Filtering Advice

[Rob C]

I just snagged a used Grande and, since the flow is pretty good, I'd like to try filtering it before trashing the contents and kitting it. Can anyone recommend a filter that is currently available that will work? I tried searching through some of the threads, but I couldn't find a specific model that is still for sale. I can't remember if it's the carbon filter, the charcoal filter (or both) that are supposed to be avoided. Any advice from those who've had success with this procedure would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Rich C]

http://oozinggoo.ning.com/page/cloudy

[Marley's Ghost]

Rob, this one works very well for me.  You want a ceramic filter or anything without carbon in it.   The link above is for the MSR Miniworks EX and it's hard to find now, and has to be pumped.   This one is a gravity feed filter, just fill it up, hang it up and go.   Much faster than the pump type.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00187AU2M/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=...

[Rich C]

Cool, that would be a good choice.  Many of these types of filters are available on-line at Cabela's which sells outdoorsman/camping supplies.  These filters are really intended to filter water found out in the wild into water that can be consumed by humans.  Typically only to be used in emergency situations though so I'm told.

Marley's Ghost said:

Rob, this one works very well for me.  You want a ceramic filter or anything without carbon in it.   The link above is for the MSR Miniworks EX and it's hard to find now, and has to be pumped.   This one is a gravity feed filter, just fill it up, hang it up and go.   Much faster than the pump type.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00187AU2M/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=...

[Rob C]

Thanks guys, this is exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciated!

[Marley's Ghost]

Most welcome, Rob!   
 
Rob C said:

Thanks guys, this is exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciated!

[Jus]

I bought a cloudy used Grande and just changed the fluid.  Super cheap and works great!  Jus want to make sure you know that is an option for fixing a cloudy lamp...

Good luck- 

[Rob C]

Jus, that's definitely an appealing solution, but what fluid did you use? I read your post where you named the ingredients, but can you tell me the amount of each?

[Jus]

I use tap water, but many recommend using distilled water.  For surfactant I used kid's bubble solution which was added to the water at a rate of 10ml per quart of water.  To get the wax moving, I use epsom salts.  I've never measured how much I actually use, but I can tell you how I do it.  I fill the globe to within about 2 inches of where I want the final fluid level to be when finished with the before mentioned water/bubbles mix.  In a drinking glass I heat about 3/4 cup water to near boiling, then I stir in epsom salts a little at a time until no more of it will dissolve (if the solution cools much from all the stirring & adding, I re-heat it to keep it really hot).  What you end up with when no more salt will dissolve is called a "super-saturated" solution of water & epsom salts.  Then all I do is just add the epsom salts/water solution a little bit at a time, using a glass dropper. Some will say add a few drops and wait.  I haven't the patience, so I tend to keep adding  drops until the wax starts moving.  Once you get the wax to rise and start breaking off blobs, you want the blobs to rise clear to the top before falling back down.  So like, if blobs break off and only travel part of the way up before falling back down, I'll add another drop or two of salt solution.  Sorry I can't give solid amounts on the salt, but I bet it might be a tad different every time anyway, as persnickety as lava lamps are! LOL Hope that helps, and for sure holler if you aren't clear on all the other stuff I never mentioned (ie: globe cleaning/preparation/refilling...stuff like that)

Good luck! 

[George S.]

I have 3 grandes that are cloudy but have excellent flow. im going to try jus 's solution to fix them. just wondering why you cannot just refill them with  distilled water and recap?

[Jus]

George-it has to do with density.  I understand, but can't easily explain it, so I'm quoting from the HowStuffWorks website:

The theory behind a liquid motion lamp goes something like this:

In the lamp you have two liquids which are:

• Very close in density
• Insoluble in one another

Oil and water are insoluble in one another (that's where the expression "oil and water don't mix" comes from), but oil and water have very different densities (a volume of water weighs a lot more than the same volume of oil). They won't work, so you search to find two liquids that are very close in density and are insoluble. This site can help you in that search.

Now you apply heat to the bottom of the mixture. In a liquid motion lamp, the heat usually comes from alight bulb. The heavier liquid absorbs the heat, and as it heats up, it expands. As it expands it becomes less dense. Because the liquids have very similar densities, the formerly heavier liquid is suddenly lighter than the other liquid, so it rises. As it rises, it cools, making it denser and therefore heavier, so it sinks.

This all happens in slow motion because heat absorption and dissipation are fairly slow processes, and the density changes we are discussing here are very slight.---end quote

ANYWAY-the epsom salts is able to create the necessary density for the lava to rise and fall.  There are other things you could use instead, but I have no experience with that stuff.  Try searching fog machine juice on this site, I think it is the other thing folks use to alter density.

Keep in mind, the key to all this is VERY SLIGHT DENSITY CHANGES...which is why many caution to go slow.  It's realllll easy to over-add this or that and throw a whammy in the whole shebang.  very touchy things, these lava lamps we love...

[Rob C]

Jus, I think you nailed it with, "persnickety!"

[Jus]

LOL Rob!