My Lava Lamp needs help!!

Factual Questions
1

I read the column about how a lava lamp works. However, what I’m interested in is how a lava lamp DOESN’T work!!!

When I turned it on, some of the wax was hard and some got bubbly. Then a column went to the top of the globe and hardened. Now the whole darn thing is a hardened ball of wax, and it won’t move. I have had it on for over 48 hours straight, and I’ve had it off for as long, and nothing works!

I left the Lava Lamp User’s Manual at home.:frowning: How do I fix it??? Can I?? Will the Sun explode during my lifetime, causing total darkness and less than agreeable swimming conditions? HELP!!!

2

There’s a ball of wax stuck at the top, yes? Could you put another lamp or two right next to that to melt it?

3

No, the ball of wax extends from the top to the bottom of the globe. And I don’t have any more lava lamps. Hey, my dorm is air-conditioned, maybe it’s not getting cold enough??

4

i mean hot enough

5

Ambient room temperature could be the problem. If it’s an old lava lamp it may just be dead. After a while the goo loses its ability to fully liquify and the lamp will go clumpy and sometimes the goo will even burn on the bottom of the globe.

It is a sad fate. They like a room of about 70 degrees or more.

6

Ambient room temperature could be the problem. If it’s an old lava lamp it may just be dead. After a while the goo loses its ability to fully liquify and the lamp will go clumpy and sometimes the goo will even burn on the bottom of the globe.

It is a sad fate. They like a room of about 70 degrees or more.

Then again, maybe your roommate zapped it with a 1920’s style death ray.

7

Ahhhh. I think he does have one of those.

Is it possible to replace the bulb with a different wattage, which will burn with more heat???

8

Lava Lamps are picky about the amount of heat you give them. Here’s the Lava World Faqs.

9

I’ve had 3 or 4 different Lava Lamps. In my experience, the wax inside only lasts for two or three years before it changes consistency and stops functioning. I’ve had lamps where the glob just floated to the top and stayed there, others where it floated to the bottom and stayed there, and yet others where the stuff just broke into a zillion little balls and clouded up the water.

10

You might consider replacing the contents with one of several custom recipes

11

I was thinking for a second about what Lava World Fags could possibly be…

12

With the lamp [ul]cool[/ul], check the lamp and make sure:
It is clean, no dust etc.
The lamp is centered in the base.

Try semi-heating cycling: Warm it up until there’s a modest sign of softness, turn off, let it cool down, lather, rinse, repeat.*
*Hmm, I ought to be careful. Or one of these days some bozo’s actually going to try to shampoo a Lava ™ lamp.