What Do Candle Wick Numbers Mean? (2024)

FAQs

What do candle wick numbers mean? ›

Understanding Candle Wick Numbers

The wick numbers represent the size of the wick. Candles need the right wick size specific to their diameter to burn correctly. Smaller diameter candles require smaller wick sizes and larger diameter candles require larger wick sizes (unless you are using more than one wick).

The correct wick size should not have much flickering, the melt pool should reach to the edge of the container and should be 1/4" - 1/2" deep. The wick should burn cleanly without much carbon buildup, mushrooming, or soot being given off.

So now you're asking yourself "Okay, but how do I know how many wicks to use?" Well, that's really up to you but we can give you a few guidelines. Typically, you will add 1 wick for every inch after a 3-inch wide container. So, for a 4-inch jar, 2 wicks. For a 5-inch jar, 3 wicks.

You might often have noticed a wide candle which contains three wicks. Made up of more wax than a standard one-wick candle as those three flames create enough heat to melt the wax in a wider area. More the number of wicks, a lot of a wax can melt in a short time.

Just above and below the real body are the "shadows" or "wicks." The shadows show the high and low prices of that day's trading. If the upper shadow on a down candle is short, it indicates that the open that day was near the high of the day. A short upper shadow on an up day dictates that the close was near the high.

Yes, the size of your wick definitely matters. Different wick sizes allow different levels of heat. Thicker wicks allow more fuel to be drawn into the flame and will create more heat. These wicks are better for wider candles or candles made with harder waxes like beeswax or other pillar waxes.

In general, choosing too large a wick will result in excessive flame size and hence a deep burn pool, causing too large a portion of the candle to liquefy, and, in the case of pillar candles, collapse the walls.

The candle on the left is under wicked meaning the wick size is too small for the candle. An under wicked candle will not burn out to the edge of the container but will instead burn down the middle, or 'tunnel'. Often the flame will extinguish itself before all the wax is burned.

For 3-wick candles, you should burn all three wicks the first time, even if you only plan on using one at a time in the future. You want the wax to create an even surface the first time for later burns to follow.

There is no set rule for when a double wick should be used. However, a general guideline is that candles with a diameter of 4" or larger may need a double wick (or triple if preferred).

Do candles with more wicks burn faster? ›

You can see that the 3-wick candle has more wax that was melted, so there would be a greater hot throw. In Part 2 of this series, we learned that candles with more wicks burn faster. Look at the difference between where the wax level is now compared to where it was before the candles were lit.

Key Takeaways. The three inside up pattern is a bullish reversal pattern composed of a large down candle, a smaller up candle contained within the prior candle, and then another up candle that closes above the close of the second candle.

More Efficient. Dual wicks are so efficient that they burn at the same rate as single wick candles. What's more, the two wicks burn the wax so completely that there is very little left in the bottom of the jar. That means you always get more candle for the money.

The first step is understanding the wax. This is where soy reigns supreme. Paraffin wax tends to be cheaper, and burns at a much faster rate than soy wax. In comparing two candles of the same size, a paraffin candle will usually have a lifespan of 35 to 40 hours whereas a soy candle can burn for 50 to nearly 80 hours.

A shadow, or a wick, is a line found on a candle in a candlestick chart that is used to indicate where the price of a stock has fluctuated relative to the opening and closing prices. Essentially, these shadows illustrate the highest and lowest prices at which a security has traded over a specific time period.

A hollow candlestick still means the close was above the open, and a filled candlestick means the close was below the open. The red candlestick means the close was below the prior close, while a black candlestick means the close was above the prior close. The same applies to the red and green volume bars.

The wicks represent price action, and their relative lengths indicate if current prices are trending up or down compared to previous periods. Specifically, shorter wicks indicate a period of lower prices than previously seen and longer wicks mean higher prices than before.

Most high-quality wicks are made from braided, plaited or knitted fibers to encourage a slow and consistent burn. In general, twisted wicks are of lower quality than braided or knitted wicks. They burn much faster because their loose construction allows more fuel to quickly reach the flame.

HTP Wicks:

HTP wicks are self trim and have a softer burn, making them ideal for soy wax candles.

Wider or thicker wicks will burn much faster than thin ones, and the material the wick is made with can also make an impact. Different types of candle wax burn at different temperatures. Generally speaking, the harder the wax, the longer the burn time.

Should you always trim the wick? ›

You should get into the habit of trimming your candle wick before each use. 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.

Trim Before You Light

If you don't trim your wick, you run the risk of tunneling, "which happens when your wick is too long and the flame gets too hot, causing excess wax to burn," she adds.

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.

For example, when the candle wick is too thick, it draws in too much wax and causes the flame to burn hotter and higher than it's supposed to.

Turns out aluminium foil is the key to fixing a tunnelled candle quickly. Simply wrap foil around the edge of the candle, leaving a hole in the middle so that the wick can burn through properly. After a couple of hours, your wax would have melted to an evened-out level.

“People think they're foolproof because they're in glass,” he said. However, as the wax bums off, the wick can get close to the glass, heating it up. That can then cause the glass to fail and explode, allowing the flaming wick to set off a much larger blaze. “You're subjecting an open flame to glass.

Make sure your wick is always trimmed to between 1/8” – 3/16” before lighting. If the wick is too long, the wax will not pull up the wick and the wick will extinguish.

Simply, a mushroom wick occurs when the wax of your candle is unable to burn fast enough to keep up with your chosen wick. This means that the wick starts to absorb the wax which creates a buildup of carbon particles on the wick.

So, back to WICKS...the 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. Then burn your candle. We burn our candles 2-4 hours each time.

Double wick candles allow for burns to happen more evenly and completely. Burning one wick will cause the wax to “suffocate” the remaining wick, making it more challenging to regain an even, smooth burn.

Should I trim my candle wick first burn? ›

'The first burn is the most important,' say the experts at Yankee Candle. 'Always trim the wick to 3mm (1/8 inches) before lighting and keep it trimmed while burning, this will help to prevent smoking. ' To do this, simply trim the wick every few hours of burn time.

Having multiple wicks helps distribute heat more evenly across larger candles, which leads to a cleaner, more efficient burn with less wastage.

3. Not Burning Your Candle Long Enough the First Time. If you want your candle to burn evenly and last as long as possible, you have to light it for about 3 to 4 hours the first time you burn it.

We recommend using 30 to 40 drops of essential oils for a single eight-ounce candle. Remember that soy and beeswax aren't known for their ability to throw scent. If you're concerned that your candle will be too strong, start with 30 drops.

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.

Burning a candle for too long will cause carbon to collect on the wick, leading it to “mushroom.” The wick will then become unstable and produce a dangerously large flame. Plus, your candle will start to smoke and release soot. Avoid this by always following the manufacturer's instructions.

If you burn a candle for too long, carbon can collect on the wick and make it unstable. This can lead to a dangerously large flame, smoke and soot. So, always follow the candlemaker's instructions. As a rule of thumb, candles should not be allowed to burn for longer than four hours.

Multi-wick candles burn more efficiently than single-wick candles. Aside from the practical benefits, having multiple wicks also yields a brighter flame and stronger scent. This can be beneficial if you're using the candle for light as well as fragrance. Larger candles contain more wax and thus more fragrance.

Wood wicks are best for all types of candles: soy, palm, coconut, beeswax, and blends. You can choose from 4 different sizes of wood wicks to meet all your candle making needs here.

Zinc burns the coolest of all the cored wicks and offers the most rigidity. These wicks are constructed by using 100% natural fibers in the cover with the zinc core. Zinc cored wicks are most effective in paraffin based waxes and VersaGel, they are not recommended for use in natural/renewable waxes.

What happens if a candle wick is too low? ›

If your wick was too short, pour out some of the wax that you melted until there's about ⅛ to ¼ inch of wick above the surface. You can also use a paper towel to dab and soak up the excess wax to avoid potentially making a mess. At the end of this step, let the wax cool.

Burning a candle for too long will cause carbon to collect on the wick, leading it to “mushroom.” The wick will then become unstable and produce a dangerously large flame. Plus, your candle will start to smoke and release soot. Avoid this by always following the manufacturer's instructions.

According to Heyen, candles burn roughly five to seven hours per ounce. So the bigger the candle, the longer the burn time. But what you probably didn't know—and honestly, it seems counterintuitive—is that a three wick candle in the same exact vessel as a one wick candle will burn slower—not faster.

The best quality candles will have a wick that is the right size and construction for the candle. You can tell your candle has a good wick if it burns cleanly, evenly, and creates a pool of liquid wax all the way across the surface of the candle within 2 to 4 hours.

For 3-wick candles, you should burn all three wicks the first time, even if you only plan on using one at a time in the future. You want the wax to create an even surface the first time for later burns to follow.

HTP WICKS. Recommended Wax Type: Soy. HTP wicks are cotton wicks which feature braided paper fibers to enhance the rigidity of the material. They have a softer burn (which is good for soy) and tend to curl slightly as they burn.

But it can also be helpful to keep the candle wick trimmed to about a quarter inch in length, because longer wicks tend to hasten burning.