chevcher Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 I recieved a message from a customer the other night that her 26 oz apothecary jar had suddenly turned into a tiki torch. It's been very hot & humid this past week, and from what I could see in the very short video she sent me, it looked as though the melt pool was very deep, as though I had just poured the candle and lit it. She had it burning on her stove, I'm not sure if there was any match debris ,drafts ect. involved. I did however ask to see the candle to determine exactly what happened, so I'm waiting for it to be shipped back to me . I've been a chandler for 23 years, I've always used the same formula for my apothecary jars- 6006 wax, 2- 51 z wicks. The only issue I've ever had was drowning wicks with certain spicy scents years ago, but that's it. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, so of course I am freaked out 😲 I'm thankful to have insurance , because that could have been way worse. Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well after that message, was up all night overthinking everything and debating on reformulating the whole shebang, including the warning labels ! Please feel free to jump in with any input or similar horror stories of your own , I appreciate your feedback . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleRush Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 Scary! Thanks for sharing your story. With such a deep melt pool sounds like that candle burned a really long time. That’s something we can’t control. Keep us posted and good thing your insurance was in place.🌸 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevcher Posted July 4, 2019 Author Share Posted July 4, 2019 18 hours ago, CandleRush said: Scary! Thanks for sharing your story. With such a deep melt pool sounds like that candle burned a really long time. That’s something we can’t control. Keep us posted and good thing your insurance was in place.🌸 That's exactly why I carry insurance. Once it leaves my shop, I have no idea what or how someone is going to use a product. I usally see lots of non trimmed wicks, but never anything like this 😲 She claimed to have only burned for a couple hours, but that 4 second video looked like several hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Do you have any more at your shop from that same batch? Was it possible the wicks were marked wrong? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Off hand I'd say this particular candle had a sinkhole around the wick and as the melted wax found it the wick flared up like a torch. It's happened to me when I was working with my parasoy blend. It was something I only saw in my larger candles of 16oz jars or more. I learned to always check around the wick for holes you can't see on the surface that might be lurking just underneath. Can't tell you how many I found on only the larger jars but enough to keep me doing a second pour after detecting a sinkhole. With my palm I do the flip so the air pockets go to the bottom of the jar underneath the wick tab neck. Don't think that would work with paraffin or soy or parasoy or coconut but I don't remember trying a flip on any of those jars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 She had it on her stovetop. Maybe surface was hot and melted the candle wax more than normal. People do some crazy things then blame sellers. Do you have anymore of the candles from the batch? If not make another one and try and recreate scenario and see if was formula wick. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 And match debris! People do this all the time and leave wick trimmings in wax. It’s possible that’s what happened. Wait and see what the candle looks like when it gets back to you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Candle Nook Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 I agree with @NightLight — my first reaction when reading your post was “on her stove” — that’s not the best place to be burning a candle — if it’s a stand alone stove/oven and she was using her oven — it could have melted the entire jar of wax!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Exactly and if it was warm enough the wax melted! Also and stuff in the wax. I see so many people chucking matches in the candle, HUH? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 I had a really scary incident once: I tend to take left over candle wax, pour into a large 3 wick container and burn for personal use just to use up the wax and scents. Had this container burning in my bedroom one day, went in there and found the entire container on fire...as it turns out, having layered this candle with multiple mixtures, the wicks were burning too hot, soot accumulated on the sides of the jar and that soot eventually caught fire....lesson learned!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevcher Posted July 5, 2019 Author Share Posted July 5, 2019 23 hours ago, TallTayl said: Do you have any more at your shop from that same batch? Was it possible the wicks were marked wrong? I poured 4 candles in that particular scent / batch, I know the other ones burned just fine. I purchase my wicks in very large batches- 1-3k at a time and there were no problems reported. I have several candles made from that batch of wicks for my personal use and everything's been normal. I'm seriously considering wicking down because the thought of this occuring again makes my stomach flip 😟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevcher Posted July 5, 2019 Author Share Posted July 5, 2019 22 hours ago, Candybee said: Off hand I'd say this particular candle had a sinkhole around the wick and as the melted wax found it the wick flared up like a torch. It's happened to me when I was working with my parasoy blend. It was something I only saw in my larger candles of 16oz jars or more. I learned to always check around the wick for holes you can't see on the surface that might be lurking just underneath. Can't tell you how many I found on only the larger jars but enough to keep me doing a second pour after detecting a sinkhole. With my palm I do the flip so the air pockets go to the bottom of the jar underneath the wick tab neck. Don't think that would work with paraffin or soy or parasoy or coconut but I don't remember trying a flip on any of those jars. Yes, that's always something I try to stay on top of @Candybee. I poke the snot out of my candles, every size, just to make sure there's no air pockets lurking . When pouring the larger jars, I pour 1/2 full, let them set up, then come back and do a second pour. Once that's set up, I'm poking around the wicks and hitting the tops with my heat gun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Candle Nook Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 @Pam W i do exactly the same thing (pour all leftover fragranced wax together and burn for personal use). Takes us back to the age old “never leave a candle burning unattended” phrase!!! — I have found some FO blends I like doing this technique tho 😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Hmm. This is also a lesson for firestarters made from leftover wax. I would never use them in a wood stove or fireplace. All the different waxes going up you nice expensive chimney and would be terrible to have chimney fire because of them. Best be leaving those for the campsite. If you ever had to put in a chimney liners it’s expensive and you baby your wood stove and chimney. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam W Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 7 hours ago, The Candle Nook said: @Pam W i do exactly the same thing (pour all leftover fragranced wax together and burn for personal use). Takes us back to the age old “never leave a candle burning unattended” phrase!!! — I have found some FO blends I like doing this technique tho 😂😂 Having poured candles for over 15 yrs (pillars and containers) this was the 1st time that I ever had an issue with fire....just reminds me that no matter how much I may know about candle making, once we become complacent ...thinking we know everything will come back to bite us in the butt!! This was nothing more than pure carelessness on my part but it was an EYE opener in that once soot builds up on the sides of the container........it is an accident waiting to happen....that is very valuable info going forward....as in: if you pour a candle, test burn it and there is a lot of soot build up on the sides of the jar then it is NOT SAFE for the average public. After all these years, I never stop learning :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Very much like a chimney fire! That’s why I also don’t recommend using candle Wax firestarters in wood stoves, and fireplaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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