Tealight

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A tealight, or nightlight, is a candle used in tea or food warmers or (because they last for many hours) as a night light. It is different from a regular candle in that it is encased in a thin metal cover and liquefies completely while lit. Tealights are often used to heat fondue and as food warmers. They are also suitable for accent lighting and for heating scented oil. In tealights the wick is tethered to a piece of metal to stop it from floating to the top of the molten wax and burning before the wax does. Generally, tea lights give off very poor light unless grouped together with many other tea lights; they were designed to be a long-lasting comfort light rather than a working or reading light. Tealights may be distinguished from Nightlights by the duration of burning; a tealight usually burns for 4 to 5 hours but a nightlight, which is larger, is intended to burn for a whole night (about 8 to 10 hours).

[edit] Cup styles

As candles have become popular again, tea-light candles have been protected under several patented designs. In some cases, the standard tea light metal cup has been replaced with a clear plastic cup. However, the metal cups are still offered by many candle makers. The clear cup allows more light to escape the holder, and even offers a "stained glass" look when multiple colors are used. In the early 2000s, a new shape of cup was patented to encourage more even burning and complete liquifaction of the wax. The new cup shape slopes inward toward the wick, forcing the wax pool toward the wick. This technology change has worked to increase burn time and in some cases scent throw. These candles are also available in decorative pieces.

[edit] Fire Risks

Tealights are increasingly implicated as the cause of domestic fires and a common form of misuse is the placing of spent matches or other debris inside the tea-light during use. This can lead to dangerous overheating.