In mid-July 2022 we reported . So at a time when it was a little warmer for us due to the weather. What haven't we had to listen to since then: “How can you? Others also report that it works, and well-known media are also there. I don’t even want to talk about all the companies that sell this tealight oven.”

+++UPDATE: Please read our current article on this topic HERE +++

Hmmmm. And now? Is it now our fault because we have checked the facts on this topic or is it more due to poor marketing by those who sell these tea light ovens? We do not know it.

The fact is that we are not the only ones who have come to the conclusion that this tea light oven creates a nice ambience in a room, but calling it an “oven” is a gross exaggeration. The principle is similar to that of tiled stoves, but the heat output from the flower pots is far too low to heat a room.

Our tea light oven – fact check

A single tea light has around 30 to 40 watts. With four to six candles burning, we have a heat output of 120 to 160 watts - not exactly exciting when you consider that heaters , depending on their size .

So you can't really heat up a room with 120 to 160 watts, but there are still the flower pots above the candles. Maybe they do something special?

According to the law of conservation of energy, when a tea light burns, the combustion energy is converted into light and heat. A large part of the heat migrates into the flower pots placed above the candles. And then?

The flower pots do not have the magical ability to multiply the heat energy of the candles, so the heat output remains at 120 to 160 watts. But they serve another purpose: the flower pots store the heat and release it slowly.

The psychological side of such a tealight oven!

When it's cold and dark, a tea light stove where you can at least warm your hands can have a comforting effect.  It is a nice decorative item that makes cool evenings a little more pleasant.
The warming effect itself is homeopathic. In other words: it doesn't go beyond the placebo effect. If you place a tealight stove next to you on the table, the soothing flickering of the candles automatically makes you feel more “homely” and warmer – and also because you are close to the heat source. But as soon as you take two steps away from the tealight oven, it gets cold again because the heat doesn't radiate very far given the low power.

Tealight oven: Hot or not?

Now our cooperation partner at Checked4you is also reporting on it and writes that the idea is quite simple and that this product can be built quickly: two clay pots of different sizes screwed into each other on a pole, with a few tea lights underneath: a small heater is ready. Warm air should be stored between the pots and released slowly.

  • To keep an entire room warm with tea lights, you would need a lot of them.
  • Dangers: Oxygen becomes scarce and gases are released that can ignite.
  • But a self-made oven can be a nice idea for crafting fun and hand warmers.

DIY clips can be found on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other networks. This has already led to clay pots being temporarily sold out in some hardware and garden stores.

Sure, winter is coming and heating is expensive this year. Radiators are not a good alternative because they run on electricity and it is more expensive and there is also the fear that the electricity will go out if too many people turn on an electric heater. Some people come up with creative ideas to generate heat.

But are tea lights strong enough to keep an entire room warm? No!

A cardigan or a hot water bottle has an even stronger perceived warming effect on your body. A tea light can perhaps slightly warm a square meter. So to really heat the place up, you'd need quite a few lights. And that could be quite dangerous. Because flames need the oxygen in the air to exist. Just like us humans. If there are too many candles, the room can become stuffy.

In addition, the wax usually contains paraffin. If it is cheap, it produces more soot than, for example, stearin. Paraffin comes from petroleum. If it burns, it cannot be extinguished with water. And if the candles are too close together, gases can be produced that can suddenly ignite. Then there's nothing left to blow out. Unless you can smother the flames with a fireproof blanket, you will need extinguishing foam! And the aluminum around a tealight isn't exactly environmentally friendly either.

So: A tealight oven like this can definitely be fun to make and you can also warm your hands a little at the table. However, the design is not suitable as a heater for an entire room. This also applies to charcoal or gas grills, which should never be used in the room!

If you want atmospheric candlelight, you can buy candles with the RAL quality mark, for example. Candles have the label if they do not drip, burn with little soot and smoke and are made from raw materials that do not exceed any harmful limit values.

In keeping with the topic: Danger of fire from tea lights

Source:

Checked4You


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