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Does the room temperature affect the HT ?


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I wonder because sometimes I think that a candle has a weak HT, but I walk up the stairs and notice all the scent seems to have risen and is hovering above our heads. And we have a big open great room, with a loft above and all the heat seems to gather up there while the rest of the house remains in the mid 60s.

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I have noticed sometimes HT is better in one room and not the other. I can't explain it but others on this board have. Has something to do with the temperature and air flow and stuff like that. It is annoying because I can have a candle that works great for me but if a customer is burning it in one of those rooms that don't work so well than it looks bad for me.

I have sometimes taken a candle that I can't smell in my house to work and burned it at the office and it is awesome. Go figure!

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My husband the air flow technician to the rescue!! It isn't temperature, but the way the air flows through the room. I have found if I sit at the computer desk and burn a candle in front of me, for testing it fills the room, the hall and even makes it back through the dining and kitchen into the mudroom.

Same candle, placed to my left on my candle testing shelf. Open shelf in the corner by the tv between the two windows with the baseboard heater along the walls. A candle there will fill ONLY that side of the room and will be strong at the front door, but it takes more than 2 hours to fill the room. Hubbie dearest says that the heat from the baseboards goes up the walls to the ceiling and then flows over to the door. He showed me once with some smoke. It's quite bizarre.

He said that the scent will change in the summer when the heaters aren't running and if I have the window open etc. It may seem like it's the temperature, but it's how your air is flowing around the room because of the different warm/cold flows with windows, doors, heaters etc etc.

That's also why people with vaulted ceilings complain that they can't smell candles etc, the air flows up and takes the scent with it.

:cool:

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A little OT concerning HT. As a builder and owner of homes with tall ceilings, you really need to keep your ceiling fans going at all times to keep your temps better equalized. In the winter time you want your fans going a different direction than in the summer. Not only will you smell your scents better, you'll be more comfortable and you're utility bills will decrease. http://www.ceilingfan.org/ceiling-fan-direction/ . HTH

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Yup, ceiling fan or fan in general is a great trick to get a fragrance moving. The carnies at the fair keep fans running to waft the food smell down the midway and so if you go in a shop and smell a strong candle fragrance, look for a fan somewhere. Air currents will push your fragrance to different parts of the house whether hot or cold.

Steve

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you really need to keep your ceiling fans going at all times to keep your temps better equalized. In the winter time you want your fans going a different direction than in the summer.

That is a good reminder for me and something I had read before but forgot. Thanks!

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I personally find that scent throws better in (still air) warmer temps than in colder ones.

Just don't burn the candle directly under or near a ceiling fan, especially if it is rotating at a higher speed! The air current causes them to burn wonky. I was examining one of my candles at a friend's house on her enclosed back porch because it had tunneled terribly and I couldn't figure out why... Then I realized she had it setting on a table directly UNDER a ceiling fan (lower ceiling) which was whizzing at a pretty good clip. Problem solved.

I have high ceilings in my home and the fans are kept on 24/7. I reverse the rotation in the winter to force warm air down from the ceiling. I keep them on the lowest setting so there is no huge draft - just air circulation. In the summer, I increase the speed and change the direction so the cooler floor air is circulated up. Really helps to distribute the heat and the air conditioning as Paul pointed out.

Another OT mention about fragrance throw - the electrostatic or activated carbon filters often used in AC and heating units will not only help remove unpleasant odors from the air, they also will help remove those pesky candle fragrances, too. It's good to remind customers about this...

Edited by Stella1952
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