At Helix Candles we are always concerned about safety. Our luminaries are not regular candles with a burning wick, but they are made of wax so safety precautions must be taken when using them. Always follow the instructions provided below to eliminate the risk of fire and injury, and of inadvertent melting of the luminaries due to excess heat.
There are several light sources for Helix Candle luminaries, which we will discuss here in terms of safety and efficiency.
LED Tea-lights
When lighting our wax lanterns with battery-operated LED tea lights, rechargeable LED candle lights, or submersible LED lights, there is no concern whatsoever with safety. These lighting options do not generate enough heat to damage the luminary and because there is no open flame, there is no risk of fire. Simply place the lights inside the luminary and turn them on. At the end of the night, turn them off. LED lights will last up to 60 hours and the batteries can be replaced or recharged, as applicable.
Votive Candles
Regular votive candles in glass containers generate a lot more heat than LED lights. When illuminating Helix Candle Luminaries with votives, you must take care to contain the candle’s heat. The wax in our luminaries has a high melting point, but it can melt in the presence of high temperatures. When the heat from the votive candle touches its glass container, the glass walls slowly heat up. Eventually the heat will reach the bottom of the glass container, where it can potentially melt the bottom of the luminary, damaging it and the surface of the table beneath it. To prevent the luminary bottom from melting, it is imperative to isolate the heat of the glass heat from the luminary by using a cork pad.
Fuel Cells or Cartridges—The Ideal Lighting Option
The ideal way to illuminate Helix Luminaries is with fuel cells, oil cartridges, or liquid paraffin—candle lamps with safe, disposable, clear liquid wax. They produce a beautiful bight glow just like traditional candles, yet require absolutely no clean-up. The plastic cartridges are filled with transparent, highly refined liquid paraffin fuel/oil. They are smokeless and odourless and safer, more efficient, and less expensive than regular candles. The 10-hour oil cartridge fits into all of our luminaries.
Not only are these cartridges great for our luminaries in restaurants, spas or hotels, but also for event planners who rent luminaries for centerpieces or wedding aisle décor. We have liquid fuel lamps and cartridges that can last anywhere from 8 to 50 hours, so you never have to worry about them going out during your special event.
At Helix Candles Safety Comes First! Here are some of the other safety characteristics of our affordable lamp fuels. They are:
- classified as non-toxic and non-flammable
- in the same non-flammable category as vegetable oil: an NFPA Class IIIB combustible liquid
- rated non-hazardous by D.O.T. regulations
- safe to use on tabletops with no shipping restrictions, storage limitations, or insurance worries
- approved by all major fire departments for use in restaurants
- ideal for our luminaries because they burn cleaner than solid wax candles and provide the glow of candlelight without the mess of melted wax
- disposable, safe, efficient, and economical, making them the industry standard for lighting luminaries
Place a fuel cell or cartridge in your Helix Luminary and create a beautiful glow. When the fuel runs out, simply discard or recycle the empty container and replace it with a new liquid paraffin fuel cell. They come in 10, 18, 29 and 36-hour burning cartridges. For the complete Dine-a-Glow Fuel Cartridge MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) click here!
