How do you know if you need to wick down?

[nikkidan]

What will happen if you use too big of a wick? How can you tell if your wick is too big and you need to wick down?

[realmarcha]

There are a few things to look for:

1. The wick putting out black smoke

2. Your melt pool becoming to large. EX. a 3" container having a full melt pool within an hour, or two...should take at least three hours. Your melt pool being to deep. I like mine to stay within 1/4" - 1/2", but no deeper than a 1/2" even after burning for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Your wick jumping around to much...you will usually see puffs of black smoke coming off the wick when it is jumping/bouncing around. Most wicks will flicker some in a jar since the oxygen level becomes less once the wick burns down into the jar. This is acceptable as long as there is no black smoke/soot.

4. Your melt pool burns down the middle instead of spreading out towards the sides of the jars. A good burn should melt the wax down and out; not straight down leaving wax around the jar diameter.

I know I have probably missed something so hopefully someone else can jump in here and help too. Hope this helps some.

[Soya]

My wicks kept drowning because they were too big for my container.

[nikkidan]

I'm messed up then...I thought I needed to wick UP to get bigger melt pool.

And I thought the drowning out was due to trimming the wick too short.

@#$%^&* Just a beginner here....thanks for the info!

[ADSoy]

Hi, I'm a little slow tonight so please bear with me So the MP should burn at about an inch per hour? Does it need to be to the glass at the end of the 3 hrs. or will it catch up on the next burn, or start tunneling?

Thanks, Linda

[rookie2004]

It most likely will tunnel if you short burn your candle. If one does tunnel a bit you can zap it with a heat gun and pour off the excess. A blow dryer will work in a pinch if a friend across town has a problem with tunneling.

HTH

John

[Meridith]

Hi, I'm a little slow tonight so please bear with me So the MP should burn at about an inch per hour? Does it need to be to the glass at the end of the 3 hrs. or will it catch up on the next burn, or start tunneling?

Thanks, Linda

I personally don't really follow the inch an hour rule with soy. With soy, sometimes it takes more than one burn to get rid of any hang up that might be happening. Soy tends to burn down then out. I like to keep my wick a bit longer than normal for the first burn or two because of this. If the wick is too small, that hang up won't ever catch up. You will also have some hang up for a time if you use self trimming wicks. But again, if wicked properly, it should catch up. HTH