Candles + Blackouts + Idiots = oops

[bigpaul]

we've now got 4 candle lanterns, all bought at car boots for 50P each!

[Midnitemo]

asdadoing tea lights phenominally cheap at the mo....£1.75 for a hundred

[Skean Dhude]

The problem with now is that you don't have to be an idiot. Peoplemakemistaes because they are somollycoddled by the state and its ridiculous H&S regime that they don't need to think any more. So when they are forced into new situations they have no experience at evaluation risk. It has always been done for them.

Fires will be commonplace if the lights go out for 24 hours. In fact I'm now wondering if I should get some spare candles in for special neighbours.

[River Song]

As someone mentioned, tea lights are a good deal. My experience is that tea lights should be put in a saucer for safety possibly with some water in the bottom.

[LawAbidingCitizen]

(1 November 2013, 12:21)Midnitemo Wrote: asdadoing tea lights phenominally cheap at the mo....£1.75 for a hundred

Same as IKEA

[Skvez]

(1 November 2013, 17:08)River Song Wrote: As someone mentioned, tea lights are a good deal. My experience is that tea lights should be put in a saucer for safety possibly with some water in the bottom.

Ikea (and I'm sure other places) do little tea-light sized glass holders.
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00114167/

These are just one example but only £2 for 12.
These help reduce the change of the tea-light being able to set fire to any adjacent material and also make the light heavier and therefore less likely to get knocked over. Still candles are one of the highest causes of house fires right now (pre-SHTF).
Keep the area around candles clear of flammable things (like curtains)
Don't leave candles unattended and have some means to extinguish a fire if it starts, even a bucket of sand is better than running to another room in the house to try and find something to smother it with. Fire spreads frighteningly quickly sometimes.

[BeardyMan]

if you pop the tealight out of the aluminium tray/holder it's in, then place it carefully in an old jam jar (remove the jam, top up with water) it makes them last even longer.
Then if you do happen to knock it over, cause it's not always people that do this - my cat set fire to his tail a couple of weeks ago climbing over a candle to get out the window - the water will put the flame out.

[Grumpy Grandpa]

(6 November 2013, 09:40)BeardyMan Wrote: if you pop the tealight out of the aluminium tray/holder it's in, then place it carefully in an old jam jar (remove the jam, top up with water) it makes them last even longer.
Then if you do happen to knock it over, cause it's not always people that do this - my cat set fire to his tail a couple of weeks ago climbing over a candle to get out the window - the water will put the flame out.

I've found that putting a tealight in a jar (hadn't thought of floating it in water though,) seems to increase the light given off - every little helps. Maybe it just reduces the flickering effect but that's equally useful.

BM, can't contact you any other way but any joy on the stove?

[bigpaul]

you can increase the light given off by a candle by putting it in front of a mirror.

[Scythe13]

(11 November 2013, 10:20)bigpaul Wrote: you can increase the light given off by a candle by putting it in front of a mirror.

You can do the same with tinfoil, if you have any left over after making the hat haha.