Hey there, candle-lover! Have you ever had a candle that is sinking in the middle? That's called 'tunneling'! It's really annoying, right? You spent all that money on a beautiful candle, and then it sinks in the middle. (And then it leaves a really gross-looking wax ring around the bottom.)
What is candle tunneling?
Candle tunneling happens when the wax in your container or mold sinks to the bottom and bulges out around it. It can look like a little hole or tunnel that runs through your candle. When this happens, you're only burning part of the candle and missing out on precious hours of great fragrance!
Well, we're here to tell you that it doesn't have to be this way!Here are some easy ways to fix and prevent candle tunneling.
What causes candle tunneling?
You've probably heard that candle tunneling is caused by burning candles for too long, or that it happens because of a lack of oxygen. And while these things can certainly contribute to a sunken center, there's another culprit: heat.
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.
You may need to clean out any dust or debris from inside the jar, especially if there is a lot of space between the container and the lid or cap. This will give your candle more room for air to circulate around it as it burns down so that the wax doesn't get too hot where it meets these areas, which can cause tunneling in some cases.
Another option is using a wick trimmer when lighting your candles for the first time. This helps prevent tunneling because less excess wick means less "fuel" for your flame, which in turn reduces its size and intensity compared to one with longer wicks hanging out all over it (especially near where they meet metal lids).
If you've noticed that your candle is sinking in the middle, don't worry. There are simple steps to fix this problem:
Take some tin foil and wrap it around your candle. Then cut a hole at the top of the cylinder where you can light your candle. You want to leave enough room for smoke to escape through this hole—otherwise, your flame will just go out! Don't worry about making it too big—the foil will help protect against drafts and keep everything nice and snug once you light it up again later on down below…
Leave a hole at the top and let it burn for 2-3 hours—or until the top evens out!
That's it! Your candle should have a smooth even
Here's some video instructions to help you out:
How can I avoid the problem in the first place?
Allow your candle to melt all the way out to the edge on its first burn. This may take several hours, depending on how large and thick your candle is. If a tunneling issue occurs again after this first burn, then proceed with step two.
Trim wicks to 1/4 inch every time they get too long (usually every two or three burns). This helps prevent tunneling by removing excess wax from around the edges of the burning area.
Tunneling is aggravating but we hope these simple steps helped you! If you're looking for nontoxic candles we have some great options for you:
Trim wicks to 1/4 inch every time they get too long (usually every two or three burns). This helps prevent tunneling by removing excess wax from around the edges of the burning area.
The rate at which different parts of the candle cool can vary. The outer edges of the candle tend to solidify faster than the center. This uneven cooling can cause the center to collapse slightly, forming a sinkhole.
If the wick is too small, it might not be able to generate enough heat to melt the wax all the way at the edge of the candle. As a result, even if you give your candle plenty of time on the first burn, you may still end up getting tunneling.
Use a long wand candle lighter or an extra long match and hold the flame directly on top of the wick for up to 30 seconds to melt some of the surrounding wax. Try holding the candle upside down as you light it. But don't do this for more than 10-15 seconds because you don't want to have wax dripping on your hand.
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.
What happens if you overheat soy wax is that it can turn yellow or brown, which can affect the aesthetic appeal of your candles. This discolouration occurs because excessive heat breaks down the natural components of the wax.
The combination of gravity, loss of buoyancy and water pressure can activate a collapse. By keeping water tables high, water conservation rules and drought restrictions are tools to help prevent sinkholes from occurring.
To prevent sinkholes, candles should be poured at the specified temperature for their wax. Additionally, the container you are using should be room temperature and the candle should not be placed in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process.
Set your oven to 80 Degrees Celsius or 175 Fahrenheit. Once hot, place your candle in the oven for 2 minutes. This will evenly melt the top of your candle and return it to its smooth, and even former glory! NOTE: Do not put your candles in a microwave oven!
Sinkholes sometimes form during the wax setting process, when candle wax at the edge of the jar and around the wick cools down at a faster rate than the rest of the wax in the container. So how does that result in a sinkhole? When wax is heated it expands. Conversely, as wax cools down, it shrinks.
The process of cooling your candles too fast is the prime cause for your candles to crack on the surface. We understand that sometimes you want to accelerate the process to make your candles faster.
Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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