Candle Safety According to ASTM F2417

By Christopher Rowe
candlebrain.com

Introduction
The most important thing you can ever do in candle making is to ensure that your candle is safe before you give it away or sell it. You can have the best-smelling and greatest-looking candle in the world, but if it’s not safe, it is absolutely worthless.

What this guide is NOT is a step-by-step how-to for testing your candle. That will be for another guide at another time.

This guide is a personal commentary on some of the best practices for candle-making safety, in an attempt to help every candle-maker to understand clearly what is expected of them. Please remember that what is written in the F2417 is the barest MINIMUM requirements for candle safety testing, and after reading the ASTM guidelines it is easy to realize that most of us were not doing enough.

It is highly recommended that you buy the ASTM F2417. It is sold for around $75 online and prices can vary from different sources. At the time of the writing of this guide, it is version 2417-17. There are earlier versions for sale as well, but make sure you are getting the most current version.

1 – Candle Types

Filled Candles / Container Candles: The candles we all know and love. Essentially it’s a candle in a jar.
Freestanding Candle / Pillar Candle: The candle that isn’t in a jar. It is a candle that is made to be set in a holder and burned.
Gel Candle: A candle that is NOT made of wax, but instead made of a terpene chemical or polymer modified with hydrocarbons which may or may not contain organic materials. It is important to note that at this time there is very little written on the safety standards of gel wax as it has not yet been fully studied for safety by ASTM.
Birthday Candle: A candle that is small and shoved in birthday cakes for the purpose of being blown out. Birthday candles that contain other things like pyrotechnics are not covered because they are classified as something else.
Outdoor Candle: A candle that you burn outside. It is not intended to be burned indoors. Much like the bucket candles that contain citronella to keep the bugs away at a family reunion. This candle type is defined but then excluded from
Religious or Ceremonial Candles: These candles are the kind you see in temples and churches that are usually very tall. (17 inches / 43cm or taller) They are often burned while a religious service is being conducted. They are often decorated with religious symbols.
Tea Light Candles: These are very little (1.5in/38mm or shorter) candles about as big around as a coin. Often a tiny tin container filled with wax. These candles are mainly used for warming something, thus the name “tea light”
Votive Candle: These are similar to pillar candles but much shorter and will have a smaller circumference. They are intended to be put in a votive holder and lit.

These are the only candle types listed in the 2417. Probably because most other candle types are just sub-types of the ones listed above. These could include carved candles (Pillar), large glass prayer candles (Container), or even food candles which could be more than one type listed above.

Fire Starters are the only items that could be loosely defined as a candle that are not referenced. Probably because a safe fire starter would be utterly silly.

2 – Things You Will Need to Test Candles

You will need a variety of things to test your candles. These things you may have lying around your workspace. First, you will need a testing space that has ample room/multiple exits in case you need to escape rather quickly. You will then need a very level, non-flammable workspace surface upon which you will conduct your tests. This surface must be free of anything flammable without any risk of being bumped or disturbed in any way.

The area must also be free of pets, children, or any other living things that can jump up on the table as well.

The room in which you conduct your tests should be completely free of drafts, and the ambient temperature must be between 68° F (20° C) and 86° F (30° C). Temperatures that fall below or rise above the temperatures listed may alter the results of the test when it comes to flame height.

It is important to know that the guideline also requires a minimum distance between candles when you are testing more than one. This distance is 7 7/8in (20 cm) apart from each other on the level, non-flammable surface.

There are specific instructions on how to light your candles for testing. I did not put that in this commentary because I am covering the main general idea of what is in the standard, and not creating a guide to testing a candle here.

You will also need the following physical items:

Protective eyewear
Fire-resistant covering for your clothing. (Or fire-resistant clothing.)
Fire suppression equipment. A fire extinguisher that is rated for an oil/grease fire will do.
Wick trimmer
Lighter or matches
A candle holder for those candle types that require it.
A non-combustible measuring device. (A fancy term for a metal ruler.)
A thermometer. It is highly recommended to use a laser or infrared thermometer.
Stopwatch or timer.

3 – Stuff You Need To Watch For

This is the majority portion of the document that lays out the specificities of what makes a failed candle fail. It is the section that defines the limits of what is considered safe.

Candle Flame Height: Your flame shouldn’t exceed 3 inches (76mm). I don’t think they were picturing a tea light with a 3-inch flame, but that’s what is officially in the record. (Most people recommend half of that.) This is not the same for religious/ceremonial candles. Their flame height should not exceed 3¼ inch (95mm).

Flashover: Anytime fire touches the melt pool there is a chance that the melted wax can cause a flashover and ignite the entire melt pool. This is generally caused by a curling wick or oversaturation of fragrance oil. or too much of other flammable additives.

Vessel Tolerance: Your vessel should not shatter, break, or crack during the entire safety test.

Secondary Ignition: If you extinguish a candle, that candle should not reignite on its own accord like one of those prank birthday candles that relight. This is called secondary ignition, and can actually happen to almost every kind of candle.
If a wick curls in on itself and touches the melt pool while still burning, this is considered a danger for secondary Ignition and a possible flashover, This is considered a failed candle.

Impingement: Another fancy word that means the flame touches the vessel or moves outside the confines of the candle itself. If you have a container candle where the flame touches the vessel that is a failed candle. Likewise, if you have a pillar candle where the flame moves beyond the circumference of the candle that is considered a dangerous candle.

Tilt Test: If you can tilt your candle at a 10° angle and it spills or breaks it is considered a failed candle. This is to replicate someone lifting it to move it, which can pose a burn risk.

Tipping: Mostly used in freestanding candles, while burning, the candle should never tip over or lean.

Burn Test Time: Tealights should be burned until the “End of Their Useful Life”. Gel candles burn no more than 8 hours at a time, and all other candles burn for no more than 4 hours at a time. After which the candle should be allowed to FULLY cool before testing again. You will repeat these tests until the candles have burned dry. Be sure to Measure the flame height at least twice in a test burn. The ASTM has specific instructions on how that should be done.

4 – Extras

There is much more contained in the ASTM but it is more or less instructions on how to conduct the test, how to test coated candles differently, and how to conduct flashpoint tests on gel candles because they are much more dangerous than actual wax.

There is a brief explanation as to the actual dangers of a flash-point and it is something to look out for when burning a candle. There is a diagram that further puts into perspective what flame height is supposed to be.

Some things are missing from this version (F2417-17) that were in later versions, such as vessel Temperature. The previous version stated a maximum of 140°F (60°C) was a concern in the last version but was inexplicably omitted from the current version. It could have been moved to candle vessel manufacturing safety documents.

5 – Conclusion

Making and selling safe, high-quality candles should be the top priority for any candle maker. While beautiful scents, creative designs, and enticing packaging are certainly important, none of that matters if the candle poses an unacceptable fire or injury risk to the end user.

The ASTM F2417 guidelines outline clear, rigorous safety testing protocols and performance benchmarks that all candle producers should follow. These are the industry standards established by the experts to identify potential hazards like flashover and high flames. While the standard provides an excellent framework, even exceeding its minimum requirements is advised whenever possible.

Testing every candle batch thoroughly, keeping detailed records, and having safety margins above the ASTM limits demonstrate a commitment to quality and safety. If a candle fails any test, it should go back to the formulation and design stage for improvement. No amount of profit or efficiency is worth risking lives and property with an unsafe product.

By taking candle safety seriously and not cutting corners, makers can ensure their products uphold the highest standards that customers deserve. The payoff is not only avoiding tragedy but also building a reputation for integrity that keeps happy customers coming back for years to come. Making the very best candles goes hand-in-hand with making the very safest.

While a lot of serious safety science was discussed here, please revel in your craftsmanship, but maybe keep the fire extinguisher nearby, just in case your latest lavender-vanilla creation tries any funny business.

Thank you for taking the time to read this commentary and for your commitment to candle safety. With your diligence and care, all candle makers can keep filling homes with lovely, crackling, perfectly safe candlelight.

Happy candlemaking!

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