Home Gas Lighting System

This is a video I had taken of my home lit by gas lighting. The house was built in 1915 and was wired for electricity and piped for gas, both of which were soley for lighting purposes. The gas used is acetylene and burns with a bright white light that give off very little heat or odor.
My fixtures, most of which are original to the house, are combination fixtures. I use tungsten filament bulbs that are reproductions of those made at around 1910. The gas lights, when you have a chandelier with three or more lights and frosted shades, are brighter than three of the reproduction electric light bulbs.
The pressure used is very low. Only 2.5 inches water column (W.C.) or about .09 psi. I use a standard aceylene tank used for cutting torches and four stages of regulation to reduce the tank pressure of 170 psi down to 2.4" W.C.
Sorry for the odd color. I used a simple digital camera on video mode.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• gas light
• gaslight
• haunted house
• house museum

[modernblacksmith]

acetylene has a beautiful color to it doesn't it? back in the day they would have bought calcium carbide pellets and an acetylene generator, so it would have been economical, (and folks went to bed early so it would only run for a few hours anyway)

[sopcopotoptop]

Yes, the color is bright yellowish-white and the light is very good.

My grandparents farm home, built in 1912, had central gas lighting serviced by a large carbide generator in the basement at the foot of the stairs. The concrete footer is still in place and I have found Union Carbide dry cell batteries located in different parts of the basement with the wires still connected for the electric ignition system.

[sopcopotoptop]

Glad you enjoyed the video. As for economy the gas lights are not more economical to operate compared to electricity. Each burner costs about 23 cents per hour to operate. So you see, the system is more for special occasions or for power outages.

Thanks.

[sopcopotoptop]

Hi shortliner68. Glad you enjoyed the video. Acetylene was popular in rural communities and on farms and country estates where gas mains were not available. It burns very brightly and gives off only a small amount of heat compared to natural gas as the pressure am only running is only about 3.0" WC. The town I live in built it's acetylene plant in 1906 and it ran until the 1920's. My grandpa's farm house, built in 1912, had central gas lighting also. I guess it's in the blood!

[sopcopotoptop]

Hi arnold894. Glad you enjoyed the video. The gas that I am using is acetylene which has a fair amount of carbon in it (C2H2) and so it burns very brightly in comparison to natural gas. The burners I am using consume gas at a rate of 3/4 cubic foot per hour and each burner gives off a light equivalent to about 56 candle power which is similar to a 40 watt standard incandescent light bulb. The shades make a difference too. Frosted spreads the light more evenly. Hope this helps!

[fordtruxdad]

Absolutely fascinating! I grew up hearing my father talk about having gas lights. They were in a rural area and thus didn't have municipal gas service, so they had an acetylene generator. They used gas lights until about 1940 when electricity came to their area. Thanks for sharing a look at your lovely house and for preserving a piece of the past!

[sopcopotoptop]

My great grandpa built his home on the farm in 1912 and it was equipped with central gas ligthing. They had an acetylene generator in the basement and the lights were lit via a central electric ignition system using 6v. batteries also located in the basement. I have one or two of the batteries yet. Electricity came to them sometime in the 1920's. The light given off is pleasing and, contrary to some belief, there is no odor.

Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the comments.

[AGDemo]

A+ Great video great house thanks for sharing!

[AGDemo]

@sopcopotoptop That's Really Neat!

[DJelectfire]

LOVE the combination lamps! I wasn't aware that such types of lamps existed!

[walterbeech]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[HerrGobel]

Dear Sir, Thank you very much for uploading this - it gives me great hope that I too will one day boast a house with authentic combination lighting. If I may, how do your gas lights perform with regards to economy? Is it cheaper to use gas than electricity?

[shortliner68]

Thanks for sharing a video of your home with preserved gas lighting. Never knew acetylene was a source for gas lighting until now. Working for the oldest gas utility co. in the NE US, I do know the old coal gas burned with a brighter flame than the mostly natural gas pumped through the mains now. I've always had a fascination for gas lighting since I was a child in the 1950s. Old gas jets are still around in many older buildings if you know where to look.