Is there such a thing as a clean burning candle? Produces only co2?
Aren’t there some that actually produce oxygen?
A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
81–90 of 175 posts
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
except that candles don't just produce CO2, they produce soot and many other molecules which have been clearly associated with negative health outcomes.
they produce soot As my bathroom walls can attest to. It took a long time to clean that up. I don't use candles for scent any more. Now I just keep them as one of many sources of emergency light and heat.
Try beeswax candles. They're more expensive but burn much more cleanly.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#83Now I’m wondering if I can heat my house with 50 or so candles. Easier than installing a fireplace and it might look nice.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#84Why is a mostly-incorrect* analysis of candles on the frontpage? Just because Carmack is saying it? *: Wattage might be the same, but the effect on air quality is different. Humans don't exhale carbon monoxide and smoke.
I heard that in some cold snowy places it's recommended to keep a few thick candles in your car in case you get stuck in a blizzard. Those can burn for a long time, light helping someone find you (say, at night), and they can warm you up a bit, maybe you can even get you some warm tea.
That surprised me. Reading this adds to that feeling of surprise, and gives a clearer idea of how much heat they emit.
I say it's a good post, if one reads it right. (It must be clear to most people that it's taking shortcuts in reasoning about air quality, so you must be mindful of the context you apply this to.)
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#85People concern for "air quality" lately has me wondering how in the world humanity survived to this point, in utter ignorance of the horrid damage everything they could smell was doing to them. Perhaps we should be encased in sterile bubbles at birth, with all inputs filtered for purity and consistency. Surely that would be the best way to avoid all the dire consequences of the pollutants surrounding us.
> People concern for "air quality" lately has me wondering how in the world humanity survived to this point,
Simple. By living in extremely drafty and effectively open-air structures. That had other tradeoffs though.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#86Now I’m wondering if I can heat my house with 50 or so candles. Easier than installing a fireplace and it might look nice.
Easier than having 50 friends come over, too.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
except that candles don't just produce CO2, they produce soot and many other molecules which have been clearly associated with negative health outcomes.
This is why I only use hydrogen torches at my dinner table.
they're not visible and you almost don't feel it when it burns you...
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#88Why is a mostly-incorrect* analysis of candles on the frontpage? Just because Carmack is saying it? *: Wattage might be the same, but the effect on air quality is different. Humans don't exhale carbon monoxide and smoke.
Not sure, but I remember the comparison with a light bulb. A bit artificial but it puts unintuitive units in perspective
A lightbulb's energy consumption and heat emission don't seem intuitive to me at all.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#89Now I’m wondering if I can heat my house with 50 or so candles. Easier than installing a fireplace and it might look nice.
Visit the house of somebody who likes burning lots of candles. Notice the heavy soot on the walls, ceiling, etc. Read the Wikipedia page on Black Lung Disease.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
they produce soot As my bathroom walls can attest to. It took a long time to clean that up. I don't use candles for scent any more. Now I just keep them as one of many sources of emergency light and heat.
If you do decide to burn a candle on occasion, in case the following wasn’t obvious: Keeping the wicked properly trimmed to ~1/4 inch makes a huge difference in keeping soot emissions down. There’s a reason store-bought candles always tell you to trim before burning! If the flame starts to jump and flicker (in calm air), the wick is too long. You can see big sooty plumes be thrown off when this happens if you look.
All good advice. I learned this from growing up with an antique oil lamp which I still have. That is another one of my emergency heat sources.