QA

Question: Why Should You Trim Your Candle Wick

Prolong the Candle’s Life Long wicks can cause the candle to burn unevenly, disrupting the “memory burn.” (This is simply a fancy name for allowing the wax to melt to the edges of the container on the first burn.) Trimming your wick allows for a cleaner burn and can even save you money.

What happens if you dont trim candle wick?

Trimming the wicks will keep the candle burning without any black soot and it will give your candle a longer burn time. Here is what happens when you do not trim the wicks properly. When a wick gets too long it cannot draw wax all the way up to the top of the wick. Therefore, the wick itself will start to burn.

Why is it important to trim the 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.

Are you supposed to Trim candle wicks?

Why You Should Trim the 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. Keeping the candle wick trimmed helps control the amount of melted wax (i.e., fuel) that the candle has access to, which helps limit the amount of soot it creates.

Should you trim candle wick before first?

So, back to WICKSthe first thing you should do when you buy our candles or any other, is trim the wick before first burn. Trim it about 1/8″ above the surface of the wax. It gives the wax time to melt so the burn pool reaches the sides of the glass. After burning, blow out the candle and let it cool.

Where does the wax go when you burn a candle?

When candles burn, most of their matter goes into the air. The light and heat from a candle comes from the wax burning. When you light the wick, the flame causes some of the wax to melt, flow up the wick and evaporate, and then the wax vapor burns.

When should I trim my wick?

Keep the wick trimmed to 1/4 inch at all times. 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.

What is candle tunneling?

Tunneling happens when only a small portion of the wax around the wick melts while the candle is burning. Instead of having the entire surface of the wax melt evenly, it will appear as though the flame is burrowing into the candle and creating what resembles a small, vertical tunnel — hence the name.

Why do you trim the wick on an oil lamp?

In the days when light came from burning oil in lamps, a vessel at sea needed crewmen to constantly care for the lamps. This care involved trimming the wick, which drew the oil up from the storage reservoir, so that the flame would be clean and bright. A poorly trimmed wick creates a flame which is dim and smoky.

Are 3 wick candles better?

Yes, three wicks burn faster but having three wicks creates a candle source with more light and flame. In other words, three wick candles look cool.

Do 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.

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 makes a candle burn longer?

Sprinkle salt into the liquid wax of the candle. Adding salt serves the same purpose as putting the candle in the freezer—it slows down the rate at which the wax melts, giving you a longer, more economical burn.

Why do candles have memory?

Candle wax has a memory. This means that your candle remembers where it is burnt up to on that first burn and will only ever burn up to the point it was last extinguished. This is why the first burn is the most important. If you do not let your candle burn all the way to the edges, then a memory ring will form.

Do candles take oxygen out of the air?

burning candles consume oxygen. In a room with normal circumstances that would make no big of a difference since the level of oxygen is being replaced immediately. and you can see that by observing the flame, if the oxygen level was dropping the flame would be getting smaller .

What happens if you let a candle burn 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.

What happens if you inhale candle wax?

Candles and incense can affect air quality. As candles or incense burn, tiny particles smolder and flake off into the air. When this soot is inhaled, it can get into the airways and lungs, possibly causing irritation. This can worsen asthma symptoms.