try your local heating oil company. Some will deliver paraffin in large drums with a tap on them. Plan B would be a large DIY shed or failing that your local garage.

I was under the impression that heating fuel was more like motoring diesel than paraffin. But if you have a large glasshouse then putting in an old domestic oil boiler may be an option.

BTW I use candles to heat my glasshouse with an electric fan heater to supplement on very cold nights. I get a lot of candle ends (over 50kgs a year) from my workplace and I make them up into big container candles with 3-5 wicks in old takeaway tins. They last for between 36-48 hours depending on the tin.
regards Sally Wright.
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Arnie
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Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Liverpool Merseyside

Hi All,
Hate to put a dampener on all this but you can not buy parraffin in 45 gallon drums anymore,You have to be registered with HM Customs before you can go to a paraffin supplier, and when you have done all that you have to keep records of who you are selling it to, well that is what is in place at the allotment stores were I get mine from. I pay £2-20p a gallon.

Kevin
Molly

For the first time ever this year, I'm trying to keep my greenhouse frost-free. To that end, I bought a paraffin heater with 2 wicks and was horrifed to find that half a gallon of paraffin only lasted about 3 days, with both wicks turned down as low as possible! I used to look after the oil-fired signal lamps at the Watercress Line steam railway, and a single-wick oil lamp holding about half a pint of paraffin would stay alight for a fortnight or more without attention. A lamp would, I estimate, throw out enough heat to keep half a greenhouse from freezing up. So where am I going wrong with my greenhouse heater? And is there a less expensive way of doing the job without electricity?
Guest

Two things.....

1. Sally here do you work? The Wicked Witch of the Easts Castle?

2. I have two of the small Parasene Cold frame heaters. Which last 12-14 days on 1/2 gallon each.

I was given a 45 gallon drum of Paafinn a few years ago when the old laby next door got central heating, but now it is running out. I just use it to keep my 6ft x 3ft green house that is on the side of my garage frost free. I am now wondering if it may be better to put in a 1kw electric hearer in there.
peterf
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Posts: 218
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:46 am
Location: co durham

forget the arguments,you would still be much be better off with gas. :lol:
fen not fen

I got 5 litres for £2.5 from our independent, it probably helps if it's rural, and you may need to ask as it tends to be tucked away. Having said that I have asked the jolly fat man for a (gas) Hotbox for Christmas (failing that Santa may bring one ha ha ha).
sally wright
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Posts: 722
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:32 pm
Location: Cambridge

Dear Guest,
I work at one of the Cambridge University colleges that has a dining hall and chapel, both of which are lit wholly by candles. Happy now?
Regards Sally Wright.
peterf
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Posts: 218
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:46 am
Location: co durham

hi sally,how many tomatoe plants,chillis,cucumbers do you grow in your college dining room,chapel.only joking peterf :lol:
johnlundvet

I use central heating oil in my greenhouse, also in my Sheen flame gun and have no problems. You need the lighter domestic type as there is a heavier type, like diesel, used in big commercial plants. I have oil central heating so put out drum for the driver to fill when he delivers next time or else I siphon it out - take the metal cover off the plastic sight guage, bend it over into the can and hold the test button in. If you don't have oil heating, try to buy some from someone who does.
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