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Crisco in a Terracotta: Decoding the (Mostly) Useless Candle Meme (feddit.nl)

submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

19 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm baffled by this whole Crisco/shortening candle-in-contraptions meme circulating around. You've got folks shoving these things in everything from copper pots to elaborate sand enclosures, claiming superior heat output and somehow making a case for off-grid energy.

Let's unpack the physics, because frankly, it doesn't add up:

Combustion 101: A candle (or our Crisco-fied iteration) works by burning the fuel source (fat in this case), releasing heat and light through a chemical reaction with oxygen. The material surrounding it doesn't inherently influence this combustion process. Copper, terracotta, or sand won't magically accelerate the burning rate or somehow trap more heat.

Radiation & Conduction: Sure, these materials might hold and radiate a BIT more heat absorbed from the flame compared to open air. But the difference is negligible. Convection (hot air rising) is the primary heat transfer mechanism, and the enclosure doesn't significantly enhance it.

Scaling Up Fallacy: If this contraption truly held the key to efficient off-grid heating, wouldn't we be ditching fuel oil and natural gas entirely? Imagine a skyscraper-sized Crisco candle in a cosmic copper pot - it wouldn't magically solve our energy needs. The heat output wouldn't scale proportionally due to limitations in combustion itself.

In short -- why are people so fascinated with this? A simple test will show that it is not more effective than a simple candle, yet people seem to be continually fascinated by it.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, what is this setup supposed to do? More light? Slower burning up of the candle? Some kind of cheap camping stove?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

It's supposed to be a space heater. The idea is candles do produce quite a bit of heat but in a cold room the heat of a few candles will rise in narrow columns to the ceiling where it will be basically be useless. Put a terra cotta pot over it and it will catch that heat inside it and start functioning as a radiant heater, allowing people in the room to enjoy the heat from some candles.