This newsletter is being sent as an educational service to your Church. This is the third in a series of short articles on getting the most out of your altar candles. These will be excerpted from the booklet “The Light in Your Church – A Guide to Carefree Money Saving and Green Use of Candles in the Church” authored by Ross Raby, President of Churchwares Direct. We hope you will find this very useful.
A follower, as the name implies, follows the candle downward as it burns. It’s shaped like a bell, but with the top cut off and flared outward. The follower rides on the top of the candle with the top of the candle prevented from poking through because the opening of the follower’s “throat” is slightly smaller than the diameter of the candle. The narrow opening creates a liquid-proof seal that prevents wax from dripping down inside the follower, while the flared lip acts as a dish or “cup” to hold the pool of wax at the top of the candle.
When warm air is blown downward and melts too much wax, the melted wax stays in the “cup” and insulates the hard wax below from further melting. As a result, the candle burns evenly and properly and dripping is eliminated. Followers (sometimes also called “burners” or “keepers”) are available in several types and styles including solid brass, Pyrex glass, lead-filled brass, and lead-filled brass with glass shields.
Both Pyrex and solid brass followers will perform well in most cases; however, the most effective follower is the lead-filled brass type. This is because the lead filling around the wide base of the follower causes it to act as a pendulum, preventing tipping and spilling of liquid wax. The other types of followers have the same density throughout and are therefore more prone to tipping. In extreme air movement conditions, it’s best to use a lead-filled follower with a glass shield. Followers won’t work with tapered candles.
Click this link to access Churchwares Direct’s follower web page.
