The six causes, from most to least common
1. The bulb is too far from the wax
Heat fades fast with distance. If your lamp has an adjustable arm, lower it so the bulb sits 2 to 4 inches above the rim. On the Hearthglow lamp, slide the arm down for short jars and up for tall ones: the sweet spot is just above the glass.
2. The dimmer is turned down
A dimmer at 30% makes lovely mood lighting and very little heat. For the first melt of a fresh jar, run 100% for 30 to 40 minutes, then dial back once a full melt pool has formed.
3. An LED bulb was swapped in
This is the classic one after a bulb change. LED bulbs make light, not heat, and a candle warmer works entirely on heat. You need a halogen GU10, typically 50W. If the lamp glows but the wax stays rock solid after an hour, check the bulb type first.
4. The room is cold or drafty
An AC vent or open window blowing across the jar carries the heat away. Move the lamp out of the draft, and expect the first melt to take longer in a cold room.
5. The jar is very wide
A 4-inch, 3-wick jar has a lot of surface. The center will pool first and the edges catch up over an hour or so. That is normal: wide jars reward patience with a bigger fragrance reservoir, as covered in our guide to candle life on a warmer.
6. The bulb is dead or dying
Halogen bulbs typically last 1,500 to 2,000 hours. If it flickers, glows weakly or stays dark, swap it: that is why every Hearthglow lamp ships with a second bulb in the box.
A quick self-diagnosis
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Bright light, cold wax after 1 hour | LED bulb installed, or bulb too high |
| Center melts, edges stay solid | Wide jar: normal, give it time |
| Used to work, suddenly weak | Bulb aging, or dimmer nudged down |
| No light at all | Dead bulb, or timer reached auto-off |
Still stuck?
If a Hearthglow lamp will not melt wax after these checks, that is what our 90-Day Glow Guarantee exists for: one email to hello@thehearthglow.com with a photo or short video, and we send a free replacement. No return shipping, no forms.
Light it. Love it. Never burn it.