Candle Safety

 

The Basics of How a Candle Burns:


When you light a candle, three key things are happening:

  1. The Heat from the Flame Melts the Wax
    • Wax is the candle’s fuel. It’s usually made of hydrocarbons (like paraffin, soy, or coconut wax).
    • The flame from the wick melts the solid wax near it, turning it into liquid wax.
  2. The Liquid Wax Travels Up the Wick
    • The melted wax gets drawn up the wick by capillary action (same principle as how plants draw water from roots).
    • As it reaches the flame, the liquid wax vaporizes—meaning it turns into a hot, invisible gas.
  3. The Wax Vapor Combusts (Burns)
    • Once the vaporized wax hits the flame’s heat, it reacts with oxygen in the air, creating:
    • Heat (which keeps the process going)
    • Light (the glow you see)
    • Water vapor and carbon dioxide (released into the air)

So, What Happens to the Wax on the Sides?

If your candle is burning evenly, the heat from the flame will slowly melt the wax across the entire surface, including the sides. That wax becomes part of the fuel cycle—melting, traveling up the wick, vaporizing, and combusting.

BUT if your candle is not burning evenly (like if you blow it out too soon or the wick is off-center), the wax on the sides doesn’t get hot enough to melt. This is called tunneling, and it leaves unused wax around the edges. That wax just stays in place and never gets to join the combustion process.

Pro Tip:

To avoid tunneling and use all your wax:

• Let your candle burn long enough the first time so the entire top layer melts all the way to the edges—this is called a full melt pool.

• Keep your wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch.

 

Candle tunneling occurs when a candle burns down its center, leaving unburned wax around the edges. To fix and prevent tunneling, follow these steps:

Burn time: Allow the candle to burn long enough during its initial use, so the entire surface melts and forms an even wax pool, reaching the edges of the container. This typically takes around one hour per inch of the candle's diameter.

Trim the wick: Keep the wick trimmed to approximately 1/4 inch (6-8 mm) before each use. A shorter wick promotes even burning and reduces the risk of tunneling.

Use a heat-resistant tool: If tunneling has already occurred, use a heat-resistant tool, such as a butter knife or spoon, to gently carve away the excess wax around the edges and create an even surface.

Foil wrap method: Wrap aluminum foil around the top of the candle, leaving a small opening in the center for the flame. This helps to retain heat and melt the wax more evenly, fixing the tunneling issue.

By following these steps and maintaining proper candle care, you can fix and prevent tunneling, ensuring a longer, more enjoyable candle-burning experience.

To trim a candle wick, first extinguish the candle and let the wax cool. Then, using a wick trimmer or scissors trim the wick to approximately 1/4 inch in length. Properly trimming the wick ensures a cleaner, more even burn and reduces the risk of excess smoke or soot.

Trimming a candle wick is crucial for optimal performance, safety, and longevity. It ensures a cleaner burn with less soot and smoke, promotes even wax melting, maintains a controlled flame, extends the candle's life, and improves fragrance release. Regularly trimming the wick to 1/4 inch (6-8 mm) before each use leads to a safer and more enjoyable candle experience. Start using a wick trimmer to get a better burn!

Candle wick mushrooming occurs when there is excess carbon or incomplete combustion of the candle wax. This usually happens when the candle wick is too long or the candle has been burning for an extended period. The "mushroom" shape at the end of the wick is actually carbon buildup, which can cause your candle to produce smoke or soot. To prevent wick mushrooming, it's important to trim your candle wick to about 1/4 inch before each burn and to avoid burning your candle for more than 4 hours at a time. Using high-quality candles, like beeswax candles, can also help to reduce mushrooming as they burn cleaner and produce less soot than other types of candles.

Trimming your candle wick is an essential part of candle care to ensure optimal burning and longevity of your candle. As a general rule, you should trim your candle wick every 4 hours of burn time. This means before every lighting, you should shorten the wick to about 1/4 inch. This helps to prevent the wick from mushrooming, which can lead to soot being released into the air and onto your candle jar. Regular wick trimming also helps to control the size of the flame, allowing for a cleaner and safer burn. Remember to always extinguish the candle and let it cool completely before trimming the wick.

They become unstable. A candle that burns too long can result a dangerously large flame that is more likely to have black smoke, emit smoke, and cuase a fire. A good night of sleep is too long for a candle to burn. Besides, you can't enjoy it if you're asleep anyway. It is recommended to extinguish your candle after approximately 4 hours of burning. Stop burning your candle entirely when the metal wick sustainer becomes visible to ensure safety and prevent damage to the candle container or surface underneath.