For different reasons power outages are pretty common in many parts of the country. Snow and ice storms strike many areas leaving homes without power for days or even weeks sometimes. Hurricanes and tornadoes rip out electrical service. For example, in California service is shut down at times to limit the electrical load to avoid the risk of wildfires. We don’t want to be stuck with only a few candles left over from our last dinner party as our emergency plan. So a wise homeowner should buy a collection of emergency candles. CEN has suggestions on how to acquire the right products. The links provided below are not an endorsement of specific retailers, but are designed to give you a starting point for different types of candles for comparison-shopping.
Candles NOT to Save:
You need to consider the burn time and avoid candles that are gone very quickly. Also, think about the odor from candles. For example, citronella candles give off a bit of an odor and you may want to avoid a lot of scented candles. They may be great for a romantic evening but not so much if using them for several days in a row.
The type of wax is important. Unfortunately, candles don’t have food and drug administration approval guidelines, so you need to carefully read the labels when available and pay attention to the contents. Many candles purchased inexpensively online may not have a high-quality wax. So, buyer beware.
Some other features are important in selecting candles. You want those not giving off an aroma of any kind and that do not drip. You don’t want to have to clean up a mess or be concerned hot wax may spill and burn you or others.
Candle Options:
Sterno offers a 115-hour emergency candle: These are safe, odorless and easy to store.
Candle lantern: These burn for eight hours and have several additional benefits. The glass container helps avoid wind in drafts and is easier to use if taken outside. Drafts and breeze do affect the candles' burn time. Also, it has a loop to hang up, and the units fold up to save storage space.
Beeswax candles: These are another good option with longer burn times, no odor and little residue. These candles can also be used in most candle lanterns. There are some additional larger beeswax candles with considerably longer burn times available.
Coghlan's offers a 36-hour candle: Ideal for longer-term use. One of the benefits of this candle is they have three wicks providing maximum light when desired, but you can cut back to burning only one wick as needed. These come in a metal container and are very difficult to tip over.
Basic candle: These are often used in religious services and provide an incredible 80 hour burn time. One advantage is they are encased in glass so there is no risk of having wax dripped down and making a mess.
Candle Precautions:
Whenever candles are being burned, safety precautions are required, particularly if children, or pets, are running around. We need to be careful where candles are placed so that they will be kept away from anything else that may be flammable. Keep in mind heat rises so there’s a possibility that several feet above your candle may be quite hot and could ignite some surfaces. Any candle, even if thought to be drip free, may create some waxed drippings, especially if located near a draft area. So, placing a candle under a safe plate or other containers a good step.
Any good candle isn’t very useful if you don’t have matches. Buy and store matches in a safe dry place with a significant number of kitchen matches for any event. These matches are useful for a wide variety of purposes.
And, if you’re not certain you will like a type of candle, consider placing a smaller trial order and see how you like the odor, sustainability and ease of use.
We see in Scripture the importance of being ready with light sources: “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. (Matthew 25:8-10)
While Jesus is the Light within any crisis, a ReadyChristian knows that in the event of a disaster we do not want to increase the hardship of being without power or be impeded as we share His Word with those around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment