{
 "version": "2026-10-20",
 "license": "Dimension sheets are written by Xem Studio from the cited sources and are free to use (CC BY 4.0, attribute 'Xem Studio'). Linked files belong to their publishers under the license shown; Xem Studio does not host them. 'license_verified: false' means the license shown is from memory or the publisher's page as last read and should be confirmed at the link before commercial use.",
 "slug": "tea-light-candles",
 "name": "Tea lights, maxi tea lights and votives (heat sources)",
 "kind": "standard",
 "category": "Stirling engines",
 "group": "Heat & regenerator",
 "year": null,
 "question": "How big is a tea light and how much heat does it give?",
 "tags": [
  "candle",
  "tea light",
  "heat source",
  "burner",
  "stirling",
  "long earth society",
  "found materials"
 ],
 "aliases": [
  "tea light dimensions",
  "tea light cup size",
  "tea light holder size",
  "how much heat does a candle give",
  "tealight stirling engine"
 ],
 "overall_mm": {
  "length": null,
  "width": null,
  "height": null
 },
 "official_cad": false,
 "xem_status": "free-files",
 "les": true,
 "free_files": 3,
 "url": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/tea-light-candles/",
 "sheet_txt": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/tea-light-candles/sheet.txt",
 "sheet": {
  "basis": "Standard tea light cup Ø37.5–39 × 16 mm; maxi Ø58 × 24; heat output from paraffin burn rate (about 2–3 g/h at 42 MJ/kg)",
  "overall_mm": {
   "length": null,
   "width": null,
   "height": null
  },
  "notes": [
   "Tea light: aluminium cup Ø38 (37.5–39) × 16 mm, 12–14 g wax, 4-hour burn, flame 25–35 mm tall; about 30–40 W of heat, of which a can bottom 15 mm above the wick captures maybe a third. Maxi tea light Ø58 × 24, 8–10 h, 60–80 W.",
   "Clearance: the flame tip wants 15–20 mm below the hot plate; closer sooths the can, farther wastes heat. A printed tea-light holder is a Ø39.5 × 8 mm pocket; keep PLA 25 mm or more from the flame or use the steel can as the stand.",
   "A 'thermoacoustic' demonstrator runs on one tea light; a 2 in tri-clamp Stirling wants two maxis or a spirit burner."
  ],
  "table": {
   "columns": [
    "candle",
    "dia_mm",
    "height_mm",
    "burn_h",
    "heat_w"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "tea light",
     38,
     16,
     4,
     "30–40"
    ],
    [
     "maxi tea light",
     58,
     24,
     9,
     "60–80"
    ],
    [
     "votive",
     38,
     50,
     15,
     "30–40"
    ]
   ]
  }
 },
 "sheet_text": "Tea lights, maxi tea lights and votives (heat sources) — dimension sheet\nSource: Xem Studio, https://xemstudio.com/objects/tea-light-candles/  (CC BY 4.0)\nBasis: Standard tea light cup Ø37.5–39 × 16 mm; maxi Ø58 × 24; heat output from paraffin burn rate (about 2–3 g/h at 42 MJ/kg)\nCatalog version: 2026-10-20\n\nSizes: see table below\n- Tea light: aluminium cup Ø38 (37.5–39) × 16 mm, 12–14 g wax, 4-hour burn, flame 25–35 mm tall; about 30–40 W of heat, of which a can bottom 15 mm above the wick captures maybe a third. Maxi tea light Ø58 × 24, 8–10 h, 60–80 W.\n- Clearance: the flame tip wants 15–20 mm below the hot plate; closer sooths the can, farther wastes heat. A printed tea-light holder is a Ø39.5 × 8 mm pocket; keep PLA 25 mm or more from the flame or use the steel can as the stand.\n- A 'thermoacoustic' demonstrator runs on one tea light; a 2 in tri-clamp Stirling wants two maxis or a spirit burner.\n\ncandle  dia_mm  height_mm  burn_h  heat_w\ntea light  38  16  4  30–40\nmaxi tea light  58  24  9  60–80\nvotive  38  50  15  30–40\n\nFiles elsewhere (not hosted by Xem Studio; license as stated by the publisher):\n- Wikipedia: Tealight — web — CC BY-SA 4.0 (text) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tealight\n- Wikipedia: Candle — web — CC BY-SA 4.0 (text) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle\n- Long Earth Society: Engine builds (videos and write-ups) — web, video — LES site — https://longearthsociety.com/engineering/\n\nFree files (CC BY 4.0, Xem Studio; STEP + STL, 3 parts): https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/index.json\nAPI: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=tea-light-candles\n",
 "sources": [
  {
   "publisher": "Wikipedia",
   "title": "Tealight",
   "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tealight",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0 (text)",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "Wikipedia",
   "title": "Candle",
   "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0 (text)",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "Long Earth Society",
   "title": "Engine builds (videos and write-ups)",
   "url": "https://longearthsociety.com/engineering/",
   "formats": [
    "web",
    "video"
   ],
   "license": "LES site",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  }
 ],
 "xem": {
  "status": "free-files",
  "sheet_free": true,
  "mesh_price_usd": null,
  "step_price_usd": null,
  "tolerance_mm": null
 },
 "related": [
  "beverage-cans",
  "steel-food-cans",
  "can-engine-printed-kit",
  "thermoelectric-tec1"
 ],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "What are tea light dimensions?",
   "a": "Ø38 × 16 mm aluminium cup (37.5–39 across makers); a holder pocket of Ø39.5 × 8 mm fits them all."
  },
  {
   "q": "How much heat does a tea light produce?",
   "a": "Roughly 30–40 W total; a can bottom 15–20 mm above the flame captures about a third of it, enough for a soda-can Stirling."
  }
 ],
 "files_license": null,
 "offers": [
  {
   "file": "tea-light-38x16",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio)",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/tea-light-38x16.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/tea-light-38x16.stl",
   "note": "tea light: Ø38 × 16 aluminium cup, wax to 14"
  },
  {
   "file": "tea-light-maxi-58x24",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio)",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/tea-light-maxi-58x24.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/tea-light-maxi-58x24.stl",
   "note": "maxi tea light: Ø58 × 24"
  },
  {
   "file": "votive-38x50",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio)",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/votive-38x50.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tea-light-candles/votive-38x50.stl",
   "note": "votive candle Ø38 × 50 (no cup)"
  }
 ],
 "markdown": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/tea-light-candles/index.md"
}