# My Lava Lamp needs help!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 27, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085 "2003-08-27T23:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Illiniwek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e495f1/32.png) [@Illiniwek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illiniwek)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/1 "2003-08-27T23:27:47Z")
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.☹ How do I fix it??? Can I?? Will the Sun explode during my lifetime, causing total darkness and less than agreeable swimming conditions? HELP!!! ---
**Author:** ![Shortie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Shortie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shortie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/2 "2003-08-27T23:55:12Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Illiniwek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e495f1/32.png) [@Illiniwek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illiniwek)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/3 "2003-08-28T00:02:15Z")
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?? ---
**Author:** ![Illiniwek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e495f1/32.png) [@Illiniwek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illiniwek)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/4 "2003-08-28T00:03:25Z")
i mean hot enough ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/5 "2003-08-28T00:10:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/6 "2003-08-28T00:10:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Illiniwek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e495f1/32.png) [@Illiniwek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illiniwek)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/7 "2003-08-28T00:20:33Z")
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??? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/8 "2003-08-28T00:44:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Illiniwek \* > Is it possible to replace the bulb with a different wattage, which will burn with more heat??? Lava Lamps are picky about the amount of heat you give them. Here’s the [Lava World Faqs](http://www.lavaworld.com/cfm/faqs/faqs.cfm?Item_ID=38&GetItem=YES&GetFaqs=YES). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/9 "2003-08-28T02:11:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/10 "2003-08-28T08:08:03Z")
You might consider replacing the contents with one of several [custom recipes](http://amasci.com/amateur/bloblamp.html) ---
**Author:** ![jbird3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/11 "2003-08-28T19:39:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squink \* > \*\*Here’s the [Lava World Faqs](http://www.lavaworld.com/cfm/faqs/faqs.cfm?Item_ID=38&GetItem=YES&GetFaqs=YES). \*\* I was thinking for a second about what Lava World Fags could possibly be… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lava-lamp-needs-help/198085/12 "2003-08-29T01:49:32Z")
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.