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How Many Candles From Wax Calculator

Take a 5 kg bag, lose 5% to the pot and the jug, and 4,750 g is what actually gets poured. At 180 g each that is 26 candles with 70 g left. Combine the 70 g into the next batch or pour it as a wax melt — something short of one candle is left over every time.

Your numbers

Candles

26

Wax left over

70g

Wax lost

250g

Formula

Candles = ⌊Wax on hand × (1 − Melt loss ÷ 100) ÷ Wax needed⌋

Fragrance is not in this count. Oil is added on top of the wax weight, so it does not reduce the number of candles, but it is a separate cost. The loss percentage depends on batch size: 5% is generous for melting 5 kg at once, but melting 500 g ten times leaves the same residue ten times over and pushes past 10%.

What to enter

InputDefaultAccepted range
Wax on hand (g)The wax you have on hand, as the bag states it.5,0001 and up
Wax needed (g)The wax to melt, by weight.1801 and up
Melt loss (%)The share left in the pot and jug; melting in small batches raises it.50 ~ 20

Step by step

FormulaCandles = ⌊Wax on hand × (1 − Melt loss ÷ 100) ÷ Wax needed⌋
With the default numbersCandles = ⌊5,000 × (1 − 5 ÷ 100) ÷ 180⌋
AnswerCandles = 26

Quick reference table

Results when only Wax on hand (g) changes and everything else stays put.

Wax on hand (g)CandlesWax left over (g)Wax lost (g)
2,5001335125
3,75019143188
5,0002670250
7,50039105375
10,00052140500

What each result means

ResultAt default values
CandlesHow many you are pouring in one batch of identical vessels.26
Wax left over (g)Wax left after the last full candle — less than one candle's worth.70
Wax lost (g)The wax that share actually costs you, by weight.250

Common mistakes

Fragrance is not in this count. Oil is added on top of the wax weight, so it does not reduce the number of candles, but it is a separate cost. The loss percentage depends on batch size: 5% is generous for melting 5 kg at once, but melting 500 g ten times leaves the same residue ten times over and pushes past 10%.

Glossary

Wax on hand
The wax you have on hand, as the bag states it.
Wax needed
The wax to melt, by weight.
Melt loss
The share left in the pot and jug; melting in small batches raises it.
Candles
How many you are pouring in one batch of identical vessels.
Wax left over
Wax left after the last full candle — less than one candle's worth.
Wax lost
The wax that share actually costs you, by weight.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How is How Many Candles From Wax Calculator calculated?

Candles = ⌊Wax on hand × (1 − Melt loss ÷ 100) ÷ Wax needed⌋ — Take a 5 kg bag, lose 5% to the pot and the jug, and 4,750 g is what actually gets poured. At 180 g each that is 26 candles with 70 g left. Combine the 70 g into the next batch or pour it as a wax melt — something short of one candle is left over every time.

Q. Can you walk through an example?

With Wax on hand 5,000g, Wax needed 180g, Melt loss 5%, the answer is Candles 26.

Q. What do I need to enter?

Enter Wax on hand, Wax needed, Melt loss. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.

Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?

Changing only Wax on hand (g) moves the answer to Wax on hand (g) 2,500 → Candles 13 and Wax on hand (g) 10,000 → Candles 52. The table below lays out five steps.

Q. How are the numbers rounded?

Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.

Q. Anything to watch out for?

Fragrance is not in this count. Oil is added on top of the wax weight, so it does not reduce the number of candles, but it is a separate cost. The loss percentage depends on batch size: 5% is generous for melting 5 kg at once, but melting 500 g ten times leaves the same residue ten times over and pushes past 10%.

Related calculators

Materials differ in density and absorption. If your label states a figure, use it — the defaults here are only common values.