How to Stop a Candle From Smoking
Introduction
A candle is a solid object that produces light as it burns. The burning of the candle wax (fuel) produces heat, which melts more fuel and results in a chain reaction. The flame is composed of hot gasses being pushed off the top of the melted fuel. So you can think of it like this.
A gathering swarm of bees high over your head produces hotter and higher levels until they eventually push outwards to form something like a giant balloon releasing steam (the flame).
The smoking of candles is the production of condensation and smoke on the outside surface of a candle. When we place a lighted candle in an enclosed space, the surrounding air will be filled with moisture within a few minutes. If enough oxygen is present in this moist environment, it will go into combustion. I will discuss how to stop a candle from smoking in this article. So let us get started.
What Causes Smoking of Candles?
The smoke (unburnt wood and hot air) comes from the incomplete combustion of the candle’s wick by oxygen in a confined space. The more it smokes, the less efficient your candle is. And probably one day, you’ll realize that it’s been smoking non-stop for at least 10 minutes.
During that time, all it has done is burn down a few millimeters to reveal another centimeter of wick below and finally go out without lighting anything! In fact, this is the main reason why bees produce smoke.
Bees spend their time in tiny spaces (honeycombs) where there is not enough oxygen to completely burn off excess heat generated by their bodies during flight or work. So they do a little “puffing” to expel carbon dioxide and other gasses from their exoskeletons into the air, cooling themselves off in the process.
Then these hot gases burst out of the hive carrying scent particles with them, spreading it for miles around as far as your sense can smell!
Step-wise Guide on How to Stop a Candle From Smoking
You may not know this, but you can actually stop your candles from smoking by using the following step-by-step instructions:
Use New Equipment:
Candles burn better when the equipment used to make them is new and fresh. Just like a smoker only smokes a cigarette after he has smoked several, so does a candle burner need to experience the burning of several candles before becoming good at it — especially if he hasn’t done it before!
So be sure to buy good quality new and clean equipment to have great success in burning your candles without any smoke coming out of them later on.
Choose Good-quality Wax:
There are many reasons why you should choose good-quality wax when buying it for your candles.
For instance, the wax will burn much better and cleaner if you use high-quality beeswax; the candles that you make will have a more pleasant scent to them, which is going to be released slowly so that people can enjoy it for longer; they’ll burn brighter and much faster because good quality beeswax melts at a higher temperature than sub-standard beeswax does — once again this means that there will be no smoking!
So, all in all, using good quality wax is definitely worth the effort, time, and expense!
Add 1/4th Part Borax to 100 Parts Paraffin Wax:
You can use a small amount of borax when making candles. It is added in the last step after the candle has been poured into its desired container and requires no heating (other than being heated while mixed). Adding 1/4th part of borax to every 100g of paraffin wax is perfect because the whole mixture will melt at exactly 125 degrees Celsius when using this mixture.
Using this method means that your candle will not burn as hot as it usually would, and hence, less smoke will come out of it later on!
Use Smaller Wicks for Pillars:
If your candles are burning too fast for you because they have a huge wick, then you should reduce their size. This way, they’ll burn slower, and there will be less likelihood of the candle smoking because it’s not getting any oxygen at all!
Use Beeswax for Pillars:
Pillars are a type of candle that is always made out of beeswax instead of the usual paraffin or soy wax (except for some specific cases where they are being used to light an oil lamp).
The reason why pillars are usually made out of beeswax is that these candles “drip” all over, which means that unlike other types of candles such as tealights or votive lights, they won’t give off too much smoke in your house if they’re burning properly without any sign of it stopping.
Use a Wick-trimmer:
Using a wick trimmer is another way to ensure that your candles are not smoking. However, you don’t necessarily have access to one. That’s all right — you can use the thin end of a shaving blade to cut down the size of the wick! In fact, if you do so properly and snip off about 1/4th inch (about 0.5cm) from the total length of the wick, then this should be enough to prevent any smoke from coming out of it later on!
Snuff Them Out Before They’re Done:
The best time to snuff out your candle is when it has been completely burnt up and it’s almost completely liquefied — just when it’s slightly smoking is the time to snuff it out. If you allow your candle to keep burning after this point, then there will be a lot more smoke coming out later on, which means that you’d have to clean up all of your equipment (e.g., trimming any excess wax) so that there isn’t too much of a mess later on!
Use Homemade Candles:
All of these steps might seem like a bit much for some people because they’re not willing to shell out the money for them, or they don’t know where to get them from, but luckily with homemade candles, this isn’t going to be an issue if you use certain types of wax-like beeswax! In fact, you can choose to make your candles at home so that they will be of the highest quality.
Knowing how to stop a candle from smoking is very important — if you don’t, then you could end up with an awful smell in your house (which people will notice later on). Being able to tell when something like this is happening while it’s actually taking place is very important because it will prevent any further trouble or mess!
Precautions While Performing How to Stop a Candle From Smoking
- Keep a good distance from the candle 2. Do not try to blow it out 3. Do not try to put water on it
- Get a long stick and gently press on the wick until the flame goes out 5. Do not hold any object in your hand while doing this
- Avoid using sharp objects or tools.
- Make sure there is no flammable material nearby.
- Do not strike or shake the candle during this process, as this may cause the hot wax to drip off of the candle 9. If these steps do not work, just let it burn.
- The wick should be trimmed every 1-2 hours, depending on how much you use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Stop Candles From Tunneling?
Some candles tunnel while burning. For example, the candle flames move in a circular path instead of upward, which can be caused by an inadequate amount of wick, or if the candle is placed in drafty areas.
You could place the candle on a tray with approximately 1/2″ of water or sand underneath it, which should help correct the problem. Make sure it does not burn for more than 3-4 hours at a time – then let it rest (cool down) for at least 8 hours before using again; otherwise, you will weaken your candle. Over-burning could cause tunneling problems as well.
As always, test first because some candles are made differently than others and may not benefit from these suggestions. Some jars were also found to be a little too wide for the candle to burn properly, and sometimes wicking was found to be placed wrong from the factory.
How Do You Fix a Sinkhole in a Candle?
There’s nothing in this world that can’t be fixed with a little candle wax. An ingenious and easy homemade fix for candle melting at the bottom of a jar: add some water to the base! Works like a charm every time. I’ve never had issues with candles smoking while burning, but if you do, chances are your wick is too big.
This isn’t an issue if you’re using votive cups because their glass top provides space for larger flames. Using smaller tin containers means using smaller wicks, which will keep your candles from smoking, but it won’t stop them from leaking around the edges when set down on uneven surfaces (like tables). To solve that problem, I just put some beads or marbles wherever my candles get placed.
Voila! No more messy cables. Tiny bits of water in the bottom will help a candle burn brighter and stop it from smoking, but I do not recommend you add too much water to the mixture because your wax could crack or leak through the glass.
It’s best to play around with different amounts of water until you find an amount that suits your taste. If you want to get really crazy, glaze your candles after burning them for a few hours by pouring some melted wax over the bottom inch or so of their surfaces before setting them down again on marbles or beads.
Conclusion
I hope this article has been beneficial for learning how to stop a candle from smoking. Thank you, and have a good day!
