Sign in
Register now
My Reward PointsCandles often create a relaxing ambience and cozy warmth in any room or simply provide soft lighting. However, many other problems candle users face revolve around their candles creating black smoke. Black soot particles are formed in many cases due to incomplete combustion and cast an unattractive sight; thus ruining the ambience of the otherwise high-spirited mood created.
One also wonders how this soot accumulates on the walls, ceiling, and furniture. Therefore, we need to understand why a candle smokes and thus can take measures to ensure a clean and delightful candle experience.
Why Is My Candle Smoking Black?
When a candle produces black soot, the burning of the candle wax is either incomplete or inefficient. The soot is the carbon particles that are too small to be seen and, hence, will appear to be black smoke when released into the air. Several causes might give rise to this problem.
The most widely known reason is that the wick size is too large for the candle, which produces a very unstable and excessively large flame and, thus, leads almost exclusively to soot. Also, if the candle is overloaded with fragrance oils more than recommended, that might affect its burning. Poor candle-making practices, like pouring at very high temperatures, will produce air bubbles within the wax, which could also interfere with the way the flame burns.
Common Reasons for Candle Wick Smoking
Once you have identified the actual cause, reaching a solution and achieving a clean-burning candle is possible.
1. Air Draft
Airflow around the candle may disturb the stability of the flame. Any drafts coming from open windows, ceiling fans, or air conditioners, or because of someone walking into the room, may flicker or cause the candle flame to burn erratically. This disturbance does not allow for a smooth and proper burning of the wax, hence the production of black smoke and soot.
2. Size of Wick
The wick controls the candle's flame size and behaviour. A thick wick that is too large for the diameter of the candle results in a flame that is too large for that candle. The larger flame draws in more oxygen than it can be properly facilitated by the wick, causing incomplete combustion and sintering, thereby excessively producing soot.
3. Wax Quality
The clean burning of a candle is highly influenced by the type and purity of the wax used in candle making. High-quality waxes like natural types: soya, beeswax, or well-refined paraffin wax tend to produce less soot. But waxes mixed with impurities, recycled wax, or cheap additives may burn irregularly and make the maximum amount of black smoke and soot.
4. Improper Pouring Technique
Pouring wax into Candle moulds or containers must be treated with the utmost care, as inappropriate high-temperature pouring or excessively fast cooling allows bubble trapping or imperfection to form within the wax structure.
5. Air Bubbles or Impurities
All foreign matter, dust, and air bubbles in the candle wax interfere with the smooth consistency of the candle-burning pattern. Such an inconsistency results in flaming stability, which in turn produces smoke. Such contaminations mostly originate from improper handling or storage conditions during the candle manufacturing process.
6. Too Much Fragrance Oil
Fragrance oils scent candles; otherwise, excess fragrance oil greater than the recommended percentage could interfere with the burning stage, hence smoking. Excess girdle fragrance oils make the wax burn inefficiently, making combustion slower, leaving soot behind, and ultimately making it smoky.
How To Fix Candle Smoking Issue
Fortunately, many smoking candle problems can be very easily dealt with by following a few simple steps that promote a cleaner burn and steady flame.
1. Use a Wick Trimmer
Wick trimming could be one of the easiest yet effective means to mitigate smoking. Always trim the wick to about ¼ inch before lighting it. By trimming the wick, the candle can exert control over flame size, which in turn avoids too long burning of the wick, causing soot, while guaranteeing a steady candle flame.
2. Burn Session
It is important to burn candles for at least two hours but no more than four straight. This way, the wax pool would burn evenly across the candle surface, preventing a tunneling effect (in which the candle burns down the centre only), which increases soot and makes for a cleaner burn.
3. Avoid Drafty Areas
Keep candles away from draft sources: open windows, chute holes, or fans. A calm atmosphere keeps the flame steady and impedes flickering, which would cause incomplete combustion and soot.
4. Use High-Quality Wax
Concerning wax selection, choose candles made with natural, high-quality waxes like soy, beeswax, or well-refined paraffin. These burn more completely, producing the least amount of soot and smoke compared to cheap or recycled waxes.
5. Clean Dust Around Wick
This is another lousy cause of smoke. Any dust or lint-like particles that settle down on or near the wick can disturb proper burning and promote smoking. Always remove any dust from the area of the wick before lighting the candle.
6. Right Wick Size
Ensuring your wick size is appropriate to your candle diameter and wax type is essential. Using the right wick will ideally maintain a flame size that does not promote excessive smoke and soot buildup.
Conclusion
Black smoke and soot from a candle usually appear when the wick is not burning appropriately, owing to wick size, drafts, wax quality, fragrance overload, etc. By identifying the cause of your candle smoking and employing some of the suggested remedies, like trimming the wick, avoiding drafts, and using high-quality materials, you may enjoy cleaner, beautiful candlelight without the nuisance of smoking.
FAQ
Q. Is candle smoke harmful?
Small amounts of candle smoke are usually harmless, but large accumulations of soot can worsen indoor air quality and cause irritation to very sensitive individuals.
Q. How to stop black smoke from candles?
Trimming the wick regularly, avoiding draft areas, and burning for reasonably recommended durations could provide some effective means to reduce black smoke.
Q. Does wick size affect candle smoking?
Yes. If the wick is too large, a bigger flame will burn inefficiently, and more smoke and soot will be produced.
Q. Can I fix a candle that always smokes?
Yes, by trimming the wick, using quality wax, and avoiding drafts, you can significantly reduce or eliminate candle smoking.
