Why does my candle do this?
This is called tunneling and there are two main reasons it happens.
The first is due to how the candle was made.
A candle maker should choose a wick that is compatible with the wax used and the size of the vessel. If the wrong wick is used, a candle cannot create a melting pool that reaches to the edges of its container – creating a tunnel which just gets deeper with each burn.
The second reason is linked to how you burn your candle especially the first time but also subsequent burns.
A candle has to be burned long enough to allow it to create it’s full melting pool i.e. hitting the edges, otherwise as I said before, a tunnel starts to form which can be annoying to fix. The length of time a candle needs to be burned is roughly approximate to 1 hour for every inch in diameter of the candle.
So, a well-made candle which is burnt properly, will last for the longest possible time for it’s size making it well worth the investment.
Happy burning!
