{"id":6490,"date":"2022-06-01T20:21:49","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T03:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/?p=6490"},"modified":"2023-02-05T18:17:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T02:17:11","slug":"why-is-my-candle-flame-too-small","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/why-is-my-candle-flame-too-small\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is My Candle Flame Too Small? (and How to Fix)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When lighting scented candles, fragrance is only part of the experience. Another major part of that experience is the warm glow generated by the candle flame. When the flame is too small, it makes the experience less gratifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small candle flames are usually the result of too little wax. You may also notice a small flame when your candle is nearing its end because it\u2019s not getting enough oxygen to continue to burn.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how to address this matter so that your candles can burn bright.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Why<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What Causes a Candle Flame to be Too Small?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of factors that impact a candle\u2019s flame<\/a> height. The extent to which you can remedy the issue depends on whether you\u2019re lighting candles you\u2019ve purchased, or if you\u2019re making the candles yourself. I\u2019ve listed some troubleshooting tips for both scenarios below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wick Length Too Short<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One common reason is that the wick itself is too short. Sometimes, when maintaining candles for a clean burning experience, we might cut the wick too short. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next time you light the candle, you might notice that the flame<\/a> is really low. It\u2019s unable to generate enough heat to melt the wax round it. This can happen sometimes, and there\u2019s an easy fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. You can light the candle and allow a small pool of wax to form<\/strong> around the wick for about twenty minutes or so.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Once you see a nice pool of wax, blow out the candle.<\/strong> Don\u2019t worry about tunneling, you\u2019ll relight it shortly. Take a cotton ball and soak up the liquid wax. You can also use a paper towel or cotton swab. Pouring the wax onto something you can dispose of is another option. But I think that soaking it up is less messy. Keep in mind that the wax will be warm to the touch, so be careful. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. I\u2019d then place the cotton swab on a disposable napkin and allow it to cool <\/strong>before throwing it away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Next, relight the candle<\/strong>. At this point more of the wick should be visible. You can light it to see if the flame is at its normal height (no more than 2 inches tall).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Tunneling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If your candle repeatedly hasn\u2019t burned until it creates a full wax pool, then you will likely experience tunneling. This is when your wick appears to be at the bottom of a tunnel because a thick wall of wax<\/a> has built up on the sides of the container. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In situations like this, the flame is small because it doesn\u2019t have access to as much oxygen. Both wax and oxygen are necessary to keep the flame going. <\/strong>When there is little oxygen, the flame gets smaller and smaller. And it becomes increasingly more difficult to even access the wick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To correct this, you can try a couple things. First, make sure to remove any debris that might have fallen into the tunnel. Also straighten out your wick, pulling it up as best you can.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tunneling Reversal Method 1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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    1. Fill a cooking pot with cool or room temperature water. You want enough to reach about three-fourths of your candle. But you don\u2019t want any water to enter into the candle container.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Place the candle container in the pot filled with water.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Turn on low heat to gently warm the container until you see the wax melting.\n