Pillars are a versatile candle, perfect for those who tend to burn candles for long periods. When burned properly pure beeswax pillars will provide hours of soothing honey aroma and gentle amber glow. Follow these simple tips to get the most out of your Honey Candles burning experience.
Burn pillars for longer periods
Before lighting your pillar, place it on a stable, heat resistant plate and trim the wick to ¼’’. Pillars are designed to be burned for at least 3 hours at a time. This allows the wax pool to melt to the edge of the candle and helps ensure that the candle won’t tunnel or develop a well which can restrict oxygen flow to the flame.
Trim the wick as your candle burns
When burning your pillar, you may notice the wick getting longer or excess carbon building up. This can cause the flame to grow large and flicker. Extinguish the candle first, then trim the wick to ¼ inch using scissors or a wick trimmer and relight the pillar. Trimming the wick regularly can also significantly increase the overall burn time of your candle.
Hug your pillar candle as it burns
Hugging your beeswax pillar periodically will help you ensure even burning and more complete wax consumption. Without hugging, your pillar will develop a mantle - a thin edge of wax that remains unmelted. Mantles are beautiful when illuminated however, if they become too large, they will restrict airflow to the flame potentially causing it to flicker or smoke. To prevent this, simply hug or push in the sides of the mantle slightly towards the flame. This will allow the outer edges to melt and ensure adequate oxygen flow to your flame, a more consistent flame shape, and the best wax consumption.
Extinguishing the pillar
After you have burned your pillar for three or more hours and you are ready to extinguish it, the temptation is usually to simply blow out your beeswax candle. However, to avoid excessive smoke and ensure an easy relight of your pillar, it is best practice to dunk your wick. Use a fancy wick dipper or other improvised tool to dunk the wick into the wax pool and then straighten it back to center. Next time you light your pillar, be sure to light it from the base of the wick.
Beeswax pillar candles provide unparalleled light and a beautiful subtle natural honey aroma. Check out Honey Candles’ best selling classic round pillars or our specialty pillars for something a little different.
Enjoy the light
