Properly burning a candle can sometimes be difficult. The way a candle burns is affected by the type of wax used, wick size, fragrance content, dye use and even the room temperature of the candle. A common problem with burning candles is tunneling. There are steps you can take to avoid this:
~ Each time you burn your candle, make sure the melt pool reaches the sides of the jar. This can take anywhere from one to three hours. Estimate about one hour per inch diameter of the container for single wicked candles
~ Any wax that doesn't melt can be gently pushed from the sides of the container into the melt pool
~ Make sure the candle wick stays centered as the wax hardens after extinguishing the flame
~ Once the melt pool has reached the edges, blow out the candle, let the wax harden, trim the wick and re-light the candle. This can add burn time to your entire candle and make it last longer.
Additionally, you should:
~ Keep your candle wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch before burning to avoid smoking
~ Keep wick and match debris free from the burn pool
~ Stop burning your candle when there is about 1/2 an inch of wax left at the bottom to avoid burning the surface on which the candle is placed
Here are some other guidelines to follow when burning candles. Most of it may be common sense, but it's still good to keep in mind:
~ Keep your burning candle away from anything that can catch flame
~ If the flame is flickering, it may be catching a draft. Move the candle to a different spot in the home.
~ Always burn candles on head-resistant surfaces
~ Never leave burning candles unattended
I hope this information helps anyone who is having problems with candle burning! If you have purchased a candle from Halo Soap and Products and have had a problem with tunneling, bring your candle back to us. If there is a significant amount of wax left in the jar, we can melt this wax down and turn it into tea lights for you!
