Candle tunnelling is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a candle you love. You light it, enjoy it for an hour, blow it out, and the next time you look, there is a deep hole forming down the centre while a thick ring of wax remains untouched around the edges. Here is why it happens and what you can do about it.
What causes tunnelling?
Tunnelling is caused by extinguishing a candle before the melt pool has reached the full diameter of the vessel. Wax has memory. If the first burn is cut short, the wax remembers where it melted and will only melt to that point on every subsequent burn. The result is a tunnel that gets deeper with each use, leaving a ring of wasted wax around the outside.
This is why the first burn is the most important burn of a candle's life. For a full guide to getting the first burn right, see our article on how to make your candle last longer.
How to prevent tunnelling
The prevention is simple: on the first burn, allow the candle to burn until the entire surface has melted from edge to edge. For most candles, this takes between 2 and 4 hours depending on the diameter of the vessel. Do not extinguish it early, even if you only planned to burn it for a short time.
As a rule of thumb, allow approximately one hour of burn time per inch of candle diameter on the first burn. You can read more about burn times in our guide to 50 hour candles and what burn time really means.
How to fix a tunnelled candle
If your candle has already tunnelled, all is not lost. There are a few methods that can help:
The foil method
This is the most effective fix for moderate tunnelling.
- Light the candle and let it burn for 30 minutes.
- Wrap a piece of aluminium foil around the top of the candle, folding it over the rim to create a tent with a small hole in the centre for the flame.
- The foil traps heat and directs it back toward the wax around the edges, encouraging it to melt.
- Check every 30 minutes. Once the surface has levelled out, remove the foil carefully (it will be hot) and extinguish the candle.
The hairdryer method
For shallow tunnelling, a hairdryer on a low heat setting can melt the surface wax enough to level it out. Hold the dryer a few inches from the surface and move it in a circular motion. Once the surface is smooth, allow it to cool and reset before relighting.
Scoop out the excess wax
If the tunnel is very deep, you can carefully scoop out some of the solid wax from around the tunnel using a spoon. This reduces the height difference and gives the flame a better chance of melting the remaining wax evenly. The scooped wax can be used in a wax melt burner.
When tunnelling cannot be fixed
If a candle has tunnelled severely and the wick has become buried in wax, it may be difficult to relight safely. In this case, carefully dig out the wax around the wick using a toothpick or skewer until the wick is exposed, then use the foil method to level the surface. If you are also seeing black marks on your vessel, read our guide on candle soot and how to prevent it.
All Victorian Candle Co. candles are made with correctly sized wicks to encourage an even burn from the start. Browse our Scented Soy Candles or explore our Best Sellers.