Lighting candles with paraffin

Active Poster Joined: Feb 01 2010 Posts: 77

Does anyone use those glass holders with the hole to pour in paraffin wax or oil?

How much paraffin should be in the glasses? How long should the wick be? You can just keep using the same wick? I wish they came with a little more detailed instructions. Please help!

Thanks.

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20489

I use them and actually have a little business selling them (in Israel).
I use the twisted candles, that look like a flame. I pour in oil less than 1/3 of the way up and it's more than enough for Friday night. The oil burns out, and you pour in some more oil next time you use the candles. The wicks last for years. Very important: they should be just about 2 mm above the lip of the candle. They flame should not be big. Don't touch the wick with your fingers unless they are very clean because the oil in your fingers can damage the wick. Don't use any other oil besides paraffin in these candles or you will ruin them.
Good luck and enjoy!

I use them all the time. There are two kinds of candle oil available, and you MUST get the one which is odorless and smokeless.

I usually fill the oil up to the hole, and it does help to fill it a bit of time before lighting so the oil soaks UP the wick and then I light all 9 candles with one match!!! (Chik chak!)

The wicks are fiber glass and made to be non=consumable.
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I usually fill mine until the 'chimney' where the wick comes out.
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 17 2008 Posts: 5047

I don't mean this as a criticism, but I have always wondered why people would light with paraffin when there is a hidur to light with olive oil (and with all the warnings about paraffin being poisonous if consumed)?
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20489

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 17 2008 Posts: 5047

I meant the fact that when there are children (or grandchildren) around you need to be concerned about the fact that it is poisonous.

While you're right about the wicks, I've found that as long as a reasonable quality (nothing near top quality, just average) olive oil is used, there virtually no smoke or smell (other than a small bit right when it goes out).

And there are many hiddurim (I'm not an expert in that, I'm sure someone here has or can comment better on that) to lighting with olive oil (some I think relate to ehrlich children, bnei Torah, etc.).

Executive Member Joined: Jul 13 2009 Posts: 328

You're absolutely right that it's mehudar to light with olive oil. But it's a hiddur, not halacha, so since the parrafin oil gives such a beautiful, clean flame many of us feel that it's also a beutiful thing to light with. As far as dangerous, it is VERY dangerous, so to all of you who use it, please keep it together with your poisounous cleaning products, locked and high and out of sight. (Believe me, I'm talking from experience - B"H all's well that ends well, but that was a neis!)

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20489

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 17 2008 Posts: 5047

Speak to hatzolah, kids are very tempted by paraffin for some reason. It's just no worth it. Those small 4 or 6 hour candles burn beautifully and are a great alternative.
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Executive Member Joined: Dec 19 2006 Posts: 399

my son drank the paraffin oil on erev yom kippur. he mamash took a drop and he ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. it was very scary. since then I use candles. just be careful.