Burn behaviour
Flame flickers constantly
A persistently flickering flame in still air points to wick or fuel issues, not drafts. Often an over-fragranced or under-wicked candle.
Written by Maya Holloway
Likely causes
- Wick under-sized; flame starving and flaring.
- Excess fragrance pooling near the wick.
- Wick is wet from leftover FO or cleaning fluid.
How to diagnose
- Light in a sealed room and observe for 10 minutes.
- Inspect wick base for FO pooling.
What to change next batch
- 01
Size up the wick.
- 02
Reduce fragrance load.
- 03
Trim wick to 5 mm; dab base dry if oily.
Related symptoms
- Visible soot or black smoke
Black trail off the flame, deposits on the vessel.
- Candle barely scents the room when lit
Cold throw is fine, hot throw is dead.