How to avoid candle tunneling – 4 steps to ensure an even burn

When you invest in a quality candle, you expect to get good use out of it. Great fragrance, a satisfying burn, and an even melt. However uneven burning and tunneling can quickly leave us disappointed. This begs the question, how do you avoid candle tunneling?

Here, candle experts explain how to avoid candle tunneling to keep your candles looking and performing their best every time you light them.

To help you get the most out of your best candles, it’s important to brush up on the candle-burning mistakes to avoid to burn them properly from the start, helping you to get the most out of your investment – and your relaxation time.

How to avoid candle tunneling

Following a proper candle care guide is key to maximizing the lifespan of your best candles and ensuring your wax melts evenly. Here is how the pros manage it every time.

1. Invest in high-quality candles

Investing in high-quality, luxury candles does more than make your home smell nice. The higher quality the candle, the higher quality the wax, meaning you are more likely to get an even burn easily, avoiding tunneling with less effort.

Soy wax is generally considered to be one of the best wax choices for candles. Not only does it melt easily, resulting in an even burn, but it burns cleanly, to reduce indoor air pollution, and has a good fragrance throw, so you can smell your candle further around your home. Other fantastic options include coconut and beeswax.

2. Pay attention to the wick

Unless you make candles at home, it's easy to forget about the wick or overlook it. However, picking a candle with a good wick is essential to avoiding candle tunneling.

Gena Surphlis, founder and CEO at 024 Inc., the elevated home fragrance brand, explains, ‘When picking a candle, consider if the correct type of wick is being used. Look at the size in comparison to the surface of the candle, a small wick in a large candle will end up tunneling.’

If shopping for larger candles, look for candles with thicker wicks, or multiple wicks spaced out evenly to reduce the risk of future tunneling.

Gena continues, ‘Take note of the material – is it the correct wick for the wax and the fragrance ingredients? If an incompatible wick is used, this can damage the integrity of the candle.’ Most high-quality wicks are made from braided, plaited, or knitted cotton fibers to encourage a slow and consistent burn. Twisted or straight wicks will usually result in an uneven burn.

She adds that you should also, ‘always cut your wick ¼ inch before lighting your candle to ensure an even burn.’

3. Burn to the edge every time

With the right wax and the wicks picked out, preventing tunneling then comes down to how you burn your candles. The first and most important tip is that on the first burn, you burn the candle till the melted wax meets the edge. This is because wax that has melted on a burn already will melt again more easily. Blowing out your candle on its first burn before it reaches the edge creates a bit of a barrier that remains from there on in.

After that, Karen Lawrence, founder at Lulu Candles says, ‘I recommend every burn should last around four hours to keep candles tunnel-free. If you burn your candle for more, you run the risk of the candle's heat index being too high, thus potentially overheating the glass where it could crack or shatter.

It is important to note that ‘These recommendations vary by candle brand, wax type, fragrance formula and wick thickness and material,’ Karen warns. If you are in doubt, check the manufacturer’s instructions. For candles in smaller jars, this might be on their website.

4. Pick the right spot for your candles

Where you place your candle has a bigger impact than making your home smell good all the time. Yes, placing them by the front door will ensure it is the first thing guests smell, but it can also lead to tunneling.

Isabel Alvarez, candle expert and founder of Albisa Candles says, ‘Breezes or drafts can cause the flame to burn inconsistently and cause candle soot – as can high-traffic areas which can experience a draft as people walk by it. Worse yet, an open window can have a breeze and blow your curtain into the flame! Be sure it’s placed in a spot where the flame won’t flicker too much.

‘Next, make sure your candle is on a stable, flat surface,’ Isabel continues. ‘The bottom of the candle can get hot, so always use a proper candle holder to protect the surface where the candle is placed. It can also help it to burn evenly. If the candle needs to be moved, extinguish the candle and allow the melted wax to cool before moving the candle. This will avoid the wax from splashing out and possibly burning you, or from setting unevenly.’

Preventing a candle from tunneling is the best way to keep it in top condition. However, if you end up with tunneling, all is not lost, assures Gena Surphlis, candle expert. ‘You can use aluminum foil to fix a candle that has started to tunnel,’ she says. ‘Create a one-inch hole in the center to ensure the flame receives sufficient oxygen for combustion. Let the candle burn until the wax melts evenly across the surface, reaching the edges of the container. The aluminum foil aids in retaining heat, allowing the entire top layer of wax to liquefy.’

Next, learn how to reuse candle jars around your home once your candles are finished.