Candle Making Wax Melter

Choosing a Wax Melter For A Growing Business

Just Starting Out

A key component in the Candle Making Wax Melter  trade is melting the raw wax down to a liquid form to fill your jars. For the people that are new to the trade it can be overwhelming deciding just how to melt the wax. What temperature should I set the wax melter at? How long should I let the wax heat up? What pouring method should I use?

We started out making our first candle using the double boil method and did not realize that it would ruin our pots and pans. We quickly purchased a small wax melter presto pot that we retrofitted to have a valve to dispense the melted wax. Using typical kitchen appliances for the candle making business can get out of hand quickly as we boiled our wax to 300 degrees at one point. Take caution with what you are using because a fire hazard is always a possibility.

1. Small Presto Pot

These pots can be purchased from $90-$200, and range in size. I would highly recommend using a pot specifically made for candle making just due to the temperature range on a normal presto pot. Most waxes become damaged if heated past 190 degrees Fahrenheit. They feature a metal spicket valve that allows you to dispense melted wax straight into a pitcher. The max amount of wax that these soy lite melters can hold is around 10 pounds. We use one of the melters in our current manufacturing setup as there are some days we do not need to turn on our full production system. Here are some melters we recommend. (we are not affiliated in anyway to these manufacturers)

https://www.amazon.com/Melter-Soy-Candle-Making-Paraffin/dp/B073R6CT7P

https://www.etsy.com/listing/790548491/candle-wax-melter-presto-pot-x-large

Turning up the Speed

In our experience the melter will be the biggest bottleneck in your manufacturing set up. We have dealt with slow melting appliances which hinder your max capacity in any given day. If you have grown your business to pouring 20+ candles every day or have a large run of candles to make for wholesale accounts, it is time to upgrade. While a large upfront cost, an industrial melter will relieve many complications during pouring. Consistent melting times, and temperatures ensure max daily capacity and quality are met.

1. Waxmelters.com

Again, we are in no shape affiliated with these brands, but currently we use one of their melters. Super simple to operate, and remembers temperature settings each time it is unplugged. They sell a number of different size melters that are made with lifetime heating elements that ensure long lasting equipment. If you have a 25–50-pound melter currently, and are on the fence about buying one, do it. Be careful with the wax fill amount as you can burn the pot if you have the top element on and not enough wax in the pot. Quick lesson on if you should buy 110v or 220v models:

1. 110v Melters
   1. You can plug into any outlet in your house
      1. Typically 110v melters draw high amperage, so if you have this on the same breaker as something else like a heat gun you risk tripping the breaker
      2. Slightly less expensive

• Takes longer to heat up

2. 220v Melters
   1. Require an electrician to install a special plug
      1. Typically ran on its own breaker so you do not run the risk of tripping it.
      2. Slightly more expensive

• Heats up the wax quicker

Our Recommendations:

https://www.waxmelters.com/PRIMO25-Eco-Melting-Tank-p/primo-25-wax-melter.htm   (also available in 50 pound version)

This company also sells an X-Treme version that heats up the wax quicker and to a higher temperature if needed.

Warp Speed Ahead

If you are reading this section congrats. You probably have pulled your hair out several times and shed blood and tears. If you are looking for something that can accommodate several hundred candles a day you need the best of the best. We lucked out and just so happened to find a 367-pound melter for $750. Yeah, that was a unicorn we know. It was a 220v melter so we had our local electrician fix us up. This pot sits on the ground, so we had to come up with a way to get the wax to table height. We checked out the pouring pump and wand but couldn’t justify spending the money on that. I started my research on pump applications in high heat environments. I found that a beer pump could handle the heat. The next hurdle was how to heat the wax from a solid state to a liquid. I came across Silicone Heating Tape from Grainger that would allow you to heat tubing from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The housing on the beer pump was metal, so I knew I could wrap that silicone tape around it. I went to lowe’s and purchased some reinforced clear tubing in the plumbing section and came up with a pumping system. All in I spent about $500 on this setup. It has worked flawlessly for the last year. I would recommend putting an in line filter to help catch some of the debris that forms in the wax melter tank.

Our Recommendation:

https://www.waxmelters.com/PRIMO350-Eco-Melting-Tank-p/primo-350xx-wax-melter.htm

With the 350 pound melter we are able to pour 600 9 oz jars in a day. To calculate what size you need figure out how many candles you would like to be able to make in a day. Take that number and multiply it by the number of ounces of wax per jar. Then take that number and divide it by 16 (Since there is 16 ounces in a pound). Use that number to help guide you to a soylite wax melter size. At this point you will probably need a custom set up like I did myself. I would recommend getting a local contractor to help build you a production system. You can also just purchase the production options on waxmelters.com website with free shipping.