Smoke Fluid shelf life

I have a bottle of smoke fluid that I got back in 1996, over a decade before I got my first O gauge set (the fluid was for an HO loco).  It still works fine; still smells like smoke fluid.  I do wonder if it evaporates over time, though.

 

" paging Jeb Kriigel" question on isle 3 ! 

at the rate i am using it up, this is not an issue for me.

I haven't seen any deterioration in the fluid, but I found that the fluid will do a number on the eyedropper rubber over time.

 

Peter

The AF smoke fluid I have from 1954 still works fine in my HO "Chattanooga Special"

 

 

Since I have been summoned from a winter's nap, I will chime in on these questions that come up from time to time and attempt to answer from my perspective as a smoke fluid manufacturer. My comments are relating to JT's Mega-Steam and although I test other smoke fluids frequently for comparison, my comments and suggestions are geared towards our product since we proudly make it right here in the U.S.A. and have high quality standards in our manufacturing process and we choose to not use any foreign chemicals or ingredients.

 

1.) Shelf Life: That is a very subjective term since it depends on many factors involving proper storage, etc.  We specify 2-3 years as a normal shelf life although many test control bottles that we have are going on 8-9 years and still are considered good. Shelf life is like the expiration sell date on milk. That date is a sell date and most milk products are good for several days beyond the date...but it all depends on how the milk is stored. So it is with smoke fluid. 2-3 years is an average shelf life. Fresh is always better when it comes to chemicals so just purchase new after a few years. That will give you the best performance.

 

2.) Storage is important. Store in a cool, dark place away from light to extend the life of the fluid. We also suggest squeezing out the fluid from the eye dropper before storing. That extends the life of the rubber bulb. (We are constantly looking at replacing the rubber bulbs with a synthetic ones, but cost factors would cause our smoke fluid to be $2-3.00 more per bottle and we don't want to out-price our product.)

 

3.) When is it going bad?  The first indicator of smoke fluid going bad is loss of scent or discoloration. The chemical composition does tend to break down after a while and that usually occurs after 3 years time frame. But, again, it all depends on how the fluid is stored. Many of our customers report their fluid is 6+ years old and still as good as new...so it all depends on how you care for the product.

 

4.) "Shake well before using." That is the basic rule and appears on all of our labels.

Sometimes ingredient settling or separation can occur, shaking just keeps everything fresh and mixed correctly.

 

5.) As mentioned above, fresh is always better. Common sense is a good guide.

If your smoke fluid is old, looks old, or smells strange, just throw it out. If you experience the burned rubber smell, that probably indicates that the rubber in the eye dropper may have started to react with the fluid...giving you the smell of burned tires.  We keep our costs as low as possible so that you all can enjoy fresh smoke fluid as needed.

 

6.) Any harm from using old fluid? Why would you want to use old fluid? Just as you wouldn't consider using old oil in your automobile, why risk the possibility of causing mischief to the internal parts of your smoke unit. These parts are sensitive and always work better with fresh smoke fluid.

 

Hopefully, this will answer most of the questions here in this thread.

All the best to everyone for a great and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

Jeb Kriigel

JT's Mega-Steam

"World's Finest Smoke Fluid!"

www.megasteam.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your smoke fluid is going out dated your not playing hard enough for christ sake.Nick

I left mine in the car one winter. It froze and separated. Two distinct fluids in the bottle. They would not recombine.

 

Store your fluid upright. Not in your toolbox on its side for a month.

Thanks for all this information. I'm sure you have considered this, but could the smoke fluid be sold with out the eye droppers and then the better synthetic ones offered as a separate purchase? My thinking was to purchase a few bottles and then get a couple of  the good eye droppers for use between the different bottles. Or is this already an option with your separate sale eye dropper and ordering the fluid without eye dropper?

 

This is not a good comparison, since motor oils essentially do not age and "go bad". Thus, the Pennzoil that was purchased back in the 1960s (when the can still stated "100% pure Pennsylvania crude") would still be good and acceptable for your 1960s automobile engine. The big differences in trying to use "old motor oil" is the API rating REQUIRED for our modern automobile engines. Using "old motor oil" with an old/incorrect API ratting in a modern automobile is asking for potential engine damage, but not just because the oil was "old".

Jeb, thanks for all the firsthand information.

This was not by design, but during a move and then the time it took to build a new layout I had bottles of unused or partially used Mega-Steam (stored away in a dry dark place) for 4 years. When I was able to put it to use, it worked like a charm.

 

I store all of my Mega-Steam products under the layout on a shelf and have never, never had a problem. This is the best smoke product on the market for many reasons.

As inexpensive as smoke fluid is, when in doubt throw it out...

Not sure I would call $2.50+ an ounce inexpensive, but I would definitely throw it out if it smelled like burning tires.

Just one additional suggestion:  Since many engines are coming out this time of year, just for the holidays and have been in storage or on the shelf for an extended period of time...

 

Fill the smoke unit with the manufacturer's suggested amount the night before you run your train and let it set and soak up into the wicking material. This will greatly improve the smoking and help prolong the life of the wicking. 

 

Also, for Post War hobbyists:  The liquid smoke fluid will work fine in the older smoke units...no need to install special smoke units. Just remember the rule that if that pellet were melted it would equal 2-3 drops of liquid. That works fine in all of our Post War test locos and has been working well with many Post War owners.

Postwar Lionel smoke fluid does not seem to go bad, either in the bottle, or in the locomotives. I have a postwar bottle that I use on the occasion that I want add a few drops to a postwar or MPC liquid smoke unit to make smoke.
I also find that a postwar locomotive with a liquid smoke unit will usually start smoking without adding any fluid at all, even when its first powered up after years of storage. Same goes for pellet smokers.

 

(I use pellets in pellet smokers)

Stop yourself!!! With $2k being spent on loco's, smoke fluid is less than lunch money! 

Ok, I will give you the part about the lunch money, but a few bottles at $5 each, plus shipping adds up pretty quick. You can easily drop $50 or more on smoke fluid, just picking out your favorite scents, without really trying. And $2.50 is still $2.50 (or half a bottle).

 

The $2000 engines are WAY above my pay grade, more like $300 Railing Scale diesels only with a little left for lunch and a little smoke fluid. Still very happy to have them, a LOT better than having nothing!

Talk like this will get this useful thread deleted. Recommending products for off label use opens the Forum's owners to liability .

 

Brad

I use baby oil too.

I don't understand why anyone would not use a product designed for a smoke unit! For the amount of money spent on trains using these home brew methods to save literally a few pennies seems totally ridiculous!

Chris,

 

I hope this gives you some understanding of me.

 

I do not have high dollar trains, and I live on a fixed retirement income. Other hobbies compete for substantial bits of my discretionary dollars, so getting the most bang for the buck is important to me. Perhaps if I did have locomotives costing over $500, I may behave differently. However, baby oil works for me and I have been using it for 6 years in my Rail King steamers without any issues.

 

I also enjoy re-purposing things, and sometimes I agree with you when experiments don't work out well. Why did I do that to save a few bucks? I like the satisfaction when my ideas work.

no expiration date!!

My comment wasn't directed toward you Bobby and I'm not a high roller myself it just doesn't make sense to me. I have made some expensive mistakes myself. In the trains we run today with circuit boards and such I just don't take a chance anymore. Hey whatever works for ya.      Merry Christmas!

Hey Chris,

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year full of trains to you and your family.

Tiki torch wicks... I use them because they received the stamp of approval from several members here that I respect. I use them because they are typically more readily available. Face it, things always go wrong at the worst time. I use them as I believe they last longer than the factory stuff. I use them because I have not seen any difference in smoke output, positive or negative. 

 

Baby Oil? That's a entirely different subject! Maybe I should try the bottle of 10w30 in the garage!? My old Chevy could smoke!! 

I am under the impression that much of the smoke fluid is composed of a very light weight oil. As such if kept moisture free it should last a very long time.  As for using an alternative in your engines, it is foolish to do so. Why risk voiding your warranty and doing possible damage for the few cents that it costs to refill with smoke fluid?