Candles bring warmth, comfort, and atmosphere into any room – but many lovers of candles become frustrated when their gorgeous new candle does not burn evenly or remains lit at all. Before giving up hope on that particular candle, it’s essential that we understand exactly why that happened before giving up altogether – such factors include length of the wick and type of wax used – here, we outline 7 reasons candles won’t burn as expected!
1. Either The Wick Is Too Short Or Long
Your candle’s wick can be one of its biggest obstacles to proper burning. Too short will fail to pull enough wax for proper combustion; while too long may become unstable. Aim for cutting it before each burn so as to avoid smoke, uneven melting, or loss of flame altogether. Aim to get about 1/4 inches.
2 . Avoiding Creating An Extensive Melt Pool From The First Burn
Many individuals put out their candles too quickly after lighting them for the first time, leading them to tunnel. When wax burns down into its center, leaving behind unusable wax around its perimeters, this process is known as tunneling; for optimal performance, the initial burn should allow enough time for all wax to melt to reach all sides of the container to create large pools of it that ensure continuous lighting throughout their long lives.
3. Lighting Candles in Large Open Areas
Fans, air conditioners or open windows may cause your candle flame to flicker or be unevenly illuminated. Air movement prevents even burning of its wick, leading to possible melting, tunneling, or smoke production if placed too near doors or vents – make sure candles are placed away from these obstructions in order to ensure even burn.
4. Your Wax Needs An Exclusive Wick
Not every wick is created equal; some work better with soy wax while others excel when combined with paraffin or beeswax. When these factors come together incorrectly, flames may remain weak or incomplete burns may ensue if not heated evenly by the flame. Quality candle manufacturers frequently conduct thorough tests of various combinations of wicks and wax before producing candles themselves; for those seeking to DIY candles themselves, testing is key to getting that perfect burn!
5. Wrong Wax Or Additives
Quality wax makes an impactful statement about its flame. Candles with poor-grade or poorly mixed wax may produce uneven or no burn at all; for optimal performance use natural, high-grade options like soy, coconut or beeswax as these will burn cleaner with reduced soot emissions.
6. Failing To Care For Their Candle Between Burns
People often neglect to take proper care and attention when tending to their candles, yet doing so is absolutely crucial to their longevity and performance. Every time you use one, cut its wick short, remove debris (including burnt pieces from previous usages of that candle ), and allow it to completely cool before using it again – otherwise, smoke, residue build-up, or non-steady flames could result from neglectful caretaking practices.
7. Considerations about the environment that you might overlook
Temperature and humidity both have an effect on how a candle burns; too cold weather might make its wax too hard, making it harder for flame to melt it properly; in hot environments however, wax may melt unevenly and pool together into pools that do not maintain texture and aroma of your candles properly. For optimal performance of candles store them in cool, dry environments.
Conclusion
By understanding the seven causes of improper candle burning, you can transform your candle experience from aggravating to relaxing. Reducing drafts, permitting full melt pools and trimming the wick will all play an integral part in prolonging and improving their burn. Purchasing high-quality candles featuring superior waxes and wicks also has an enormously positive effect.
Since candlelight’s invention, its tranquil and alluring light have long been prized. If given proper care and consideration, every candle you light could burn as intended–brightly, evenly, and beautifully!
