Candle tunneling is a common but preventable problem that occurs when a candle isn't burned carefully. It's when a hole forms down the center, leaving unused wax at the edges. People sometimes mistake tunneling as an issue of candle quality. It’s often not the case. While we try to prevent tunneling completely, it’s important to note that most of the time tunneling can be fixed!
Tunneling candles can be frustrating, let’s acknowledge that. It’s not the vibe you’re going for when you’re trying to make the most of your intention setting experience. As part of our initial design process we tested our jars and wicks types to prevent tunneling, but there are instances where it can happen. For our candles, two pre waxed wicks for 24 ounces in our clear glass jars provide the proper heat exchange for the wax ratio to give you approximately 115-120 hours of burn time.
Tunnel Prevention:
To prevent tunneling, the first burn is critical! Before you even get started, be sure to trim your wick down to a quarter of an inch. This allows you to have a clean and controlled flame. Once you are ready, light your intention candle evenly. Once your candle is lit, don’t blow it out until the wax has evenly distributed across the top of your jar. With large JNRG candles this can happen between 2-3 hours in a setting in a controlled environment between 68-74 degrees. It’s important after the burn, to always place your lid on the candle. It provide a flat even coverage to help eliminate possible tunneling. The metal lid is intentional in its material to support your experience.
Tunnel Repair:
There a few methods, popping in the oven for two minutes, using a hair dryer to melt the excess wax, etc. All solid suggestions, but the Aluminum Foil method is my personal choice. This always does wonders with the our specific glass jars.
THE ALUMINUM FOIL METHOD
This method traps and reflects the candle's own heat to achieve the same effect of melting the extra wax and smoothing over the top layer.
Please put safety first whenever you're dealing with lit candles and hot wax. The candle container will get very hot.
- Trim the wick and remove any debris inside the tunnel.
- Cover the top of the candle with aluminum foil.
- Cut or fold a small opening (around 1-inch) in the center of the aluminum foil.
- Remove the aluminum foil, light the wick, then place the foil cover back on.*
- Allow the candle to burn for a few hours until the top surface of wax has completely melted and smoothed over.
- Set your candle aside and let the wax harden over the next few days to reach full hardness.
Like anything in life, making the most of your candle takes care and attention. If you have questions regarding tunneling and enjoying your candle experience, please reach out and we would love to discuss further.