Does Room Temperature Affect How Beeswax Candles Burn?

Does Room Temperature Affect How Beeswax Candles Burn?

Straight up, I would have to say yes, room temperature does affect how beeswax candles burn. There are other factors and varying situations besides room temperature we should talk about as well.

A colder room temperature does mean that beeswax candles will likely burn more slowly. You may get a smaller flame and that contributes to a longer burn time. Most of us like a cheery, warm flame and rather than leave your candle in the cold at the side of a room to get a few more minutes of burn time I suggest you bring it in the middle, make it part of the party, keep it warm and happy and it will reward you with a much nicer light and a lively flame.

Another aspect of how temperature affects how your beeswax candle burns is surface temperature. This is especially true of tealights. If you burn your beeswax tealight on a cold tile surface for instance it will burn more slowly with a smaller flame. Again you are losing that vibrant flame and light and you also may be disappointed to find an incomplete burn. You may be left with beeswax unburned in the bottom of the cup. If you are finding that your beeswax tealights are not burning completely don’t be quick to blame the tealight. Were you burning it in a cold window or on a cold surface? That might be the problem.

There are examples of bad things happening when there is too much heat when you are burning your candles. Beeswax pillars are particularly susceptible when things heat up. If you like to burn pillar candles on the mantle of a fireplace there are things to be careful of.

  • Make sure the pillars are not too close together. Beeswax candles burn hot and create heat. The heat from two pillars created side by side is enough to blow out the side of one if not both pillars. What a mess!
  • Be sensitive to how much heat is coming from a stove or fireplace. This can cause or add to the problem of having multiple pillars burning together. Again, too much heat will cause a blow out (even a single pillar burning by itself) and a beeswax mess to clean up.
  • Remember to keep your pillar wicks trimmed to a ¼ inch so the flame does not get too high or hot and avoid drafts from open windows or fans.

If it does happen that you have a blow out and it pours on your clothing, tablecloth or carpet, well I have two suggestions for you in these blogs:



The best thing to avoid any accidents is to watch your candles as they are burning and NEVER LEAVE A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED.

We are proud to say Honey Candles® beeswax candles are hand made in  Kaslo BC Canada from 100% pure Canadian beeswax!

Photo by Marlie Marchewka
Published By Pat Cattermole

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