Jessie Taylor
Candles are a popular home decor item, but they can sometimes present problems such as candle tunneling, sinkholes, wick issues, and flickering. Candle tunneling, a common issue, occurs when a candle burns down the middle, leaving unmelted wax around the edges. This results in an uneven burn, reducing the candle's burn time and scent throw. To fix a deep candle, one can use a hairdryer or heat gun to melt the wax surrounding the tunnel, creating an even surface. For more serious tunneling, tin foil can be used to concentrate the heat and melt the wax around the edges. Ensuring an even burn and preventing tunneling can be achieved by allowing the wax to melt to the edge of the container during the first lighting, which typically takes 1-2 hours.
How to fix a deep candle
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause | Candle burning down the middle but leaving unburned wax around the edges |
| Candle not burned long enough during its first few burns | |
| Improperly sized wick that doesn't produce enough heat | |
| Molds filled over the fill line | |
| Wax poured too hot | |
| Incorrect type of candle wax | |
| Solutions | Use a hair dryer or heat gun to melt the wax and smooth the surface |
| Use tin foil to reflect heat back to the candle's edge and melt the wax | |
| Use a wick dipper to extinguish the flame and coat the wick with wax | |
| Use a candle warmer to melt the wax evenly from the bottom up | |
| Scrape away unburned wax with a butter knife or spoon | |
| Trim the wick to 1/4 inch | |
| Place the candle in the oven on low for 15-20 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Use a hair dryer to melt the wax
Candle tunneling is a common issue that occurs when a candle burns down its centre, leaving hard wax around the outside. This can be caused by an incorrectly made candle or by not letting the wax pool reach the edge on the first burn.
To fix this issue, you can use a hair dryer to melt the wax and create an even surface. First, make sure you are wearing old clothes that can be washed if any wax gets on them, and lay some newspaper beneath the candle to protect your table or floor. Extinguish the candle if it is lit, then use a hair dryer on a low setting and hold it far away from the candle, slowly moving it closer until you reach an appropriate distance. Avoid turning the hair dryer on directly over the candle, as this could blow hot wax everywhere.
Continue heating the candle until the top surface of wax has completely melted and smoothed over. This may take several minutes, depending on how hot your hair dryer gets, so be patient. If you need to, you can carefully scrape at the unmelted wax on the sides with a wick dipper or small metal spatula to help it melt faster. Once the wax has melted, relight your candle and allow it to burn for at least 30 minutes or until you can no longer see any tunneling.
If your candle is showing more serious signs of tunneling, you can try the foil method. First, light your candle and carefully wrap a layer of foil around the top, making a domed lip with a hole in the top. Leave the candle burning for about an hour, then carefully remove the foil. You should now have an even wax pool.
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Use tin foil to reflect heat
To fix a deep candle with tin foil, you can use the retained heat from the candle to melt the wax surrounding the tunnel and smooth over the surface. This method works best for smaller candles with a shallow sinkhole of about 1/2 inch or less.
First, trim the wick and remove any debris inside the tunnel. Then, cover the top of the candle with a sheet of tin foil, ensuring that the foil extends over the built-up wax areas. Cut or fold a small opening of about 1 inch in the centre of the foil to allow oxygen in and to prevent carbon dioxide from extinguishing the flame.
Leave the candle to burn for a few hours. The retained heat will melt the wax surrounding the tunnel, and the tin foil will reflect this heat back onto the wax, helping it to melt faster and more evenly.
Once the wax has completely melted and smoothed over, carefully remove the tin foil from the candle, as it will be hot.
This method can also be used as a temporary fix to melt the wax, after which you can remove the foil and allow the candle to burn as normal.
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Remove the wick and wax
Removing the wick and wax from a candle jar can give it a new life. Here are some methods to do so:
Freezing
Place the candle jar in the freezer overnight. The wax will freeze and peel off the sides of the jar. After removing the jar from the freezer, you can easily scrape off the wax with a spoon or butter knife. This method works best with wide-mouthed candles.
Hot Water
Add boiling water to your candle, leaving an inch of space at the top, and let it rest. The wax will rise to the surface, and you can then remove it with a spoon or butter knife. Alternatively, you can place the candle jar upside down on a sheet of aluminium foil on a baking pan and put it in the oven at 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The wax will melt and pool on the foil, and you can then remove the pan from the oven and take the glasses off the pan using an oven mitt.
Hair Dryer
Using a hair dryer on medium heat, blast the candle to melt the top wax layer. This will create an even surface and potentially expose a buried wick. Ensure you hold the hair dryer far enough away to avoid spattering any wax.
Paper Towel
Once the wax has melted, use a paper towel to absorb and remove the excess wax. You can also use a hot iron with a paper towel placed on top of the wax to absorb it.
Foil Collar
Craft a foil collar for your candle, leaving a small window for the wick. This helps the flame work harder, melting the wax around the edges. After achieving an even surface, let the wax cool and solidify before relighting the candle.
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Melt the wax in the oven
Melting wax in the oven is a straightforward process. First, preheat your oven to a temperature between 150 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact temperature will depend on the type of wax you are melting. For example, the melting point of soy wax is between 49 and 82 degrees Celsius, while paraffin wax has a lower melting point of 46 to 68 degrees Celsius. Beeswax melts at 62 to 65 degrees Celsius, and gel wax has a higher melting point of 82 degrees Celsius.
Once your oven has reached the desired temperature, place your candle upside down on a sheet of aluminium foil on a baking pan. It is important to supervise the oven during this process to prevent any mishaps. The wax should melt and pool on the foil within 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts and let the wax cool and harden before handling.
If you are melting wax to fix a tunnelled candle, a slightly different approach is required. First, warm up your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79 degrees Celsius). Place your candle in the middle of a cookie sheet and put it in the oven for around 5 minutes. Remove the candle from the oven using oven mitts and let the wax harden before relighting the candle. If the candle is still tunnelled, return it to the oven and check after another 1-2 minutes.
It is important to note that melting wax can be dangerous if not done carefully. Always take precautions to avoid injury, damage to your surroundings, or starting a fire. Never let the temperature of the wax exceed 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not melt wax over direct heat, such as placing it directly in a pot over the stove. Always use potholders or oven mitts when handling hot items and wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from splashing wax. Keep melted wax away from children and pets, and have a fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire.
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Trim the wick
Trimming the wick of a candle is an important part of candle maintenance. It ensures a clean and even burn, and allows you to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of your favourite candle for longer.
How to Trim a Candle Wick
Trimming a candle wick is a simple task that can be done in about 5 seconds. Firstly, extinguish the flame and let the candle cool down to room temperature. Then, using a wick trimmer, scissors, or another cutting tool, trim the wick to a height of 1/4 inch above the wax. If you don't have a wick trimmer, you can use a ruler or measuring tape to measure the correct height. However, it's not necessary to be absolutely precise—you can simply trim the wick low, ensuring that the candle isn't smoking and the flame isn't too high.
Trimming the wick is essential for extending the life of your candle. When a candle wick is not trimmed, it can lead to a flame that is too tall, which can increase the risk of a fire. A tall flame will also cause the candle to burn too quickly, as too much heat will cause the wax to melt faster. Additionally, an untrimmed wick can cause the candle to burn unevenly, leading to candle tunneling. Candle tunneling occurs when only a small portion of the wax around the wick melts, creating a narrow tunnel in the centre of the candle. This reduces the burn time of the candle as only a fraction of the wax is used up.
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Frequently asked questions
Candle tunneling happens when a candle burns down the middle, leaving unmelted wax around the edges. This is caused by a wick that is too small or by not letting the wax melt to the edge of the container during the first burn.
If the sinkhole is less than half an inch deep, you can fix candle tunneling by melting the outer wax surrounding the tunnel to make the surface even again. You can use a hairdryer or heat gun to melt the wax.
To prevent candle tunneling, make sure to let the wax melt to the edge of the container during the first burn. You can also use a candle warmer, an electric device that melts candles without an open flame, to prevent tunneling.
You can also try using tin foil to redirect the heat back to the wax, melting the rim of hard wax on the sides. Alternatively, you can use a butter knife or spoon to gently scrape away the unburned wax around the edges, making the candle flat.
