Candles are a great way to lighten up your room and mood with their fresh scents and warm light. But, candles must be used with utmost care.
While burning candles you must follow the safety rules below:
1. There should be someone present always while the candle is lit.
2. Candles must be lit in a well-ventilated room. You must not burn a candle in a small/ tight room where the air exchange is limited.
3. Extinguish the lit candles before sleeping or going out of sight.
4. You must never burn a candle when things around the candle can easily catch fire.
5. Nowadays, people are using candles at an event or any wedding function as decor. So one must take absolute care that these candles are not placed near any trees or paper. Even they should be out of reach of children.
6. One must follow all the safety instructions given by the manufacturer before using. One can always use a candle holder that is a perfect fit as per your candle. The holder should be large and sturdy enough to contain the melted wax or drips.
7. The holder will also prevent any possible heat damage. It may also prevent any glass containers from cracking.
8. Always remember that candles should be kept away from your children and pets.
9. Don’t place the candle near clothes, curtains, bookshelves, or wooden cabinets.
10. Avoid burning the candles near ceiling fans, air currents, vents, or drafts. This will prevent rapid /uneven burning and avoid any flame flare-ups.
11. You must never touch a burning candle. If the wax is liquid, you may end up burning your hand. The wax on the candle will be very hot so this will burn your hand.
12. If you are using more than one candle inside a room, then you must place each candle at least 3 inches apart. This will prevent the candles won’t burn each other or creating drafts.
13. Don’t burn a candle more than its manufacturer recommends. This period could be mentioned in the manufacturer’s safety instructions. Generally, you must not burn a candle for more than 4 hours. The carbon gets collected on the wick while the candle is burning. If the candle goes on for too long, it may cause the wick to be unstable. Also, the flame from the candle can get too large.
14. Make sure that before leaving the room, the candle is completely extinguished. Also, ensure that the wick is no longer glowing.
15. If the candle keeps on flickering, it is not burning properly. So, use another candle or let it cool for some time, then try and use it again.
16. If the flame becomes too high or the candle emits too much smoke, let the candle cool. You can also trim the wick and re-light the candle again.
17. One must never use a candle at night as a source of light because it is too dangerous. If the person using the candle will sleep, leaving the candle can also cause a fire inside the room. If it falls or due to the wind, fire may burn the curtains and spread inside the whole room.
18. One can use a snuffer to extinguish a candle as it will prevent the hot wax splatters and is the safest way.
19. During a power cut, if you use candles, be very careful. Instead of using a candle, you can also use a torch or flashlight on your mobile phone. These would be safer sources to use.
20. Don’t keep the candle burning till the bottom tip. Extinguish the flame of the candle when it comes too close to the holder or container.
21. If the candle is not lit in the container, then you can stop the burning of the candle when 2 inches of wax remains. Also, if the candle is in the holder or container, it must be extinguished when 1/2 inch remains.
22. Trim the wick of the candle each time before using. 1/4th inch each can be trimmed as long/crooked wicks can cause uneven burning or dripping.
23. Electric candles are also used nowadays to prevent the danger of the candle from causing a fire.
24. Keep the wax pool empty and clear. Ensure that your candle is free of matches, debris, or wick trimmings. As these things can catch fire, they must be kept away.
25. Keep your hair away while lighting an open flame of a candle.
26. You must not walk with the candle in your hand while it is lit. The wax which melts from the candle may burn your hand.
27. Invest in buying good quality candles. It often happens that buying a cheap quality candle can cost you more. They don’t last, or there is no fragrance.
28. Installing smoke alarms is also a good option.
29. Using battery-oriented flameless candles is also a safer source.
30. Never place a candle near the window because the curtains may catch fire.
31. Consider purchasing a wick dipper that will prevent the hot wax from splattering. It also keeps your wick safe. It eliminates the huge puff of black smoke when you blow it out.
32. The matches used to light the candle must not be thrown instantly in the trash. The match would be hot, and it will be surrounded by flammable materials like paper, and tissues in the trash. Thus one must run the used match underwater to cool it down. One can also use a small flame-resistant dish to put the matches into before throwing them into the trash.
33. Ensure that you have a medical box with an ice storage facility to use at the time of inflaming emergencies.
Why are candles important in smoke detectors?
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Candles can test the smoke alarms. You can use a candle to test your smoke detector at home. You can use it and check if your smoke detector is in good working condition or not.
Occasionally, some dust and dirt might get collected on the smoke alarm. So, they will not detect smoke in an emergency.
So, to test your smoke detector, you can light a candle and find out if the detector is still working. You can light the candle at the bottom of the smoke detector and blow it out.
So, the smoke released by the candle will go up to the sensor within the smoke detector. If your detector is in good working condition, then the smoke emitted by the candle may trigger the alarm to go off.
How can candles make the alarm detectors activate?
For most of the sensors, it’s just the smell of the burning that will be enough to activate the alarm. If your candle produces a burning smell, it will go up to the smoke detectors and activate the smoke alarm.
If you are using a ceiling fan in the room, then don’t light the candle there; the airflow will produce more smoke. This will activate the smoke detectors. Place your candles as far as away from the smoke detectors. This way, you can ensure that you don’t activate the alarm by accident.
Is it possible to set off a smoke alarm from candles?
Yes, it is possible that a candle can turn off the smoke alarm, but it is not that common. A specific amount of smoke is required to set the alarm off. But, it is not likely that a candle would emit that much smoke. In the following cases setting off the alarm may be possible:
Lighting a lot of candles under the sensors can be a major reason. Also, when you blow many candles out at the same time. So, the smoke directly goes up to the smoke sensors. These 2 cases can set off the smoke alarm with candles.
What if the candle isn’t burning correctly?
The candle doesn’t burn correctly when it starts flickering. Also, when it emits smoke or the flame of the candle becomes too high.
You must follow these steps:
- Extinguish the candle
- Let it cool
- Trim and recentre the wick.
- Check for the drafts before relighting the candle.
Candles create an environment that few other settings can’t. It creates a beautiful ambience with lovely fragrances. The fragrance and its steady flame want you to collect more and more candles.
You might want to use more candles in your room or home as decor. But you need to take care of the safety tips provided above.
Safety is very important while using a candle. So, if you are safe and smart about how to use a candle, then you have less to worry about.
If you don’t feel that you can follow and use these safety tips, you might use an electric candle. Battery candles and mobile torches are also good options in the event of power cut-off.
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