Free shipping on orders over £50
Free shipping on orders over £50
The information on this FAQs Page is for general guidance only, to help you achieve the best & safest experience with your candles. Individual results may vary depending on candle environment & handling. SaFire Candles cannot be held responsible for any damage, injury or loss from improper use.
Yes, we offer free shipping for orders over £50.
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Tunnelling can be a very common issue and is usually caused by 3 main reasons:
1. The first burn is crucial in terms of determining a melt pool for your candle. If the candle is not left to burn for long enough (from edge to edge), it will cause tunnelling.
2. The wick isn't suitable to generate enough heat to melt the full surface. At SaFire Candles, we test our wicks thoroughly with our candles to ensure they are suitable.
3. The candle was placed in a cold or draughty location which can cause uneven melting.
We at SaFire Candles always recommend a first burn of 2-3 hours which should allow enough time for the surface layer of your candle to melt edge to edge. Ensuring you trim your wick to 1/4 inch before each burn will provide you with a stable flame which should burn your candle down evenly. Avoid placing your candle near an open window, a fan, radiators or heaters as draughts can cause the flame of your candle to flicker, which contributes towards uneven melting.
Black soot on a candle is related to a burning issue and does not signify a bad candle. It can happen if the wick is too long and hasn't been trimmed, or if it has been placed in a draughty location or if it has been placed too close to a wall or another object, which interferes with airflow around the candle.
To prevent black soot with a candle, we at SaFire Candles recommend you trim the wick before each burn to 1/4 inch which should keep the flame stable and controlled. Keeping the candle away from draughty locations (such as open windows, fans, radiators & heaters, air vents, busy doorways) will help in creating a stable flame. We always recommend burning your candle in an open space to allow adequate airflow around your candle. Do not allow the candle to burn for too long as the candle, jar and wick will get hot causing an unstable flame. We always recommend burning your candle for no longer than 3-4 hours, letting it cool, trimming the wick and then relighting, which will help to prevent black soot.
Once your candle is cold, wipe the inside of the jar with a dry paper towel.
A large flame on a candle is usually due to when the candle is burning too hot, this can be a wick issue or how the candle is being burned down. If the wick is too long, and isn't being trimmed before each burn, it can cause a larger flame. Even 1-2mm too long can make a noticeable difference. If a candle is being burned for too long (in excess of 3-4 hours) both the wick and jar can get too hot causing a faster melt, a wider burn pool and a larger flame.
There are various steps you can take.
1. Ensure you trim the wick on your candle to 1/4 inch before each use. It's the number one rule of candle care.
2. Extinguish the flame safely, allow the candle to cool for 10-15 minutes, trim the wick and then relight.
3. Keep candles away from draughty areas such as open windows, fans, radiators & heaters, air vents and busy doorways.
4. Follow the burn time rule. Never burn a candle for more than 3-4 hours, allow it to cool, trim the wick and then relight.
A small flame on a candle appears when it isn't getting enough fuel and is struggling to burn properly. Again this could be a wick issue or due to how the candle is being burned. If a wick is cut too short, it is unable to draw up enough melted wax to fuel a steady flame. If a candle has a lot of melted wax around the wick, the flame can effectively drown (this can be caused by the candle being left to burn for too long in one session or by not trimming the wick regularly). If tunnelling has already started with a candle, the flame may be sitting in an area of the candle with restricted oxygen which will also create a small flame.
If the wick has been cut too short and is causing a small flame, you can extinguish the flame safely, let the candle cool, use a tissue or cotton swab to soak up a tiny amount of melted wax around the wick. Then relight the flame and see if it will grow in size, as there will be more oxygen and exposure to the wick. Ensuring your wick is trimmed to the correct size of 1/4 inch before each burn & following the burn time rule of no more than 3-4 hours, will optimise the size of the flame on your candle.
Wick mushrooming is when a little carbon ball forms at the tip of the wick which can appear like the cap of a mushroom. This can be common candle behaviour, especially with Soy Wax candles. This normally occurs when a candle is burning strongly or for a long time and some wick types naturally mushroom more than others. Professional candle makers will always wick test their candles (as we do) to ensure this is happening at a minimum, but mushrooming can not be fully prevented with all candles. Natural waxes such as Soy Wax can burn cooler and slower which has its benefits, however, it can also cause some carbon build up. Wick mushrooming does not signify a bad candle, there are ways to manage it and deter it if it is occurring with your candle.
Always ensure you are trimming your candle wick before each use to 1/4 inch, if you see a mushroom tip at the end of the wick, gently trim it off before relighting. Follow the burn time rule of 3-4 hours maximum, extinguish the flame safely, allow the candle to cool, trim and relight. Avoid placing your candle in a draughty location.
Yes, Soy Wax is a natural product, and fragrance oils can alter the colouring of your candle over a certain time period, however, this does not affect the burning of your candle.
This is a natural process with Soy Wax and is not a defective candle, it does not impact the burning of your candle.
Scent throw is a candle-making term that describes how well a candle releases its fragrance into the air. A cold throw best describes how a candle smells before it's lit. A hot throw best describes how strong the scent is when burning. The strength of the hot scent throw can depend on the size of the room in which you're burning your candle, airflow and it's placement.
We at SaFire Candles always recommend you stop burning your candle once you reach 1cm of wax left in the jar, this is to prevent overheating of the vessel.