How To Fix A Candle That Melted Sideways? Troubleshooting Guide

Isn’t it amazing what a candle can do for a room? So long as your candle doesn’t burn unevenly, your nice table won’t be covered in wax. A candle that has melted in the wrong direction will be explained to you in this article.

Identifying the root cause of this problem is essential if you’re experiencing it with your candles. It’s due of a continuous flow of air that causes candles to burn unevenly. Leaning too far to one side and not trimming properly can result in an uneven flame.

Causes and How To Fix A Candle That Melted Sideways

Candles, once lit, are incredibly delicate objects that should only be handled with care. For the most part, people just think it’s enough to light a candle and wait for it to burn out. If you want a clean burn with no wax wasted, you’ll need to pay attention to your candles after they’ve been lit.

Here are a few of the most common reasons for uneven candle burn. The flame will flicker and the wax will become uneven if you place your candle near a draft, air conditioning unit, or a fan. Faster burning wax has a side exposed to the flame and a side exposed to air currents, with the former receiving more heat and the latter burning slower.

According to the National Candle Association, the first burn of a candle determines whether or not it will burn unevenly over its lifetime. A 2-inch-diameter candle should burn for at least two hours before being extinguished. As a result, the wax melts uniformly all the way around the perimeter.

How do you proceed if the flame fails to burn for the time allotted? For the remainder of its life, the candle will burn unevenly, resulting in wax waste. To that end, I’ll cover some possible solutions in a subsequent essay.

Another main cause of uneven candle burning is a wick that isn’t centered. If the wick is in the right spot, the candle will burn. In order for the candle to burn in one direction, the wick must start in the middle and then shift to the left as it progresses down the candle.

As a result, the wax on the left will burn longer than the wax on the right. If you don’t use a transparent candle, you won’t know if your wick is positioned correctly. Remember that there is a solution to all of these problems, so don’t give up just yet.

Lastly, we’ll look at a third factor that is both simple and easy to overlook. If your wicks are unequal, your candles will burn unevenly. A mushroom-like look might be caused by a wick that has not been trimmed properly.

This reduces the intensity of the flame. Because the candle’s flame burns the wax closest to the wick, an untrimmed wick will likewise be longer than necessary. Untrimmed wicks might gather unburned carbon particles or soot around the container of your candle.

This presents a fire hazard when the flames continue to swell. Don’t light a candle if you have to leave the house in less than three hours. Most important is the first burn.

How To Fix A Candle That Melted Sideways

It’s not difficult to turn a sideways melting candle around. Now that we’ve examined the underlying causes, it’s time to delve deeper into the specifics. Trim your wick for a cleaner, brighter burn. A 14-inch length should be trimmed every four hours of burn time.

If you’re a fan of candles and want to take care of them correctly, a wick trimmer can be a good investment. If the tunneling is so terrible that cutting the wick isn’t enough, there are a couple more methods you can experiment with. ” Aluminum foil is a great conductor of heat. ‘

Use aluminum foil to cover the candle container’s rim and you’re ready to go. Ensure that the buildup is covered while yet allowing the room for the candle to burn. When using foil, take careful not to come too close to the flames.

Make sure to let the candle burn for at least two hours so that the surface is smooth. Baked candles are also an option. Remove the container’s labels and preheat your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

Five minutes will be plenty for the wax to melt and be evenly distributed. Before putting the containers on a cooling rack, remove any extra wax that has built up on the wick. This method is rarely used for melting candles because it requires a lot of attention.

This method is, however, a lot quicker than using aluminum foil. When heating candles in the oven, the container may break, requiring you to scrape hot wax and glass from your oven. This is a dangerous practice. Consider whether or not it’s worth taking the risk.

To put out the flame of a burning candle, you’ll need a candle snuffer and a wick trimmer. When you blow out a candle, you’ll avoid the splatter of hot wax.

How Do You Keep Candles From Burning Inequitably?

This has led us to believe tunneling is not only unappealing but also extremely difficult to fix. To protect your candles from burning unevenly, here are a few recommendations Light candles in a well-ventilated space, away from areas where there is a lot of foot traffic and open windows.

It keeps the flame in a teardrop shape and makes it easier to melt the wax evenly. Soot production and wick growth are both reduced. Buy candles with multiple wicks.

You won’t have to worry about uneven burning with these because they burn brightly and evenly. Three wicks are standard on the most efficient candles. However, they will burn evenly throughout their lives, and this is a certainty.

There is no need to keep candles burning for more than four hours. Overheating is a problem with candles. The wick will not be able to stay in place if the wax around the core softens.

How to Prevent Candle Tunneling

In order to avoid candle tunneling, the first burn is crucial. Wax has a memory, and the radius of the melt tends to be set by the first burn. Creating a tunnel the first time you light a candle means that the wax in the tunnel will melt first, making the tunnel deeper and leaving unmelted wax around the edges the second time around. As a result, the first burn is extremely critical in ensuring that the first layer of wax completely melts before the candle is extinguished.

Place the candle in a draft-free area for the first time to guarantee an equal burn. To ensure that the first layer of wax has completely melted, examine it every 30 minutes or so. Depending on the type of wax, the size of the candle, and the wick, this process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. As a general rule, each inch of the candle’s diameter burns for around an hour. Although this is a recommendation, you should keep an eye on the candle and blow it out when the first layer of wax has entirely melted.

How to Fix Candle Tunneling

Don’t worry if your candle has already begun to tunnel. There’s a chance you can still salvage it. You can use a hairdryer to blast the top of the candle if the tunneling is mild. The wax will be melted and smoothed by the hot air, resulting in a flatter surface. To prevent this from happening again, follow the first-burn instructions and melt the entire first layer of wax.

You can also use the oven if the hairdryer isn’t working. Place a cookie sheet in the oven and heat it to 175 degrees F for about five minutes with the candle inside. A smaller candle may require less time, but a larger candle may require more time. Keep an eye on the candle by turning on the oven light and monitoring its temperature.

Foil tents can also be used. A tent of aluminum foil should be placed over the top of the candle before it is lit. Allow smoke to escape by drilling a hole in the top. By reflecting the heat back onto the candle, the foil helps melt the wax all the way to the edges instead of just the center. Make sure it doesn’t overheat by keeping an eye on it. Using an oven mitt or other suitable protection, carefully remove the aluminum foil once the wax has completely melted and blow out the candle.

Your candle tunneling may be too extreme to save your candle in some instances.. you.. Even if you’re disappointed, you can still enjoy your candle despite the setback. An alternative is a candle warmer, which gently warms the wax in jar candles from the bottom up. If your candle has tunneled so far that you can no longer ignite it, a candle warmer will still heat the remaining wax to a temperature that will allow it to emit a mild fragrance.

One technique to avoid candle tunneling is to use high-quality soy candles. Scents based on places, memories, and more can be found throughout our whole selection of candles.

9 Handy Tips For Anyone Who Owns A Candle

1. Trim your wick to 1/8 of an inch every time.

Where does trimming come in? Your candle will burn more evenly and brighter as a result. Lack of trimming and excess carbon in the wick might result in a dimmer flame that is more prone to producing smoke. It is also possible for the smoke to discolor your jar, which says, “I have no idea how fire works!!!” After every four hours of burning, you should trim your wick. Always extinguish the flame (obviously), wait for the candle to cool down, and then trim the wick to 1/8 of an inch. With a small scissor or a spare nail clipper, you can cut the wicks with ease, but Amazon has a great wick trimmer that costs less than $10.

2. To prevent tunneling, burn your candle one hour for every inch in diameter the first time you light it.

You may not know this, but your candle has a history. You can only get your candle’s wax to melt as far as it did the first time you burned it. In other words, if you don’t burn your initial burn completely, you’ll have a tunnel-like candle for the rest of it’s life. YIKES. Candles should be burned for one hour for every inch in diameter to avoid this. To melt the top layer evenly, a candle with a diameter of three inches should be burned for three hours. In order to minimize tunneling and to get the strongest and most potent aroma, you should aim for an even burn at all times.

3. Use aluminum foil to fix tunneling if you already f*cked up.

Using a piece of aluminum foil, fold it in half, and then fold it over the flame like a tent, you can get rid of that ugly tunnel (leaving a hole for it to get oxygen). You should be able to remove the foil after about 30 minutes and all of the wax should have melted off the sides. More information can be found on this page.

4. Get yourself a multi-wick candle if you want an even burn with less hassle.

What are you doing with your life if you don’t have three hours to burn your candle evenly? Just kidding, that’s a valid assumption. Instead, invest in a multi-wick candle. With all of that additional heat, the top layer of wax will melt considerably more quickly. In my opinion, candles with a diameter of more than three or four inches are trash. None of their wax will ever be able to be completely melted by the heat. Avoiding them is the best course of action.

5. Don’t place your candle near moving air.

Your candle will produce soot or black smoke stains if you keep it near moving air conditioning units, open windows, ceiling fans, or other heavy traffic areas in your home.

6. Stop using your candle when there’s half an inch of wax left at the bottom.

Once the half-inch mark has been passed, the candle will be burning too close to the jar’s base, potentially damaging the surface it is resting on as well as the jar itself.

7. Freeze the jar so you can pop out any remaining wax and reuse it.

If you’ve got a candle jar that’s too pretty to throw away, but the bottom is still caked with wax, freezing it might help. You should be able to remove the remaining portion with a butter knife once the wax has hardened to a rock-solid state. When you’re done, your jar will look brand new once more.

8. Don’t burn your candle for more than four hours in one sitting.

Burns of first and second degree have been reported following an explosion of six-inch candles in Texas, where the woman was taken to the emergency room. Flames were engulfing her face as she fought to extinguish them, and she ended up covered in wax. There’s a problem, though: It had been about four hours since the candle had been lit. Carbon can build up on the wick with such a long burn time, causing it to “mushroom.” The wick will then become unstable, igniting into a massive flame that could be hazardous. Not to mention, your candle will begin to emit smoke and soot into the air. Relight your candle once it has rested for two hours after being extinguished.

9. Never extinguish a wax candle with water.

Do not use water to put out a fire that has grown too large to be extinguished by blowing it out. It’s possible for the hot wax to splatter onto your skin and injure you because of the water. Instead, because fires are stoked by oxygen, use a lid or snuffer to put out the candle, or sprinkle baking soda on top. Of course, if these methods fail to contain the blaze, you should escape and call 9-1-1.

How to Clean Black Smoke From Candle Holders

Glass candle holders and jars can become dirty due to soot buildup caused by black candle smoke. To remove the soot, simply remove the candle from its holder.

Step 1

Before attempting to clean the candle holder or remove the candle, extinguish the candle and allow the wick and wax to cool.

Step 2

Wet a paper towel or a soft cloth to use as a blotting agent. Using the cloth, thoroughly clean the inside of the candle holder of any black smoke or soot. In the case of jarred candles, where the candle cannot be taken from its candle holder, this is the ideal way to use.

Step 3

Soak the candle holder in hot, soapy water for at least ten minutes before using. Remove all of the soot from the candle holder by wiping it down with a soft cloth. Candle holders without candles can be lit using this technique.

Step 4

Rub candles with a damp towel soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove any black smoke or soot.

Step 5

Before relighting, allow the candles and holders to dry fully.

FAQs

Why do my candles melt on one side?

Single wick candles may burn unevenly if the wick is not properly centered. If your candle is tilted to one side, the flame will only melt the wax on that side of the wick. To straighten the wick, use a knife to gently press it into the jar until it is centered.

Can you microwave a candle to fix tunneling?

Set your oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit and heat for two minutes at 80 degrees Celcius. A smooth and even finish will be achieved by using this product. To be on the safe side, never use a microwave to melt your candles. Putting metal wick butts in a microwave is a risky practice since they can melt.

What can you say about the temperature when the candle was heated?

Color temperature of a candle flame is approximately 1800 degrees Kelvin (K), which is the color temperature of a blackbody heated to that temperature.

Can you microwave a candle?

Microwave melting wax is a rather straightforward process. The necessary amount of soy wax should be placed in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaved. Cook for 5 minutes at a medium or high temperature. Stir and turn the wax halfway through the cooking time if your microwave doesn’t have a spin option. Then, put it back in and continue cooking it for the rest of the time.

How do you save a candle?

Use boiling water (or heat the water in a jar once it’s there) to melt your candles’ wax, then watch the melted wax rise to the top. You may then apply pressure and see the wax come out, ready to be reused in whatever way you like.

Why are my candles getting sinkholes?

Sinkholes are formed as the wax hardens during the curing process. It takes up more space as a solid becomes a liquid when it is heated to the point where it melts.

Conclusion on How on Fix a Candle That Melted Sideways

Here’s an in-depth look at what caused a candle to melt sideways and how to mend it. Because of the uneven burning of your candle, wax may accumulate on your tablecloth. You’ll be OK if you follow this guide!