Sooting criteria

[Gladys]

I wanted to ask all the fellow candle makers...ever since I started making candles I’ve read that any black smoke from a candle is unacceptable. Therefore, on any given occasion that a candle starts to throw a puff of black smoke within the first 4 hours, I turn it off, remelt, and try a different wick. I consider the previous wick not the one for that candle. I have been growing through endless pounds of wasted wax because a candle will throw one puff of black smoke; and now I question if everyone does that. 
 

is any black smoke unacceptable? Or is there a criteria for it. 

 

[BusyBee]

Well, we cannot say it is unacceptable because best selling candle(Yankxx) in the world produce tons of soot.  And I see many other name brand candles producing lots of soot, too.  It seems like the consumers do not care about that at all.  

 

Candle would produce soot if one of two things are not working right.  This means that the wick does not match certain wax & FO combo.

1. Too much fuel is delivered to end of wick:  When the wick is too big.  Sometimes, using long type of wick design can be cause of soot.  Some wicks are designed for paraffin, and some are designed for soy, etc.

2. When the wick is not self trimming, and the wick becomes too long.  Consumption rate of wax & FO is faster than wick burning off rate.  We will need to look carefully about ROC & yield of the wick.

 

I would like to say that finding the right wick, which would not produce soot and produce great HT, for certain wax & FO combo is the art of candle making.  I am pretty sure that a lot of small artisan candle makers have succeeded solving this problem. 

*If you get it right, then it won't even produce soot in heavy drafts.

[TallTayl]

I would not melt a candle down for a single puff of soot, but I would monitor to see if it is a frequent thing. I have walls in various room, and spots on ceilings where soot collected.  When spring cleaning I have found black sludge on ceiling fans, so soot is a deal to me. 
 

Soot can indicate the wick is too big, or the wrong series for the wax/fo/ container combo.

 

rather than melt down, do a wickectomy to re-wick your candle to find a more suitable burn.

 

 

 

[Gladys]

Oh wow thank you. I’m able to do this on a wooden wick but never on a cotton LOL 

[Gladys]

To BusyBee, thank you. I was considering a buy a BBW candle just to see how much of any soot is produced. 
Perhaps not now. I’ll try to choose a wick that has the least amount of soot. 

[TallTayl]

The goals of BBW and Yankee may be different from our own, so I try not to fit into their lane. Their market seems most interested in quick, hard HT - sometimes at the expense of high container temps and soot. 
 

it is good to know how other candles burn, even if you need to sometimes clean what you learned off of your walls and need to repaint your ceilings. 

[Gladys]

Yeah you’re right. I think I need to set up a game plan to see exactly what wicks I’m going to test. I think I’m all over the place at this point and not getting anywhere lol 

[TallTayl]

1 minute ago, Gladys said:

Yeah you’re right. I think I need to set up a game plan to see exactly what wicks I’m going to test. I think I’m all over the place at this point and not getting anywhere lol 

Join the club. 
 

winters here are long.  I always get the crazy idea that this year I will more methodically work through everything. You know the rest. 
 

do you best and learn something with every new day and it all comes together eventually.  I feel like a blind squirrel most days, but always find a nut here and there if I keep looking. 

[Gladys]

You’re right. It’s so hard but so fulfilling when we do find a nut and get the mind energy to keep going.