Candle Safety
Wood Wicks - What's The Deal?
The gentle crackling of a wooden wick enhances the ambiance of your space, yet wooden wicks are often known for their inconsistent burning tendencies, frustrating both candle makers and customers alike. So why does this happen sometimes, but not all of the time? Wood wicks are a natural wood product, and like any other wood product, there are sometimes knots in the wood that are not visible to the eye. These knots can create issues with burning, such as a wick that won't stay lit or low flames. Think of a wick like a straw. The wax travels up the wick which is what fuels the flame. If there is a knot in the wood, the wax cannot reach the flame as easily. This is also why trimming your wood wick between uses is so important. Charred bits of wood on the top of the wick will also reduce the flow of wax. Photo Above: The difference a quick trim can make. When we test our candles (every change in formula, including new scents get thoroughly safety and quality tested) we are looking mainly for: a full, or near full melt pool at 4 hours, a good hot throw (the scent you smell when it's burning) and the tin temperature not getting too hot. Once in a while, even our test candles will experience a low flame, but as long as we are still getting a good hot throw, and the wax is melting close to the edge at 3 to 4 hours, we call this a pass. This candle is experiencing a low flame, but 2 hours in, the melt pool is beginning to reach the edge and even the small amount of wax around the edge of the jar is catching up (a little wax around the outside is perfectly fine, especially on the first 2 burns, this will ensure the tin won't get too hot). Also the scent is fantastic! The same candle at 3.5 hours. The hang up around the sides is catching up, even though the flame is still small. Patience is paying off. If you are experiencing a low flame, do not try to remove wax or use tin foil around the edges to prevent "tunneling". As long as there is still a flame, even if it is small, try give it 4 hours if possible to see if the melt pool is getting towards the edge. Often times, even a low flame can still produce a great hot throw and full melt pool and it will not reduce the total burn time of your candle. If in very rare cases, your candle snuffs itself out, let the wax cool, trim the char off the wick and try lighting it again. The only time we have been able to replicate a candle blowing itself out, was when there was either too much wax in the pool and the wick was drowned (when we purposely tried to push any wax around the edge into the pool), or when we removed wax with paper towel. At first it perked up, but we kept removing wax, then the flame died out. Tips for lighting and maintaining wood wick candles: 1. Hold the candle on an angle when lighting. This will let the flame draw up the wick. 2. Allow your 1st burn to be a minimum of 3 hours, but ultimately 4 hours is usually best. Our candle tins have a wide opening, which can require a longer 1st burn than our taller more narrow glass candles. If the 1st burn doesn't reach the edge or close to the edge, you are way more likely to have a candle tunnel. 3. Trim off the charred bits of wick in between uses - Every time! Got anything more consistent? Are you someone that prefers to just light a candle and not worry so much about it? Well don't worry, we are beginning to make all of our candles with cotton wicks as well. This will give you the option of purchasing a wooden wick, or a cotton wick in most of our candle scents. *Please note, cotton wicks also need to be trimmed between uses. Our cotton wicks perform best at around 1/4" - 1/8" in length and it is important to remove any "mushroom" tops before burning.
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What Warning Label?
Let's face it, a lot of people do not read labels. How do I know that? Well, because I am also guilty of this. Before I began making candles I had no idea that I shouldn’t burn a candle for longer than 4 hours, that I should trim my wick between uses, or that I shouldn’t put wick trimmings or match ends in the candle. Guess what…all of these recommendations are standard wording on a candle warning label that should be on all candles sold. Back in the day, I used to solely buy my candles from the big mall stores. Not one staff member or interested party shared the following information with me. This is why, as a candle maker now myself, I think it is crucial for the candle maker to help inform their consumers of these very important warnings and tips. While it is not always possible to tell every one of our consumers this information in person, a warning label is clearly not enough to get the message across. This is why I have decided to post videos, blogs like this one, and all of my products on my website have tips and warnings right there in the product description…everything I can think of to spread this information to the very people who should know it. I have always loved candles, but they do carry a risk with them, so I am dedicated to do whatever I can, to help reduce this risk. So…warning label wording. Sure it says trim your wick, etc, etc…but why? Let's go through this here shall we: Warning - Trim your wick to ¼ inch (⅛ inch for wood wicks) - Failing to trim your wick between burns can produce a flame larger than had been safety tested, and can cause your vessel to get too hot. Glass vessels that get too hot can shatter! Also, did you know, a wick that is too hot can actually make your fragrance weaker?. A video on how to trim your wick can be found here: How to Trim Your Wooden Wick Warning - Keep your candle free of foreign materials - There should not be anything in your candle except for wax and the wick(s). Anything other than that can cause what is called a Secondary Ignition. Secondary ignition is the presence of a flame originating from anywhere other than the candle's wick, and that lasts longer than 10 seconds (as per ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials International - regulations). A flame originating from somewhere other than the candle's wick can cause excess heat in your jar and can even ignite the entire top layer of wax in a vessel. If you don’t believe me, google it! This is also why I do not advise burning a candle with embeds (decorations in the candle wax) that are made of anything flammable (wax embeds are okay). Warning - Only burn a candle on a level, fire-resistant surface - This is self explanatory, but is important to remember. Do not rest your candle on an edge, or somewhere that is not flat. It can cause your candle to tip over. Warning - Do not burn your candle for more than four hours at a time - The standard for candle safety testing is to do test burns of 4 hour increments. Some candle makers will test for longer than that to make sure the candle will not be harmful if this warning is not followed, however because it is the standard, “power burns” (burning longer than 4 hours at a time) may not have been tested. The ASTM have done extensive testing and have deemed 4 hours to be the recommended maximum for safety purposes. Warning - Stop use when only ¼” of wax remains - No one wants to waste. Especially when you love the fragrance of a candle, but this warning is present because the ¼” of remaining wax creates a heat buffer between the wick and the bottom of the vessel. Burning a candle right to the very bottom can cause the bottom of your vessel to get very very hot! This can overheat your vessel and possibly increase the risk of burning the surface it is sitting on. Warning - Do not leave your candle unattended - fires can happen fast! Keep your candle in sight at all times and regularly monitor your flame, jar heat and for excess sooting. These are all signs that something may not be quite right with your candle and it may be best to put it out. Always err on the side of caution! Warning - Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets - candles smell good, but they are hot! Kids and pets don’t always understand this so best keep them in a spot they cannot reach them. Keep those little fingers and paws out of that hot wax! This one is not a warning, but a please don’t do this from us. I used to be guilty of this as well folks! Don’t extinguish your candle with the lid. For one thing, the lid may not be fire resistant but also, the smoke from the extinguished wick can get into your candle wax and make your amazing smelling candle smell like burnt amazing smelling candle - yuck! One last warning and this one isn’t a standard that is on warning labels but I have included it in my candle descriptions, because it is very important. Never try to extinguish a candle fire with water. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container. Burning wax is just like a grease fire on the stove in the kitchen - you should never use water on either. The best way to put out a candle fire is: 1. Don’t touch it! It will be extremely hot and the molten wax can splash on you. 2. If you do not have a fire extinguisher handy, get something non-flammable like a metal pot lid and smother the entire candle top. These warnings are the basics of what should be written on a candle warning label. By following these guidelines, it can help reduce your risk of a candle fire. Please do your part and I will do my part as well to help reduce these risks.
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How to Light a Wood Wick Candle
The best way to light a wooden wick is to hold the candle on an angle and let the flame draw across the length of the wick.
How To Perk Up a Low Flame
If you ever accidentally cut your wood wick too short, this video can help you perk the flame back up.
