You light your candle, it smells amazing but a few burns in, you notice a narrow hole forming down the centre while a thick ring of wax clings to the sides. That's tunnelling, and honestly, it's one of the most common candle frustrations we hear about. The good news? It's largely preventable, and the wax your candle is made from plays a bigger role than you might think.
What Is Candle Tunnelling?
Tunnelling happens when a candle burns straight down the middle rather than melting the wax evenly to the edges. Once it starts, it's hard to reverse, and it means you'll lose a significant amount of wax (and fragrance) that never gets to burn. Not ideal when you've invested in something you actually love.
Why Does It Happen?
The two main culprits are:
- Not burning long enough on the first light. Candles have a "memory" and the first burn sets the melt pool pattern for every burn after. If you extinguish it too early, the wax remembers that narrow pool.
- Wax type. Some waxes have a higher melt point and are more prone to uneven burning, especially in cooler environments.
How Soy Wax Helps
Soy wax has a lower melt point than paraffin, which means it liquefies more evenly and reaches the edges of the jar more readily. This gives you a fuller melt pool with less effort and a much better chance of avoiding tunnelling altogether.
At Harvey & Co. Sydney®, we use soy wax (not a blend) in every candle precisely because of this. Combined with the right wick size for each vessel, our candles are designed to burn cleanly and evenly from the first light to the last.
Tips to Prevent Tunnelling in Any Candle
- Burn for at least 2 to 3 hours on the first light long enough for the melt pool to reach the edges of the jar.
- Never burn for more than 4 hours at a time. Beyond that, the wick can become unstable and the jar gets hotter than it should. It's a safety thing as much as a quality thing, so set a timer if you need to.
- Trim your wick to 5mm before each burn for a cleaner, more even flame.
- Keep your candle away from drafts as moving air causes uneven burning.
- Stop burning when 8 to 10mm of wax remains at the bottom. We know it's tempting to squeeze every last burn out of it, but burning below this point can overheat the vessel and become a safety hazard.
Already Tunnelling? Here's What to Try
Wrap foil around the top of the jar (leaving the wick exposed) to trap heat and encourage the wax to melt outward. It won't always work perfectly, but depending on how far along the tunnelling is, there may be a few other tricks we can suggest too. If your candle is giving you trouble, just send us a message and we're happy to help figure out the best fix for where it's at.
The Bottom Line
Tunnelling is frustrating, but it's not inevitable. Choosing a quality soy wax candle and giving it the right first burn makes all the difference. Our hand-poured soy candles are crafted to make that easy, so you get every bit of fragrance and burn time you paid for.