Why should you trim your candle wick?

Keeping the candle wick trimmed helps control your flame height. Too big of a flame will cause the candle to burn to hot which isn't safe for you, your space or your candle. It will also cause and create black soot, not cute.

What happens if you don't trim a candle wick?

Leaving a wick long means that you'll have a larger flame, which will melt more wax and give the candle more fuel. This larger amount of fuel can lead to incomplete combustion, which in turn creates more soot, making your candle container black and dirty.

Should you trim candle wicks?

In general, you should trim candle wicks to about 1/4 inch before lighting them. Doing this before each use helps ensure that your candles burn safely and brightly.

Should you trim candle wick before burning?

It is suggested to trim the wick every 4 hours of burn time. When wick trimming, you should always extinguish the flame, let the candle come to room temperature, and trim the wick before relighting.

How do you stop a candle from tunneling?

The best way to fix candle tunneling is to prevent it from happening in the first place. And it's very simple, too. To prevent tunneling, all you need to do is burn your candle long enough each time so that the entire top surface of wax is melted. This is especially important the first time you burn your candle!

The Difference Between Trimming and Not Trimming a Candle Wick

Where does the wax go when you burn a candle?

Wax is made of hydrogen and carbon. When a candle burns, the hydrogen and carbon from the wax combine with the oxygen in the air to become carbon dioxide and water vapor. Most of the matter in the candle ends up as these two gases.

Why is the first burn of a candle so important?

The candle's first burn is an important step to avoid tunneling. Your goal on a first burn is to fully melt the top layer of wax, evenly. If you do not, a “tunnel” will form in the center of the candle, creating a memory ring. Tunneling happens when the first-burn is not a long enough period of time.

What is a self trimming wick?

These flat-plaited or knitted wicks, usually made from three bundles of fiber, are very consistent in their burning and curl in the flame for a self-trimming effect. They are the most commonly used wicks, and are often found in taper and pillar candles.

Why does my candle jar turn black?

Why Does My Candle Jar Turn Black? Candle jars sometimes turn black due to an accumulation of soot, a powdery black substance consisting of tiny carbon particles released from the candle flame during incomplete combustion.

Why did my glass candle explode?

Since the hotter area of the candle is generally the center and the wax pool becomes a little cooler as it spreads out to the edge, the hot splattering water/wax, and fire combination reaches out towards the glass container causing the candle to break or “explode.”

Are you supposed to pour out melted candle wax?

How do I remove the last remaining wax from my candle vessel so I can reuse it? If the remaining wax is liquid, we suggest to carefully pour the wax into a lined waste container. Never pour hot wax into your drain as it can cause clogging problems and/or damage your garbage disposal.

What causes candle wicks to mushroom?

Mushrooming is often caused by the use of an oversized wick. When testing your candles burn, you may notice that a flame burns very brightly. This shows that the candle is taking on a greater amount of wax that it can burn, thus meaning that the wick becomes too hot, and creates the unpleasant looking excess carbon.

Why should you only burn candles for 3 hours?

If you burn your candle for more than 4 hours at a time, carbon will collect on the wick, and your wick will begin to "mushroom." This can cause the wick to become unstable, the flame to get too large, your candle to smoke, and soot to be released into the air and around your candle container.

What does it mean when the wick curls?

Candle Wick Meaning

If the wick falls into the melted wax, you can pull it out and attempt to let it regain itself, but if it curls back into the wax, chances are it will self-extinguish and end your spell.

Why is my candle smoking?

My candle is smoking

Smoke is created when the flame of the candle is unable to properly burn all the fuel (in the form of vaporized wax) efficiently due to a lack of oxygen. The result of this incomplete combustion is sooty carbon, as opposed to typical water and carbon dioxide.

Why do candle wicks curl?

Most wicks are designed to curl slightly so if a wick is pointing straight up and forming a carbon ball, help it out by bending the tip slightly to the side of the flame. You will see the carbon ball get burned up and then the wick should behave properly after the carbon ball burns away.

What does CD mean in candle wicks?

CD (Stabilo) candle wick is a flat braided cotton wick with paper threads woven into the cotton. The reinforced construction of the wick is designed to ensure a consistent burn with higher fragrance loads, especially with softer, more viscous natural waxes. Quick Order.

Why do candle wicks burn so slowly?

If the air (and therefore the solid candle wax) is cold, then more of the energy from burning must go toward heating the solid wax before it is melted. This means less of the candle will melt for a given unit of energy and the candle will burn more slowly.

Should you light all 3 wicks?

If you decide to burn just one wick at a time, still do the first burn with all three wicks -- then alternate between wicks for the single burns, so that you keep the level of wax more or less even across the surface of the candle.

Should you open a window when burning a candle?

Do your best to keep your burning candle away from fans, air conditioners, open windows, or heavily trafficked areas where people walk back and forth a lot. Moving air can disturb the flame, leading to even more unsightly black marks on the glass.

Why do my candles burning black smoke?

The primary cause of black smoke is an overly long wick. When a candle burns, the wax near the flame melts and the liquid wax is pulled up the wick to feed the flame. If the wick is too long, the balance of heat and fuel will be off. This throws off the chemical reaction and can produce excess soot and smoke.

What does a big candle flame mean?

The most common reason for a tall flame is when the length of your candle wick is too long. You can fix this issue by using a wick trimmer to cut your wick down to 1/4 inch above the solid wax before every burn and once every 4 hours if you like to keep it burning.

Why do candles not last forever?

This happens because molecules of fragrance oil are slowly but constantly evaporating from the wax into the air, even when the candle isn't burning. You can notice this process by putting an unlit candle close to your nose and taking a good whiff.

Who invented candles?

The earliest surviving candles originated in Han China around 200 BC. These early Chinese candles were made from whale fat. During the Middle Ages, tallow candles were most commonly used. By the 13th century, candle making had become a guild craft in England and France.

Why shouldn't you burn a candle all the way down?

The National Candle Association (www.candles.org) states that the reason to not burn the wax (in a container or just a candle itself) all the way down is SAFETY. A glass jar or container can become too hot, causing it to break or shatter and possibly causing a fire as well as other damage.