Pillar Burning Instructions
Hikari Pillar Candles
The candles are made from a special soy wax designed especially for pillars, votives and melts. The usual soy wax made to make candles would be too soft to make pillar candles.
Burning according to the following instructions will ensure that you get the best from your soy wax pillar candles.
Step 1 Trim the wick
A short wick gives a cleaner, brighter flame and an even burn, while a long wick can cause smoking and can cause mushrooming of the wick, where a mushroom-like shape forms at the top of the wick which obscures and disturbs the flame.
Before lighting, trim the wick to between 5 – 7mm and remove any wick debris. Any debris left in the wax pool can disturb the burning of the candle.
A trimmed wick creates a calm, steady flame, which means the candle's burning process is in balance. The wick is efficiently pulling up the right amount of wax, and the flame creates complete combustion. A wick that is too long won't be able to draw wax all the way to the top, and the wick itself will start to burn, causing it to smoke. A wick that is too long can also cause a candle flame to grow too long and flare, again producing soot.
Step 2 Place candle on a heat proof candle plate
Pillar candles must be burnt on a heat proof plate. Place candle away from drafts and always keep candle within sight.
Step 3 Memory burn
When burning the candle for the first time it must be blown out before it reaches the edge of the candle itself, leaving a 1cm rim. This sets the memory of the candle and is a very important step in ensuring the candle burns well and does not spill over the sides and leak.
Once the candle has been burning for approximately three to four hours, or when the wax has melted leaving a 1cm rim, the candle should be blown out.
This first burn sets the memory of the candle so make sure you let your pillar candle burn to the edge, leaving a 1cm rim the first time you burn it. This is because the size of the wax pool during the first burn determines the life of the candle. Subsequent burns won't melt the wax beyond the initial wax pool, so if it didn't melt close enough to the edge of the candle, it could leave a thick, unused mantle ('tunnelling').
Step 4 Blowout pillar and allow to reset
It is important to blow out the candle when it reaches the edge, leaving a 1cm rim. Allow the candle to cool and reset. Once the wax solidifies you can you can relight it. Usually best to leave overnight.
Step 5 – Subsequent Burns
For best results, don't burn your candle for longer than 4 hours at a time. Extinguish, let the candle cool down, trim the wick, and relight. The wax pool should always be kept clean. Any debris (e.g. pieces of wick, burnt matches) should be removed so as not to disturb the burning of the candle.
Candle Care
Keep distance
Place lit candles at least 10cm (4 inches) apart to avoid melting and warping due to heat from neighbouring candles.
Draughts
Candles burn best in still air - if too much (or too little) air reaches the candle flame, it will disturb the ideal teardrop shape of the flame and may cause the candle to start flickering and smoking. To avoid this, always burn your candles in a well-ventilated room, away from drafts, vents or strong air currents. If a draught can't be avoided, try shielding the flame from the draught, for instance by placing it in a candle holder, and turn the candle periodically to avoid uneven burning and possible candle collapse.
Burn time
For best results, don't burn your candle for longer than 4 hours at a time. Extinguish, let the candle cool down, trim the wick, and relight.
Storage
Candles are sensitive to temperature and light. Prevent candles from fading, cracking and melting by storing your candles in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, dust and fluorescent light. Store your candles in an upright position and don’t leave them in a car on a warm day, or they might warp from the heat. CONTAINER: If your smoking candle is inside a candle vase, lantern or container, then it could be that the vase is too small for the candle. As the oxygen inside the container burns up, more air is sucked into the container from the top, yet at the same time warm air, heated by the candle, is rising up and trying to escape the container. These two flows or air disrupt each other, causing a draught inside the container that disturbs the flame.
To avoid this, choose a bigger container and/or smaller candle: make sure that there is roughly half the candle diameter of space between the candle and the vase edge. E.g. If you have a 7cm candle, there should be at least 3.5cm of space between the candle and the edge of the container.
How to extinguish a candle
When the time comes to extinguish your candle, you could do better than blowing it out. Instead of filling your room with smoke and potentially splashing wax everywhere, dip the wick: extinguish your candle by pushing the wick into the pool of hot wax and pulling it back out. Use a specially designed wick dipper or any suitable non- flammable tool. Dipping the wick eliminates wick smouldering and smoking. Bonus: the wick gets coated in wax and is primed for the next lighting.
That's it! Follow the above guidelines and you should be well on your way to enjoying your beautiful pillars.