Random - but freezing candles?

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klaus

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Messages
53
I just heard that if you freeze your candles, they burn slower. It was on a feature about saving money.

Anybody heard of this? Does anyone do it, and does it work?
 
klaus said:
I just heard that if you freeze your candles, they burn slower. It was on a feature about saving money.

Anybody heard of this? Does anyone do it, and does it work?

The candle flame heats the nearby wax to melting, which is absorbed by the wick and burned to continue the cycle. I suppose with a frozen candle, the liquid wax may be kept at a lower temperature for awhile, which could result in a smaller flame. A smaller flame would be the only way to make the candle last longer. The effect would be temporary at best, and offset by the energy used to freeze the candle and opening the freezer twice.

Perhaps more economical is a "candle follower", which prevents a larger waste issue for stick candles -- dripping wax. Keeping the wick trimmed to the desired height will also control the flame size, and more controllably than the freezing method.

Check here. Churches have been dealing with candles for quite some time. :D

http://www.cathedralcandle.com/use_care.cfm
 
klaus said:
I just heard that if you freeze your candles, they burn slower. It was on a feature about saving money.

Anybody heard of this? Does anyone do it, and does it work?

You can make a candle burn longer by making the flame smaller. I guess freezing might work by keeping the liquid wax at a slightly lower temperature. The heat from the candle would make this a short-lived effect at best. And I'd think twice about freezing any candle that has a glass container. The heat difference between the glass and flame might cause cracking.

For more reliable ways to make the most out of a candle, try the Catholic Church. They've been dealing with this for a loooong time. :) A "candle follower" will prevent one of the biggest candle wastes -- dripped wax. As for flame size, you can control it more easily and directly by trimming the wick than by freezing the candle.

http://www.cathedralcandle.com/use_care.cfm
 
I heard about this before and tried it out.

I haven't timed it, but I did find that the flame burned lower when I initially lit the candle and it did seem to burn slower for the first half hour or so. After that the flame grew in size, so I guess the difference is that frozen wax takes longer to melt.
 
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