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LX 10 problems


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I use LX 10 wicks in my tealights. I've burned hundreds of them with my old lx 10 wicks with very consistent results. Recently i ordered an LX 10 spool and got very different results. I thought it was the wax I primed the wicks with so I ordered some of Candlescience's primed and tabbed LX 10s. These too burned much hotter and had a much higher flame. I am using the exact same wax. The only difference has been the new wicks. I even pulled out some old tealights and burned them up against each other. You can see the difference.

In the photos, the end tealights are the new LX 10, and the center candle is my old LX 10. I contacted CS about this and of course they suggest trying LX 8. I have an old spool that always produced a smaller flame than I like, which is why I used to use LX 10. I asked them for a sample of LX 8s in a newer version. Seeing how I have spent thousands of dollars with them, and just placed, two orders in the last month you'd think they could send a few to me. But instead tell me I have to buy them:sad2:

Anyone else having this issue?

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Very interesting wick issue.

I checked my spreadsheet on tealights (and I'm making more this week).

I use TL10 and TL15 wicks. The TL15 liquifies the entire tealight in about an hour and burns with a flame about 3/4 inch tall. This is consistent with the ROC chart at wicks unlimited. The TL10 MP is better. Half depth for a couple of hours and it won't go to a full depth until it has been burning for a power burn. However, the flame seems to be a little blue ball about 1/8 inch in diameter. It does melt a tart (surprisingly). So I'm working on figuring out why the TL10 doesn't perform according to specs.

As for the LX10, I have not tried that. Smallest that I have is an LX12 and its way too large for tealights. I checked the WU chart for the LX10 and it compares to a wick that is somewhat larger than even the TL15. So your current results would be predictable in my opinion. I have no idea why you were ever able to use that wick unless it was mislabeled.

Wick ROC FH MP

LX10 0.15 1.1 2.0

TL15 0.08 0.6 1.7

TL10 0.07 0.5 1.3

As for me, if I can't get the TL10 to work, I'm going to try a TL13.

All my wicks are raw on a spool and I prime them myself with the wax that I have in the presto that the wick is intended for.

Oh, PS - my tealight molds are 1.5" diameter and .75" deep, slightly larger than the aluminum ones. I can get about .7 oz of wax in one of these and they burn for about 7 or 8 hours, sometimes more depending on the wick.

Edited by EricofAZ
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Sharon, it is candlescience not candlewic. I always get samples from candlewic with no issues. Maybe I should get the samples from candlewic and forget about getting them from CS.

Eric, I am using an all veg wax, that's why I need a little larger wick. Now it is much too large though. I was thinking they may have been mislabeled too but why wouldn't the spool of lx 8 work then. I've heard of people getting bad wicks before. I wonder if the wicks changed in this batch, but it seems I'm the only one with the issues.

I just hate going back to testing something that has been working for years and out of the blue for no reason doesn't. Candles are so annoying!

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I remember a thread on this forum where someone had a problem with customer service at Candlescience. They called back and got hold of the owner. My searches show that owner is Michael Swimm. Anyway, they got an apology and the issue was promptly resolved. I find it hard to believe that CS won't work with you. I can't vouch for it but on the internet Mr. Swimm's email shows up as mds@candlescience.com. Why not give it a try?

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CS definitely should send you samples.

That said, never, ever switch back and forth between companies when buying wicks. All LX 10s are not created equal. All wicks, even same sizes, are not created equal period.

I get my wicks from Candlewic. Love their 2 for 1 sale. Waiting...waiting...

And yes, Binder will send you free samples. I recently got 5 different wick sizes and types, 10 of each. No charge.

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I'm having a hard time believing that batches of wicks vary that much. If they all come from the same manufacturer, then who cares who sells them?

What I think is that the pre-tabbed and pre-waxed wicks will burn differently. Some pre-wax is soaked to the core, others just a shell outside the dry wick. I use only dry wicks now, no pre-made ones because of this issue.

From Wicks Unlimited:

Wedo, based in Nettetal, Germany, is the leading candle wick manufacturer in Europe. We found these wicks appealing

due to their high quality of manufacture and the efficient burn characteristics which they exhibit. All Wedo wicks are

made from pure long strand ring spun cotton and are attractively white in appearance.

LX - The LX wick is a uniquely braided, coreless, flat wick manufactured with stabilizing threads that ensure an optimum burn profile. This allows for a very stable and consistent flame, which minimizes, or eliminates, carbon buildup (mushrooming) while reducing afterglow, smoke and soot. The LX series of wicks is designed to improve the burning of paraffin and vegetable waxes in pillars as well as containers.

All that said, I still find LX's to shroom and soot more than ECO's.

Edited by EricofAZ
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Retailer

The folks at wicks unlimited boast that they saturate the wick unlike other retailers. I've bought from other retailers and they coated wicks are just outside coating. I have not bought from Wicks Unlimited because they are a huge bulk supplier, but their philosophy is interesting.

So I soak my own wicks in the wax that it is intended for and squeeze them and soak again. I get pretty close to full saturation and that only effects the first burn. Subsequent burns are already pretty much saturated from the wicking process.

http://www.wicksunlimited.com/candle_waxes.php

Edited by EricofAZ
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