Indoor gas
lighting today
The use of natural gas (methane) for indoor lighting
is nearly extinct. Besides producing a lot of heat, the combustion of
methane tends to release significant amounts of carbon
monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is more readily absorbed by
the blood than oxygen, and can
be deadly. Historically, the use of lamps of all types was of shorter
duration than we are accustomed to with electric lights, and in the far
more draughty buildings, it was of less concern and danger. There are no
suppliers of new mantle gas lamps set up for use with natural gas;
however, some old homes still have fixtures installed, and some period
restorations have salvaged fixtures installed, more for decoration than
use.
New fixtures are still made and available for propane (sometimes
called "bottle(d) gas"), a product of oil
refining, which under most circumstances burns more completely to carbon
dioxide and water vapor. In
some locations where public
utility electricity or kerosene are
not readily accessible or desirable, propane Gas
mantle lamps are still used,
although the increased availability of alternative energy sources, such as solar
panels and small scale wind
generators, combined with increasing efficiency of lighting products, such
ascompact fluorescent lamps and LEDs are
diminishing their use. For occasional use in remote cabins and cottages,
propane mantle lamps may still be more economical and less labor intensive
than an alternative energy system.