Candle tunneling occur when the wax in a candle melt only in the center of the jar. Candle tunneling creates deep wells in the middle of the wax in a jar. An incorrect relationship between the size of the jar and the number of wicks included in the candle typicaly causes candle tunneling.
If the jar is too wide for the number of wicks in the candle, the wax will not melt along the edges of the candle; it will remain solid. In this situation, you must ensure that the flame of the candle heat each part of the waxs surface to prevent candle tunneling from occurring. The diameter of the jar determine the number of wicks the candle need.
How to Stop Candle Tunneling
The more wicks there are, the more heat the candle will produce. If the jar is large and has a wide diameter, it will need a dual or even triple wick candle. Using only a single wick in such a large jar will result in the candle not heating the entire surface of the melting wax.
Using only a single wick will result in a tunneled candle. You must ensure that the number of wicks match the diameter of the jar. Another factor that impact candles is the volume of the jar.
The volume of the jar will impact how the scent of the candle travels through the air in the room and how long the candle will last. A small jar will have a small surface area to release the scent of the candle into the air. A small jar will not release as many scent as a large jar.
A large jar with a heavy scent load will release too much scent into a small room. You must consider the size of the room the candle will be lighting in when choosing the size of the jar. If you are filling a jar with wax, make sure to leave some space at the top of the jar.
If you fill the jar to the very top, the wax will expand, and it may overflow out of the jar or create an uneven surface of the wax on the top of the jar. To avoid this problem, manufacturers typicaly leave ten percent of the jar empty. This headspace for the wax allows for the lid to sit on the jar without touching the surface of the melted wax.
The lid serves an important function for a candle. The lid will preserve the scent of the candle and will prevent dust from settling on the melted wax. If a candle does not have a lid, the dust will eventually settle on the wax, and the scent of the candle will fade over time.
The lid will also protect a candle while traveling with the candle by protecting it from damage. The material use to make the jar will impact how the flame distributes heat to the candle’s wax. It will also affect the stability of the candle.
Jars can be made out of glass, ceramic, or even concrete. Glass is the most common material used to make candle jars. Ceramic and concrete are also common.
If the jar is made out of concrete, it will have a heavy base. The heavy base allows the jar to remain stable on a coffee table or any other even surface. The way the concrete jar hold heat will change how fast the wax melts in the jar compared to the wax in a glass jar.
To successfully make a candle, you must find a balance between the size of the jar, the number of wicks in the candle, and the amount of wax that is poured into the jar. You must find the right number of wicks for the diameter of the jar. You must provide enough headspace in the jar for the wax to expand.
If you find the right balance between the size of the jar and the number of wicks, the candle will burn from the first light until all of the wax have melted.
