With smaller wick sizes of modern wicks, the wick consumes itself as the candle burns down; by curling into the edge of the flame - which is hotter, But with thicker wicks the candle will burn with a smoky flame if the wick becomes too long, and will need trimming with scissors. If you don't trim smoky wicks, they may cause soot on the walls or ceiling, as well as smelling foul!
An exception to this is that when a candle is lit, it will smoke a bit until the wick pool is formed. It is wiser not too burn candles too close to a wall or ceiling if soot may be a problem.
If the wick is trimmed too short, it may become necessary to tip out some of the molten wax, so as to expose more wick. However, try to avoid this as it can lead to losing the wick and the only way to reclaim the candle is to scrape cut or melt away the candle to reveal more wick.
If a candle is burning in a draft or close to other heat sources, it is likely to drip or overflow. (See Why might a candles wick pool overflow?). If this happens it leaves the wick too long and in need of trimming.
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copyright © Brian Steere March 2001 to
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