{"id":1338,"date":"2019-08-19T17:52:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T23:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/?p=1338"},"modified":"2019-07-26T13:49:27","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T19:49:27","slug":"claims-by-candlelight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/claims-by-candlelight\/","title":{"rendered":"Claims By Candlelight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"From
From Dark to Light
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If protecting one\u2019s home isn\u2019t complicated\nenough, it appears that the soft, soothing glow of a candle’s flame may obscure\nsome dark problems. Specifically, the use of candles may result in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • reducing the internal air quality of your home<\/li>
  • increasing the chance of fire losses<\/li>
  • damages\u00a0by particulate deposits on interior and exterior walls, carpets, furniture, appliances, window treatments, floors, and other surfaces<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Further, the use of candles may\nalso contribute to health problems from inhaling particulate matter or\ningesting harmful chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Defining the Candle Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Candles
    Today’s candles can be more
    of a hazard than an aid.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Actually, there are a number of\nproblems and they have been accentuated by a change in the market for candles.\nThe last few years have seen an explosive growth in the popularity of candles.\nThey are increasingly used for their traditional, decorative purpose, but the\ntrue surge in use has been due to their being marketed as scented candles for\ndeodorizing and for a health-related purpose called aromatherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In both of the above,\nsales-boosting instances, candle-makers have had to offer products with more intense\nscents. This is accomplished by adding scented oils into their wax mixture. The\nincreased oil content causes candles to burn improperly and generates a\nsubstantially higher level of soot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Sooty Situation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It looks like soot, which is a\ncarbon residue produced by burning, can create a large, expensive problem.\nSince soot is particulate matter that can be carried through the air, it can\nseriously stain walls, carpets, and personal property. Studies show that\nelectronic and plastic components are also vulnerable to soot damage.\nUnfortunately, soot produced by poorly burning candles bonds very strongly,\nmaking it difficult to impossible to clean. Further, soot may contaminate a\nhome’s heating system, including ductwork. The soot can then be spread\nthroughout a home, creating widespread damage that is difficult to repair.\nProperty stained by soot may have to be cleaned by professionals and, often,\nthe property has to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Troublesome candle ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Candle
    Do you know what’s in your candles?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    You may have assumed that the only materials found in candles were the wick and some type of wax. Surprise! Here’s a list of ingredients which may either be found in a candle or maybe created during combustion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Acetone Benzene Trichlorofluoromethane<\/li>
    • Carbon Disulfide 2 Butanone 1 1- Trichloroethane<\/li>
    • Trichloroethene Carbon Tetrachloride Tetrachloroethene<\/li>
    • Toluene Chlorobenzene Ethylbenzene<\/li>
    • Styrene Xylene Phenol<\/li>
    • Cresol Cyclopentene Lead<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Another surprise is that the candle-making industry is not required to tell consumers about the ingredients used in their products, including when a wick is used which contains a lead core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Poor candle design or practices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Have
      Are candles with high flames or a lot of soot safe?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Besides the use of oils and\nchemicals, candle-makers sometimes create problems because they commit other\nmistakes. Candles may burn improperly (causing soot) because a candle’s wick\nmay be off-center or there may not be a proper amount of air in the candle\nmixture. A candle may have a higher likelihood of causing a fire loss due to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • an improper candle mixture which results in intense heat or high\n flames<\/li>
      • improper holders (glass that shatters or spills flammable liquid)<\/li>
      • wood holders that catch fire<\/li>
      • flammable items imbedded in the candle mixture such as potpourri<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Coverage Under\na Homeowner Policy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"Brilliant
        Are you covered for
        losses started by candles?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

        Damage to a home or personal\nproperty due to soot can create serious problems for both an insurer and a\nhomeowner. Losses involving soot can create thousands of dollars in damages.\nDepending upon the details surrounding a loss and the wording of the particular\nhomeowner policy, coverage for the damage may not be available. Why? Because the source of loss might be considered the result of\npollution which may be excluded. Another reason for rejecting a claim\nmay be an assumption that the damage was gradual instead of sudden, so it\nwouldn’t be considered accidental and sudden damage. A claim could even be\naffected by the knowledge of the insured. For instance, even if the policy\ncovers soot-related losses, a claim could be denied if a homeowner knew that\nthe type of candle they used could cause damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Since the damage is caused by\nmatter that is invisible to the naked eye, it could be difficult to prove that\nthe loss was sudden. Tests can be used to determine the cause of stained or\ndiscolored property, but the testing can be expensive and the cost may have to\nbe handled by the homeowner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        What To\nDo?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        It’s all up to you. You might wish\nto ask more questions about the type of candles you use or curtail your use.\nYou can also discuss whether coverage is available under your homeowner policy\nwith an insurance professional. If you do use candles frequently, you may also\nwant to check your home thoroughly for any stains or discoloration, including\nany contamination of your heating system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        COPYRIGHT:\nInsurance Publishing Plus, Inc. 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        All\nrights reserved. Production or distribution, whether in whole or in part, in\nany form of media or language; and no matter what country, state or territory,\nis expressly forbidden without written consent of Insurance Publishing Plus,\nInc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        If protecting one\u2019s home isn\u2019t complicated enough, it appears that the soft, soothing glow of a candle’s flame may obscure some dark problems. Specifically, the use of candles may result in: reducing the internal air quality of your home increasing the chance of fire losses damages\u00a0by particulate deposits on interior and exterior walls, carpets, furniture, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,69],"tags":[1583,1574,1603,1602,1592,1594,1586,1601,1581,1595,1589,1599,1598,1585,1596,1597,1593,1591,1600,1584,1587,1580,1577,1588,1590],"class_list":["post-1338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-insurance","category-unmanned-aircraft","tag-are-candles-a-health-risk","tag-are-candles-covered-by-homeowners-insurance","tag-are-candles-dangerous-to-your-health","tag-are-candles-healthy","tag-candle-soot-on-ceiling","tag-candles-increase-the-chance-of-fire-loss","tag-dangers-of-scented-candles","tag-do-candle-wicks-contain-lead","tag-does-homeowners-insurance-cover-accidental-fires","tag-fire-cause","tag-high-candle-flame","tag-home-fire-cause","tag-house-fire-casue","tag-is-it-dangerous-to-burn-candles-indoors","tag-kentucky-home-fire-cause","tag-kentucky-house-fire-cause","tag-reason-insurance-companies-deny-fire-claims","tag-soot-free-candles","tag-what-are-candle-wicks-made-of","tag-what-are-candles-made-of","tag-what-causes-candle-to-burn-to-hot","tag-what-does-fire-insurance-cover","tag-what-does-homeowners-insurance-cover","tag-what-to-do-when-candle-flames-burn-to-high","tag-will-insurance-cover-candle-soot"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1338"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1344,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1338\/revisions\/1344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insuringky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}