Even if you’ve never heard of the term “candle tunneling,” chances are you’ve encountered it at some time.
Tunneling happens when the flame you started only impacts the center section of the product, as the name implies. They burn the brightest near the wick in the middle.
It is not important that the product’s center melts. Tunneling concentrates heat only on the core of the product. This is what is really the problem. The surrounding wax remains largely unaffected.
What Are The Reasons for The Tunneling of Candles?
It’s hard to avoid or solve candle tunneling if you don’t understand the causes.
1. Wick Size Problem
Simply put, if the wick on a product is the wrong size, it will not burn correctly. Please pick up the right wick for candles from our review.
Damage can be caused by wicks that are too big for the product. Soot may accumulate within the container if the burning wick is too large.
There will be an issue with too much soot within the container since it will harm the container.
Candle tunneling is caused by wicks that are too small.
The strength of the wick’s flame may not be adequate to melt the product’s sides if it is too thin or short. The heat will only affect the product’s core, and tunneling will occur.
2. Your Residence’s Heating
The candle’s performance may be affected by the temperature in the household. Some parts of the product may melt more slowly at colder temperatures.
The wax around the wick may melt quicker than the surrounding walls due to the heat. Tunneling will ultimately appear as a result of this.
3. Wax Memories
When you light a product for the first time, it will have the same density throughout. However, when the heat passes through the wax, certain parts of the product will melt while others will not.
Those melted wax chunks may solidify later, but they won’t last as long as before the initial burn. Compared to the rest of the product, they will melt at a lower temperature. Wax memory refers to the softer parts of the product.
Those previously melted areas of the product might take days or even weeks to solidify back to their normal density.
The Ways to Remove Candle Tunneling
If your product has already started tunneling, what should you do?
You may naturally rectify the problem and preserve your product by knowing what causes tunneling.
In theory, all you have to do to remedy candle tunneling is melt the exterior wax surrounding the tunnel and make the surface even again.
We offer five approaches.
Way 1: Using a Hair Dryer
- Trim the wick and clean out the tube of any debris.
- Heat the wax on the top surface of the product with a heat gun (if you have one) or a blow-dryer at the hottest temperature.
- To assist the unmelted wax on the sides, melt faster and gently poke it with a toothpick.
- Keep warming until the wax has completely melted and smoothed over the top part.
- Burn the product and let it burn for at least 30 minutes, or until no further tunneling is visible.
- Put the product away for a few days to let the wax set. According to what kind of wax is used in the product, complete hardness might take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks.
Way 2: The Aluminum Foil Method
- Trim the wick and clean out the tube of any material.
- Cover the product’s top with aluminum foil.
- Cut a tiny hole in the center of the aluminum foil (about 1.5 cm).
- Remove the aluminum foil and ignite the wick before replacing the foil cover.
- Let your product burn for several minutes or until the wax on the top has completely melted and smoothed out.
- Put the product aside for a few days to let the wax solidify to its maximum firmness.
Way 3: “Bake” The Candle
The oven may be used for more than just making pizza and pie. It can also be used to repair a candle that has begun to tunnel.
Put the product you wish to repair into the oven. Adjust the oven temperature to 175 ℉ after closing the oven door. Set the timer for five minutes at the end.
Put on the oven mitts and check on the product after 5 minutes. With the edges melted down, it should now appear lovely and smooth.
Way 4: A Candle Warmer
It’s conceivable that your candle tunneled too far for anything to operate. It might be time to invest in a candle warmer.
A candle warming is a small appliance that lets you enjoy your aromatic products. Candle warmers are unique in that they only heat the wax component of a candle.
Way 5: Wax Should Be Trimmed
You may be aware that you should trim your product wick regularly, but you may not be aware that you may also trim your wax. By removing the unmelted wax and smoothing it out yourself, you may reset the memory of your candle wax.
To do so, just cut away at the unmelted wax with the end of an unused spoon, fork, knife (or any other unused tool). By doing so, you’re pushing the wax to erase its memory and respond as if it’s the first time it’s been burned.
The Way to Avoid Candle Tunneling
There are four main ways to avoid tunneling.
1. Use The Appropriate Wick Size
Test your DIYs to ensure you’re using the proper wick size and series for your wax and container.
If your product pattern tunnels, increase the wick size for the following. This usually solves the problem of a little wick.
Don’t forget to do a burn test.
2. Spend on Higher-Quality Candles
This might be due to your habit of buying low-quality candles.
It’s possible that the producers of those low-quality candles aren’t paying enough attention to the wicks in their goods. Improperly sized wicks might hamper a candle’s effectiveness.
Don’t forget about the candle’s composition. Because paraffin wax is so soft, candles made with it melt more quickly. You may eliminate this problem by choosing soy wax candles instead.
3. Set the Initial Burn Path
Keep in mind how we discussed the notion of wax memory previously.
The size of them will determine how long you should let them burn.
- The general guideline is that the initial burn period must be extended as they become broader.
- Before putting the candle out, ensure the initial layer of wax is completely melted.
- Allow at least one hour for your candle to burn if it is a one-inch diameter. For every additional inch of its width, add an hour.
- Check on your candle every thirty minutes or so to be extra cautious. The melting speed of your candle is affected by its individual properties.
4. Find the Right Place
The candle may not burn well in extremely cold weather. When lighting them, avoid placing them in an area where they will not be able to melt evenly.
Place the candle away from any open windows or fans. The cool breeze going by might accidentally turn out the flame. Tunneling might occur if the flame was extinguished sooner than intended.
Conclusion
Follow all the recommendations that we have described here and the problem with the tunneling of the candles will not bother you again.
Carole Brooks has been making candles for many years. She loves to create candles of all different types and for all different purposes. Here she shares her experience and knowledge. Carole is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
