Candle Tunneling | What Is it? Common Causes? How To Fix It And Prevent It | All Seasons Wax Company (2024)

FAQs

Candle Tunneling | What Is it? Common Causes? How To Fix It And Prevent It | All Seasons Wax Company? ›

Incorrect wick size: A very common cause of tunnelling is the usage of a wick too small for the volume of wax or the width of your vessel. A wick which is too small may, despite its best efforts, not have enough power to burn the wax from edge to edge. (Hint: check out our wick blog to help you choose the right wick!)

Tunneling happens when only the middle burns down, leaving a hard ring of unmelted wax around the edges of your candle. If this outer ring of wax doesn't melt properly, the wick will begin to "tunnel" down further into your candle.

One effective method to combat sinkholes is the use of relief holes. After the initial pour and cooling, candle makers can poke small holes around the wick. These holes allow the trapped air to escape and provide space for additional candle wax to fill any gaps during a second pour.

1.) Use a candle warmer - a candle warmer will gently heat up the bottom of your tunneled candle, releasing gentle fragrances and making the most of your otherwise un-light-able candle. 2.) Carve out some wax chunks - a tealight warmer is another great option!

Place the candle in the oven for a short time, just enough to slightly melt the top layer and fill the sinkhole. Remove the candle and let it cool.

Our preferred method for fixing tunneling is to melt the entire candle surface with a hair dryer. First extinguish the flame if lit, then use a hair dryer to carefully melt the wax to the edge of the container. Use a low setting and hold the hair dryer far enough away to avoid spattering any wax.

If the tunneling is too deep for a hair dryer, try the oven. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place the candle on a sturdy cookie sheet and put it in the oven for about five minutes. Keep a close eye on it as the wax begins to melt.

Pop it into the oven for 2 minutes.

Set your oven at around 80 Degrees Celsius / 175 Fahrenheit. Heat for 2 minutes. It will evenly melt the top of your candles giving it a smooth and even finish. NOTE: DO NOT put your candles inside a microwave oven!

Once the candles are hard, trim the wick to about 1/2 inch. Don't trim it any shorter than this or the candle will have a smaller flame and it's more likely to tunnel. After you light the candle, if it's flickering wildly or smoking, simply blow it out, trim the wick a bit more, and re-light.

What happens if you leave a candle burning overnight? ›

If you leave a candle burning overnight, you may have an unexpected visit from firefighters who are called to put out the flames. After a candle burns for around four hours, carbon build-up begins, creating an unstable flame. This can lead to wax tunneling, soot damage, and damaging the candle container.

If your candle doesn't stay lit because it is "drowning" in a wax pool, use a paper towel or napkin to soak up some of the excess wax. Then, wait a minute or so, relight your candle and repeat until your wick has room the breathe!

As a candle burns and melts, it releases wax onto the sides of its container to create a pool of liquid wax. If this happens at a rate faster than the wax can evaporate and escape through the wick, you'll end up with an unburned pool of wax on the side of your candle—which can cause it to sink in the middle.

The pouring temperature depends on the wax. Each blend/brand of soy wax may have its own properties and additives that affect the pouring temperature. The industry standard is to pour around 135° F, or just as the wax starts to look slightly opaque, but some wax can be poured as high as 160-175° F.

Cover With Foil to Melt Tunnelling

As tunnelling is a very common problem with candles, it's important to be aware of ways to resolve this. A good method is to use tin foil. All you need to do is light up the candle, and then wrap aluminium foil around the top of the candle jar.

Naturally, the size and shape of a candle play a role in determining its burn time. Larger candles with more wax will burn longer, while smaller candles will have shorter burn times. The shape of the candle also matters, as irregularly shaped candles may burn unevenly and affect the overall burn time.