Surprisingly, not many people have heard of woodwick candles, but they are more popular than you might think. If you decide to get one for yourself, you’ll notice that woodwick candles often crackle and pop when they’re lit, unlike cotton wick candles. One of the next questions that people often ask is, “why do woodwick candles crackle?” so today we’ll take a look at precisely that.
Woodwick candles, unlike cotton wick candles, have wicks that are made of wood. When you light a woodwick candle, the heat makes small gas and water pockets in the wood burst. These small explosions create a pleasant crackling sound that resembles the noise made by a wood-burning stove or campfire.
Woodwick candles are unique candles that can add a lot of ambiance and pleasantness to a home. The soft popping and crackling sound they often make can be very relaxing and set the mood. But there is actually quite a bit more to woodwick candles than you might think.
While woodwick candles aren’t quite mainstream items at this point, they are growing in popularity, and for a good reason. They are quite exciting candles with many intriguing nuances and quirks to learn about and get to know.
In the next couple of sections, I’ll take a closer look at why precisely woodwick candles make a crackling sound and answer a few more common questions regarding woodwick candles.
Why Do Woodwick Candles Crackle When They’re Lit?
To take a closer look at why precisely woodwick candles pop and crackle, we must first examine the wood that actually makes the noise when you light it on fire.
While the wood used in making woodwick candles isn’t too special, it is carefully selected and goes through many processes before it is ready to be used as a wick. Most woodwick candles have wicks that are made from some type of softwood.
Once a piece of wood is selected to become a wick for a woodwick candle, it must go through a rigorous process to remove a lot of the moisture from it. While most of the water is removed from the wood during this process, there is still a small amount left behind in microscopic gaps in the wood.
These microscopic pockets of moisture, along with some more microscopic pockets of naturally occurring gas, are what make the signature popping sound when you light your woodwick candle.
When you light the wooden wick of your candle, these small pockets of gas and water heat up. Once they become super hot and begin to boil, the pressure in these gaps builds up until it is too much to take, and they burst.
You can see this same thing happening in many other scenarios where wood is burning as well. Log fireplaces, campfires, and woodburning stoves are great examples of places where you can witness wood popping on a slightly larger scale than your woodwick candle.
Overall, the reason why your woodwick candle makes crackling sounds is because of microscopic pockets of water and gas exploding in the wood. It’s completely natural and just something that comes along with using wood as a candlewick.
How Loud Do Woodwick Candles Crackle?
If you have never physically been around a lit woodwick candle, you might be wondering just how loud these crackles and pops are that I’ve been talking about throughout this article. Well, I’m here to inform you that they are not nearly as loud as you might think.
The crackling sound that woodwick candles often put off is quite soothing and is pretty soft. While it is definitely audible if you are near the candle, the crackle could be hard to hear if you are standing more than 10 feet away.
There’s no entirely accurate, scientific answer to this question, but just know woodwick candles are not as loud as you might think. The crackling and popping sound that they often make is quite relaxing and pleasant.
In addition, the type of wood used as a wick, size of the candle, and many other factors can play a role in determining how loud a woodwick candle is when it crackles.
Do All Woodwick Candles Crackle?
While the large majority of woodwick candles will make their signature crackling sound when you light them, some simply do not crackle. This lack of crackling can be by design or because of a flaw in the candle’s making, but not all woodwick candles crackle.
The crackling sound that woodwick candles make has become a signature trait that they have, so it is quite rare to find a candlemaker who specifically tries to make their woodwick candles NOT crackle. Most sellers will advertise their woodwick candles as “crackling woodwick candles” or “silent woodwick candles,” which makes it pretty obvious if the candle is meant to crackle or not.
So, while the vast majority of woodwick candles will crackle if you light them, some are not meant to crackle or pop at all. In the next section, I’ll take a look at why your woodwick candle might not be crackling when you light it. So make sure to stick around for that!
Why Is My Woodwick Candle Not Crackling When I Light It?
Woodwick candles are known to make their signature crackling sound when you light them, but sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to figure out why yours is not making a sound at all.
Well, having a woodwick candle not crackle is actually more common than you might think. There are many reasons for this to occur, but below I’ll list some of the most common ones you might run into.
- The wick is unable to stay lit, and therefore unable to crackle.
- The type of wood used to make your candle wick doesn’t crackle when burnt.
- The candle wick hasn’t been lit for long enough.
- The wick hasn’t burnt to a point where there are many naturally-occurring gas and moisture pockets.
As you can see, there are many reasons why your woodwick candle is not crackling, but hopefully, the above list gives you an idea of what is causing your candle’s silence. Most of the time, you simply have to let your candle burn for a little longer to either reach a point in the wick with more pockets of gas and moisture or to heat up enough to begin bursting those pockets.
If your candle is not crackling because it cannot stay lit, it is probably a good idea to trim the wick. However, if the type of wood used to make your woodwick candle is why it is not crackling, it is usually done intentionally by the manufacturer. Make sure to check where you purchased your candle from if you suspect this is the cause of your issue.
Is It Dangerous When A Woodwick Candle Crackles?
As I’ve discussed earlier in this article, the reason why woodwick candles crackle is due to small pockets of moisture and gas in the wood heating up and bursting. After hearing that, you might be wondering, “is it dangerous when these pockets burst?”
While it sounds scary when you hear mini-explosions are going off in your candle, it’s not as intense or dire as you might think.
The pockets of water and gas that are bursting in your woodwick candle’s wick are microscopic. They are so small that, even with thousands of them bursting every minute that your candle is lit, they only make a soft crackling sound.
All that to say, it is not a cause for concern or dangerous in any way when your woodwick candle crackles.
There is something to be said about proper candle safety, though, but that has barely anything to do with how dangerous the cracking sound from a woodwick candle is. Be careful and exercise caution when you are around your woodwick candle, just like you would with any other type of candle. Fire safety and safety around candles is critical, so make sure you know what you’re doing before lighting a candle.
Why Would Someone Want a Woodwick Candle That Crackles?
Woodwick candles have many appealing qualities, but one thing that really makes them stand out is the crackling sound they make. But why would someone want a candle that makes a crackling sound when you light it?
The atmosphere and feeling that woodwick candles can bring to your home are one of their greatest appeals. There is nothing better than relaxing in your home and having the relaxing sound of a crackling fire in the background.
Woodwick candles are also exceptional at distributing the scent of the candle into the air. There are numerous other benefits and reasons why someone would want a woodwick candle, but I couldn’t even begin to come close to describing them all in a single article.
But most of the time, other benefits of woodwick candles aside, most people will simply get a woodwick candle because of the crackling sounds they make. The natural cracking and popping sound that woodwick candles make is very relaxing, pleasant, and can really set the mood in your home.