Candle Safety Tips
Tue, May 25, 2021
The ambience and tranquillity created by candles are special; however, if candle safety is not considered, candles turn to potential fire hazards. The NFPA reports indicate that burning candles caused more than 8200 home fires.
Over 85% of the fires are avoidable if candle safety measures are put in place. Therefore, it’s important to take note of the safety tips to avoid the possible occurrence of candle fires.
Are Candles Really a Fire Hazard?
Candles become a fire hazard depending on their use. If you use your candles in accordance with candle safety guidelines, then it is not a fire hazard. However, the careless use of candles, like lighting them close to flammable objects, leaving them unattended for long, makes them a fire hazards.
To be on the safer side, also ensure you keep them away from pets and children.
How Do You Use a Candle Safely?
To ensure you safely use your candle, this article will outline the different instances and how to go about them. In addition to that, it will cover some safety tips to keep your home safe from candle fires.
Preparation Before Lighting the Candle
Before you light your candle, it essential to carry out the following measure to ensure it doesn’t turn out to be a fire hazard. First, before you light your candle, ensure its wick is a quarter an inch. You can use scissors or wick trimmers to cut it to the recommended length. This is to avoid long, crooked and uneven burning.
Ensure the wick trimmings and any matches are not on the wax pool. Keep it clear at all times.
Always use a designated candleholder that is heat resistant and large enough to hold the melting wax drips.
Avoid wind drafts for even burning, keep any loose clothing away and use long matches to light the candle. Finally, do not let the candle burn for more than 4 hours, and if you intend to relight it, do so after two hours of cooling.
Safety Measures While the Candle Is Burning
While the candle is burning, don’t leave it unattended for long. At the same time, the candle’s surrounding should be clear of anything flammable like papers, decorations, books, beddings, among others.
Place the burning candle in a place not reachable to children or pets. This will prevent the candle from being knocked down by children or any other person in your household.
As the candle burns, do not move or touch it. Do not move nor touch the liquefied wax either.
As the candle burns, don’t let it burn to completion. Put it off at ½ and 2 inches for container and pillar candle burning, respectively.
To prevent candles from melting each other, place them 3 inches apart. The distance also prevents improper burning that arises from their draft.
If the candle flickers repeatedly or produces a long flame, put it off and trim the wick before you light it again.
Do not use candles as night lights and put them off if you think you may fall asleep. If you are using them during power outages, never use them to find things in closets or other flammable areas.
Measures While Putting Off the Candle
The best way to put a candle off is by candle snuffers because they prevent splattering of hot wax.
You should not use water to put off your candle. It may cause the glass to break and wax splattering as well.
After you extinguish the candle, ensure there is no glow on the wick before you leave the room.
Avoid touching the candle until it cools off to avoid being burnt.
Do not use sharp objects to remove the wax drippings from the glass. Such objects cause scratches, weakening of the glass or even breakages.
Tips for Candle Safety Use
- Never leave a candle unattended for more than 4 hours.
- Keep candles 3 inches apart when lighting using pillars.
- Do not touch or move the candle or melted wax while it’s burning.
- Avoid placing candles in areas with drafts like vents or open windows.
- Keep burning candles away from areas accessible to pets and kids.
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FAQs on Candle Safety
Below are some of the common questions asked on candle safety. You also get to learn some candle safety tips to protect your house from candle fire.
1. Is It Safe to Keep a Candle Lit All Night?
According to the safe use of candles, it’s not safe or rather not recommended to leave your candle burning all night. The maximum time a candle should be left unattended is 4 hours. Any time beyond 4 hours possess different risks including, secondary ignition, breaking the candle glass and wax leak. In some cases, it could cause poisoning due to accumulation of carbon monoxide from toxic waxes.
2. Can a Candle in Glass Cause a Fire?
According to candle safety, the use of glass jars is among the best practices while using candles. The glass ensures the candle flame doesn’t reach any flammables in its surroundings. Therefore, there are little to no chances of a candle in a glass causing fire.
3. Why Did My Candle Pop?
The pop sound from your candle is due to irregular burning, which is because of air bubbles, impurities or moisture in the wax. A long wick can also cause the popping sound. Always store your candles in dry cool places to avoid the effects of moisture and dampness on the candle’s wick.
4. Why Did My Candle Crack?
Your candle possibly cracked due to the unevenness of rough surfaces, air bubbles that result in small holes and jump lines. The reasons above are due to the fast cooling of the candle during its manufacture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, candle safety measures are important to ensure the tranquillity and ambience created by candle lighting don’t turn into chaos. Therefore, ensure to observe all the safety measures and tips to keep your home and loved ones safe from candle fires.
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