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Colorado Candle Co.

Why Is My Candle Tunneling? How to Fix It

Tunneling is the most common candle complaint, and it's almost always fixable. Here's what causes it and what to do about it.

What tunneling is

A tunneling candle burns a hole straight down the middle and leaves a wall of hard wax around the edge of the jar. As the hole gets deeper the flame gets smaller, the scent gets weaker, and the wax on the sides never gets used.

Why it happens

Soy wax has a memory. On the first burn, the pool of melted wax sets the width the candle will melt to from then on. Blow it out before the melted wax reaches the edge, and every later burn melts about that wide and no wider. Short burns, drafts and cold rooms make it worse, because the wax never gets warm enough to melt all the way across.

How to fix a tunneled candle

  • The foil collar. Wrap a strip of aluminum foil around the top of the jar so it covers the hard wax at the edges, leaving an opening an inch or two wide over the wick. Light the candle. The foil holds the heat in and melts the wax around the sides. Stay in the room, check it every 20 to 30 minutes, and take the foil off carefully once the top has melted level, because it gets hot.
  • A hair dryer, for a shallow tunnel. Warm the top of the unlit candle with a hair dryer on low until the surface melts flat. Let it set, then light it and give it a full burn to the edge.
  • If the wick is drowning. When a deep tunnel floods the wick with melted wax, light it and carefully soak up a little of the liquid wax with a folded paper towel so the wick stands clear. Throw the wax in the trash, never down the sink.

How to stop it happening

  • On the first burn, let the melted wax reach the edge of the jar. For our candles that's about two to three hours.
  • After that, burn for three to four hours at a time, until the melt pool reaches the edges again.
  • Keep the candle away from fans, vents and open windows.
  • Trim the wick to ΒΌ inch before each burn.

Our candle care guide has the rest.

When it isn't you

If a candle tunnels even after a full first burn, the wick may be too small for the jar. If that happens with one of ours, email [email protected] with a photo and we'll help.

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