Care and Maintenance:

Fire and oily soot residue are the greatest enemies of candle chimes. Make sure that the candleholders don’t sit too near or directly below painted or plated elements: soot build-up and and burn marks are common (and avoidable) condition problems in candle chimes.

Gentle cleaning at the end of each season with a small amount of grease-cutting household cleaner like Formula 409 or Fantastik can help keep soot build-up under control. (Don’t use harsher commercial cleaners or degreasers, since these can damage lithographed and painted finishes.)

Don’t allow the candles to burn down completely: digging puddles of wax out of the candleholders will eventually damage them. A number of things can prevent a chime from functioning. Make sure that the spindle which carries the impeller is absolutely vertical: a lean of just a few degrees can cause problems.

A spindle that is worn or blunted will also keep the chime from running: it can be sharpened with a fine metal file.

Check that the blades of the impeller are all at a uniform angle of about 45 degrees. Note that you may have to adjust the chime holders so that the clappers just brush the chimes: bend them too far in, and the clappers will slow and eventually stop the impeller; bend them too far out, and the clappers won’t strike at all.

Finally, make sure that the chime is not sitting in a draft: the hot air currents must rise straight up in order to move the impeller.