# Safe to burn candles inside wood stove?



## Mekkon (Oct 31, 2015)

Hi All,  We finally got our new Quad 3100 Limited installed, and it's great.  Even though we're new to burning, we've got a stash of well seasoned wood (mostly cherry and maple, seasoned 2yrs), and the secondaries kick off no problem and are mesmerizing, and warm.  Very happy with the unit.

Totally random question:  On days when we're not burning wood, is is safe to burn candles inside the stove?  We're primarily thinking that it'll look nice.  (And then perhaps generate a tiny bit of warmth, and maybe, just maybe, encourage the draft to head the right way.)  

Are there any concerns with doing so?  Could the candle smoke/wax build up in the pipe, contribute to any creosote or wax issues, or anything that I'm not thinking of?   Or is this a no-brainer, and totally fine?


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## Nick Mystic (Oct 31, 2015)

It would take one hell of a candle to generate any heat, but as to possible problems the only thing I can think of is you might soot up your glass since candles seem to put off a  lot of soot when they burn.


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## stanleyjohn (Oct 31, 2015)

i think starter bricks are made with a kind of wax and that ok to use so why not!!


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## Corey (Oct 31, 2015)

I don't know why not.  You burn a candle inside your home, so there can't be 'that' much creosote.

One word of caution - I'd probably not have any wood or combustibles in the stove, and burn the candle just like you would if it were sitting on a table in your home.  ie - in a fireproof candle holder, not go off and leave it alone, etc.  

A few Halloween's ago, it was much too warm for a fire, to I thought I'd liven up the stove with some orange and black taper candles.  I didn't really have 'candle holders' so put some pieces of metal on an old, flat split of wood.  Had the candles going and after some time, the party moved down stairs, so I went with them.  Come back up an hour or so later and it's ~95F up there.

I looked over at the stove and I guess the candles had burned down and somehow set the log on fire anyway.  All that was left of anything was ash.  Obviously all this was inside the wood stove, where the fire would have been anyway, so no harm done...just a little 'free' heat.  But it might have been a different story if I'd left the doors on the stove open.


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## Poindexter (Oct 31, 2015)

I wouldn't want candle soot on my catalytic converter, but in bypass mode I think it wouldn't hurt anything.


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## begreen (Oct 31, 2015)

As an occasional practice with small candles there is probably no harm. Avoid a large build-up of candle wax and remove the unused portions before starting a fire.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 1, 2015)

Shouldn't be an issue . . . in the past when I've had issues with creosote smell in the summer due to a reverse stack effect I've lit a candle inside the woodstove with no ill effects. As mentioned . . . it was just a candle . . . no other combustibles.


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