Choosing the right wick
How to choose the right wick for your candle?
introduction
Not all wicks are created equal. There are a wide variety of wicks sold worldwide, and it is important to make sure that the wick you use is suitable for the wax you are working with and the diameter of the jar.
In addition, it is important to make sure that the wick is made of high-quality raw materials, which will affect how the candle burns and spreads its scent.
Like all of our raw materials, we also import our wicks from the highest quality factories to ensure the best burning experience.
Signs of a quality wick suitable for your candle
- Stable flame – smooth combustion without unnecessary jumps or flare-ups.
- Minimal black smoke – quality wicks do not produce a large amount of black smoke during combustion.
- High scent distribution – the wick affects the degree of scent distribution in the space.
- There is no need to cut it after a few lightings – quality wicks maintain their size and combustion structure over time.
- Optimal wax pool – the candle should liquefy wax almost to the sides of the vessel, but not beyond that.
Our types of wicks
We carry several series of wicks . What does a series mean? This means that the same type of wick has a collection of different thicknesses, suitable for different diameters of jars. The thicker the wick, the wider it will fit.
How to perform tests and choose the right fuse?
Ultimately, even after writing a lot of words here, the most important thing is to conduct tests to find the right wick for you. The type of scent and the percentage of scent are also parameters that affect combustion, so it is important to conduct experiments to get the best result.
Step 1: Choosing the type of wax
If you use vegetable waxes such as soy and coconut, we recommend that you work with TCR wicks, ecological wicks designed to work with vegetable waxes. If you work with our SP wax series (Soy Paraffin), you can also work with TCR wicks.
Step 2: Order testers
On each wick page you can get a good indication of what wick thickness you should try. It is recommended to order several types of wicks and try them on the same type of wax, to understand which wick suits you best.
Step 3: Preparing the candles
After you have chosen the vessel in which you will pour the wax, decided on the type of wax you will use, and focused on the percentage of scent you want, you can begin making several identical candles – with the only difference between them being the thickness of the wick.
Step 4: Waiting
It is important to let the candles rest for at least two weeks before testing. During this time, the wax will harden and the scent will ideally bond with the wax. The candles should be stored in a shady, dry place, at a temperature of up to 25 degrees.
Step 5: Checking the combustion
Cut the wick to a height of half a centimeter and light all the candles at the same time. After 3-4 hours of burning, look at the candles from above and check which wick has a pool of wax that reaches up to the sides of the wick and is about half a centimeter deep on the sides.
Common mistakes when choosing a wick
- A wick that is too small may cause the candle to not burn all the wax, leaving a "tunnel" in the middle.
- A wick that is too large can cause the candle to burn too quickly, overheat, and produce black smoke.
- Failure to perform tests – Each type of wax behaves differently, so it is important to conduct experiments to ensure that the choice is correct.
- Using poor-quality wicks – Low-quality wicks can produce black smoke, uneven combustion, and less odor distribution.
Summary
Choosing the right wick is a critical step in the candle-making process. A wick that matches the type of wax, the size of the vessel, and the level of scent will ensure stable combustion, optimal scent distribution, and a quality candle that lasts a long time. On the other hand, unsuitable wicks can greatly affect the candle, creating soot and black smoke, a tunnel in the center of the candle, the wick can elongate and fall, poor scent distribution, and more.
The best way to achieve the perfect result is to perform tests and choose the ideal wick depending on the type of wax and planned use, so we invite you to purchase samples and find the optimal wick for your candle.
Good luck, Team Xiananda
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