CandleCouture Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I know that the mushrooms are caused by "incomplete combustion" which means that the wick isn't burning off the fragrance oil it is ciphening up (like a straw), however, I know there are two schools of thought on how to best fix this (or at least improve it). Some people say to wick up, so as to better be able to burn the FO being ciphened, and some say to wick down, so as to ciphen less FO.http://www.justbynature.com/How-to-troubleshoot-wick-mushrooming.htmlThat says to wick down, however, what do you all think? Obviously, coreless wicks also work better than cored ones, in this regard. I'm curious as to what everyone here feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowded House Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Siphon. Siphoning.I've never had luck wicking down; it only drowns out the wick.That said, I've also noticed a difference in the shape of containers; that is, I don't get a big 'shroom in a 3.5" round container using a cotton cored wick, but the same wick and the same wax and the same fragrance in a square container that is 3" across and 3.5" diagonal will produce a huge 'shroom that is unresponsive (mushroom-wise) to changes in wick size and must have a coreless cotton made for an equivelent (3.5") round instead.Go figure. So if I can't get the 'shroom to disappear with a wick-up, I switch to coreless and that usually fixes it. YMMV, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleCouture Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 Woops. I figured I was spelling it wrong and didn't really feel like going on google and correcting myself.As for coreless, I've noticed that they do tend to mushroom less, however, they do still mushroom (some more than others). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleCouture Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 The wick is not siphoning only FO, but mainly melted wax. I don't think you can wick down, you have to have a big enough wick to melt the candle and not drown out. Zinc wicks just mushroom in some FO's. I use CD's in the candles with heavy FO's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleCouture Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 Theoretically, shouldn't the hottest burning wicks mushroom least? In that, because of the temperature of the flame, they should be able to combust most completely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetacea Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Theoretically, shouldn't the hottest burning wicks mushroom least? In that, because of the temperature of the flame, they should be able to combust most completely?"Hot"--That depends on your wax/wick/FO%/color combo and the big one, if the candle is in a draft. Remember that burn rates on wicking charts are not set in stone. A lot depends on how much FO you use, how much coloring and what size container or mold. Just because a chart indicates a hotter burn rate doesn't necessarily mean that the wick will perform better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I think she's referring to the temperature within the flame itself. You can't really see that in the wick specs, but that's what they say about the flat braids with the paper filaments like HTP ("high temperature paper") CD and ECO. I lean towards them for that reason, but of course actual results depend on what mood the aliens are in and the angle of the sun relative to Stonehenge. (Plus a few other minor considerations like the variables cetacea mentioned.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaritamama Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleCouture Posted June 7, 2006 Author Share Posted June 7, 2006 Has anyone ever noticed a correlation between the amount of mushrooming, and the melt point of the wax? In other words, is it possible that, all other things being equal, a lower melt point wax would mushroom less (or more), than the same, higher melt point wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 I do not believe the melt point of wax has anything to do wih mushrooming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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