Candle tunneling is when a candle burns straight down the middle and leaves a thick wall of unmelted wax around the edge. It wastes wax, weakens the scent, and can drown the wick. The good news is that you can usually fix it, and it is easy to prevent.
Why candles tunnel
Wax has a memory. The first time you light a candle, the pool of melted wax spreads out until you blow it out. If that pool never reaches the edge of the jar, later burns tend to follow the same narrow ring and dig deeper each time. Short burns, drafts, and a wick too small for its container all make it worse.
How to fix candle tunneling: the foil method
- Light the candle and let it burn for a few minutes.
- Wrap a sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the jar so it covers the ring of hard wax, leaving an opening about an inch wide over the flame.
- Let it burn, checking often, until the surface has melted evenly to the edge. This usually takes an hour or two. Never leave it unattended.
- Remove the foil with an oven mitt, since it gets hot, and let the candle burn on its own for a bit before you put it out.
The foil reflects heat back onto the outer wax and melts the walls down to an even surface.
If the wick is drowning
When a tunnel gets deep, melted wax can pool over a short wick and put the flame out. Put the candle out, let the wax set, then use a hair dryer on low to soften the top layer and pour a little melted wax off onto a paper towel. Once more of the wick is showing, relight it and use the foil method.
How to burn a candle so it never tunnels
- Make the first burn count. Let the melted wax reach the edge of the container before you put it out. A good rule of thumb is about one hour for each inch across. Most of our jars and tins are 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide, so plan on about 3 hours for the first burn. Our wider flat round jar and Flurry jar are about 4 inches across, so give them about 4 hours.
- Do the same every time. Each burn should melt to the edge, or close to it.
- Burn for up to about 4 hours at a time. Longer than that, the wick can mushroom, the flame grows, and the container can overheat.
- Keep it out of drafts. A flickering flame melts unevenly.
Votives work a little differently. A votive is meant to melt into a liquid pool, so always burn it in a votive holder.
How to trim a candle wick
Trim the wick to about 1/4 inch before every burn, once the wax has cooled. A wick trimmer, nail clippers or small scissors all work. Brush the trimmings out of the jar so they do not burn in the wax. If you see a small black ball on the tip of the wick, called mushrooming, trim it off. That carbon buildup makes the flame bigger and smokier.
Why is my candle smoking?
A smoking candle almost always has a wick that is too long, a draft hitting the flame, or a wick that has leaned to one side. Put it out, let it cool, trim the wick to 1/4 inch, center it, and move the candle out of the draft. Black soot on the jar has the same causes. Wipe the cooled glass with a dry paper towel.
How to put out a candle
A candle snuffer is the cleanest way, because blowing out a candle can splatter wax and send up a puff of smoke. You can also use a wick dipper to push the wick into the melted wax and lift it back up, which puts out the flame with no smoke. Never use water. It makes hot wax spatter and can crack a hot jar. Wait until the candle is cool before putting its lid back on, and never set a cork lid on a lit or hot candle.
Candle safety basics
- Never leave a burning candle unattended or burn one while you sleep.
- Keep it at least 12 inches from curtains, bedding, books, and anything else that can catch fire.
- Set it on a stable, heat-resistant surface, out of reach of children and pets.
- Stop burning when about 1/2 inch of wax is left in the container.
Candles made to burn evenly
Every Candlecopia candle is hand-poured from 100% soy wax with a lead-free cotton wick, in over 200 fragrances. Find your next apothecary candle, canning jar candle, travel tin candle or votive 4 pack among our soy candles. When one is finished, here is how to get the wax out of the jar and reuse it.
Questions people ask
Usually, yes. Wrap foil around the top of the jar, leaving an opening over the flame, and let it burn until the wax melts evenly to the edge. Stay with it the whole time.
Until the melted wax reaches the edge of the container. Plan on about one hour for each inch across, so about three hours for a 3-inch jar.
About 1/4 inch. Trim it before every burn, once the wax has cooled.
Usually the wick is too long or a draft is making the flame flicker. Trim the wick, move the candle, and wipe the cooled jar clean.