Melt pools - what are they and why are they so important to candle makers? Here is your guide to them, and how they will help you make the most of your candles.
In layman's terms a melt pool is basically the area of molten wax around the wick of a candle. If you purchase a high quality container candle that has been wicked correctly, then the melt pool will extend all the way from the wick out to the very edge of the container. This means that as the candle burns, all the wax will be consumed and it won't leave behind any wasted wax round the edges of the container.
The melt pool is important because if you are spending money buying a candle then you would want it to last for as long as possible, and it's pretty disappointing if wax is left around the edges (reducing that potential burn time). The other really important thing to note is that soy wax candles have a memory. What do we mean by that? Well, if you blow the candle out before it achieves a full melt pool, then the next time you light it it will only provide a melt pool as large as the previous time. This is the case no matter how long you burn the candle for. Therefore, each time you light a soy candle it's really important to burn it long enough for the melt pool to be fully formed, otherwise you will permanently end up with wasted wax around the edges of the container.
Our wooden wicks are the best option for quickly achieving a full melt pool if you don't want to keep you candle lit for hours and hours. Our cotton wicks will achieve one too, but more slowly than the wooden wicks. We recommend burning you candle for no more than 4 hours at a time, and of course make sure you burn it on a level surface free from drafts and flammable objects. We include safety stickers on all our products, but please feel free to contact us here if you would like any further information on candle safety.
Leave a comment