Aren’t all Wax Melters & Burners the same?
Are all wax melters & burners the same? In a word… Nope!
And here is what you need to know about that.
Firstly, there’s a couple of different kinds, and they’re known by different names.
And we bet you didn’t know that in some cases – what you choose even dictates what products you can buy to use with it?
Let’s break it down…
Plug-In Wax Melters & Burners (Aka ‘Warmers’).
These are known as ‘warmers’ mostly. And there’s a reason for it!
This is a good choice for someone with young children, as there’s no flame involved whatsoever, and the wax only ever gets ‘warm’, so as not to cause any serious injury if there was a problem.
However, as overall temperature of this kind of warmer stays pretty low, it massively affects the ‘scent throw’ of the wax melt, and that means adjusting how it’s made.
What is scent throw?
By scent throw, we mean the strength of the scent, plus how well the scent travels.
Most people like a good scent throw – meaning that they can smell their gorgeous wax melt easily, and from a good distance away.
Good scent throw is the difference between only being able to smell it when you’re sat right next to it, or being able to smell it from wherever you are in the room, and even further sometimes!
In order to get a good scent throw with a lower temperature, manufacturors have more limited options as to which wax blend they can use for the base.
Therefore, paraffin based products are usually recommended to be used with these particular warmers.
But of course, paraffin is not a natural product. It’s a by-product of a fossil fuel, and there’s some debate as to whether or not it is safe to have such products emit fumes in the home.
Since there was no really conclusive scientific evidence to suggest it would cause harm, particularly at low levels – at the moment it is classed as safe to use.
Can I use soy and other wax based products in my plug in wax melters & burners?
Yes.
But like we said, it massively affects the scent throw, meaning that your lovely little melt won’t smell as strong or travel as far as intended if you used this kind of warmer.
Ceramic Wax Melters & Burners
These are the more popular types of wax melters & burners that you see in stores.
And you can buy them just about anywhere these days! Naturally, we stock a fine selection in our shop.
However, you should still be very careful about which one you buy! Most stores still have products on the shelves that aren’t really suitable for wax melting.
Often times, they are more suited for oil burning. But the store staff do not know this, and will place them on the shelves along with wax melts, candles and other products, and it all ends up ‘looking the same’ to the unsuspecting customer!
So this is where the name of things is beginning to clear up!
Wax Melters
So let’s talk about the IDEAL wax melter now! There’s a few key things to look out for…
? Size Matters
Overheating is the one thing that you’ll want to avoid when it comes to wax melting.
So the design of the melter becomes important now. The one key feature you should look for in this is is a 10cm clearance from the top of the flame, to the bottom of the bowl.
Smaller melters with less than 10cm clearance could overheat the bowl, and cause a safety issue – therefore these designs are more suitable for oil burning.
? Go for a deep bowl
Ideally, look for one that has a good sized, deep bowl.
This is important because you want to be sure that once melted, the wax does not overflow.
? Check for chips & cracks
Chips and cracks in your ceramic melter cause a weak point. This makes is subject to overheating again, which as you know now, could potentially be a hazard.
? Consider placement
As you will have read from our care page, the placement of your wax melter is also very important! Keep this in mind when you are choosing your melter. Where will it go? Will it look right? And will it fit in with your home decor?
Oil Burners
Although these can be used to melt wax, we’ve learned recently that it’s really NOT recommended that you do.
The distance between the flame and the bowl is less than 10cm, therefore overheating could occur.
This kind of burner is more suited for oil burning.