Tealight warning

Stevyamda

Something just happened, and with Halloween and Bonfire Night approaching thought I'd mention it. Been using candles and tealights of all kinds for 35 years without any issues whatsoever. I had a couple of 8 hour tealights with only about 20 mins left in each, and just lit them to finish off while chilling and reading. Normally have them in a tealight holder or glass jar but didn't fuss tonight. I noticed one of them started flaming up rather high, about 5 inches, before pretty much completely combusting on itself. Never seen this happen before. Dealt with it swiftly by suffocating the flame (no water) and all fine except for a circular burn mark on the shelf (silly me). Obviously won't be using them without a sturdy holder ever again, but was taken aback by how quickly it happened (and grateful I was present and nothing else caught). Apparently the physics of it are in the last mm of wax that get so hot amplified by the aluminium casings it can just go off.

JasmineHart

I see it's been a while since this was discussed, but I just wanted to ask—has anyone found a really safe alternative for tealights? I love the cozy atmosphere they create, but after reading this, I’m a bit wary. I’ve looked into battery-operated ones, but some seem quite dim. Has anyone found a good brand that actually gives off a warm, natural-looking glow?

Jimboscope

I had a similar issue before and now I always make sure to use a proper candle holder, especially with tealights. Some of them can get really hot, and if the surface underneath isn’t heat-resistant, it can become a fire risk. I’ve seen cheap ones that don’t provide enough insulation, so now I stick to glass or ceramic ones that are more reliable. It’s scary how easily things can go wrong.