When buying a candle, you might just think about its shape, colour and fragrance as important elements. Have you ever wondered about the wick? The wick is the most important and central element of a candle, without which the candle will be useless.
Factors for choosing a wick
Different factors determine the choice of a wick.
- The type of wax or fuel can be paraffin wax, soy wax, beeswax, natural or synthetic oil or gel wax
- The melting point of wax ranges from 120F to 230F
- The shape and size or diameter of the candle
- The type of candle, whether pillar or container
- The type and amount of fragrance oil
- The design of the candle for a specific environment
- The type of colourant, like liquid, dye, powder, chip, and its percentage
Choose the right wick
Selecting the right wick is crucial so that your candle works properly. Without a proper wick, your candle will not burn cleanly. Aussie Candle Supplies is a renowned brand offering natural coated, pre-tabbed candle wicks that come in ready-to-use packs for any kind of candle application. You will get both ACS (pure textile grade cotton) and CDN wicks (pure cotton with a paper core).
The CDN range is coated with a high melted wick for better stability. They are self-trimming and specifically designed to bend at the tip into the flame, thus giving a cleaner burning candle.
Their ACS range of wicks consists of flat braid cotton wicks that are specifically designed for soy candles, natural waxes and palms.
They offer wicks in all sizes, including 15cm, 17.5cm, and 31cm, along with tealight wicks. Their warehouse is in Perth and they only take orders online. You can either call and place an order or fill out their online form, which they will respond to respond shortly.
Types of wicks
- Flat wicks: these are knitted wicks, mostly found in a pillar and taper candles, usually made from fibre bundles. They burn consistently and curl in the flame for a self-trimming effect.
- Square wicks: These are braided or knitted wicks, mostly used in beeswax, that also curl in the flame, but are rounder and more robust than flat wicks
- Cored Wick: braided or knitted wicks that use a core material like cotton, paper or zinc to keep the wick straight while burning. These are found in pillars, jar candles, votives and devotional lights.
- Wooden wicks: they have become quite popular due to the visual aesthetic and soft crackling sound they create. They are curved, decorative-shaped wicks made from pure wood, cotton or fibrous material and wood combinations.
Factors affecting the burning of the wick
The amount of wax is important for different wick sizes. Too much wax makes the flame flare and soot while too little wax will make the flame sputter out.
The wax consumption depends on the construction and size of the candlewick. A closer braided wick will consume less wax to burn when compared to a loose one.
A smoking candlewick means the candle wick is too large and is trying to consume more melted wax, forming more soot.
Buy from reputable candle manufacturers who take great care in selecting the proper shape, size and material for a particular candle.
