Jus wonderin...

[Jus]

...do any of yall run your lamps continuously, all the time?  I never turn mine off!  Not sure if this will cause me problems down the line, but hasn't yet.  Really haven't been GOOing for long tho...

Share, if you will, YOUR scheduling preference and why/how you dewit, or what you've learned from it.

Thanks! 

 

[Loren]

I only run my lamps for 5-6 hours at a time, at the most. The only exception is the colossus, which can run for days when it's behaving. I probably am being overly cautious, but I don't want to fry my lava.

[Keith]

Lava Lite recommends only running lamps for 6 to 8 hours.  I usually run mine longer but watch to make sure they don't overheat.  Magma Tower reps have stated that their lamps are expected to last 2000 hours total.  (If I remember correctly). So there is the chance of the lamps "dying".  Then again, you have revived several dead lamps so if it does happen you may be able to fix them.  I have had globes just stop flowing so there is something going on.

[Metallica Man Trevor]

Mathmos recommends 6 hours a day. It prolongs the life of the wax. I run mine 6-8 hours 3 days a week. And chinas the rest of the week at work mostly the neons. Some of my prized only run once or twice a month...

[Jus]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

[Kirk]

I run my Colossus and Giant for days at a time.  All other lava lamps I run for 6-8 hours usually over the weekend.  Glitters I run for 3 hours usually over the weekend or when I'm on vacation - like this week!

[Jus]

Hmmmmm...

 

[Marley's Ghost]

Ah Oh, I don't have many, but I run them every day until I go to bed at night, which would make it anywhere from 12 to 14 hours.  Even my glitter Loren made me and Wizard glitter.   They don't seem to be getting hot, but I have some on dimmers.   I hope I'm not fryin mine either, Jus, but now I'm a bit worried.   How do you tell if a glitter is too hot?

[Dr. WHAT?!]

Most lava lamps do eventually run its course from being used constantly. For example you see a lot of oldie lamps on ebay that are cloudy as hell or the wax is just gross looking (bubbles etc). That because they've been used and abused. So leaving them on all the time isn't exactly great. They (LL) do say to not run your lamps more then 8 hours at a time especially for the smaller ones lamp like 32 and 52 oz.. The bigger lamps like grandes, giants or colosuss would take a lot longer to go bad but they will eventually. Gookit wax is no different I believe i saw it somewhere that the wax should be changed like every 2000 hours of use.

[Marley's Ghost]

Well, that's not good, Doc.  I have no idea how in the world I would replace the wax in my US Telstars. It's a shame though, I like to watch them all day and night, and all mine are the smaller lamps too.   I don't know what size the Telstar globe is, but it's skinny.

[Jus]

uhhhmm...when you see smoke??? jk jk lol

MG, I don't know...for sure, ask Loren cuz I bet he knows. 

And Critter-I'm with you!  I definitely look to my lamps for every ounce of calming fluidity they can pump out.  Often, they ARE my go-to happy fix.  And when they aren't workin', I ain't happy! 

 

 

 

 

[Marley's Ghost]

I agree, Jus.   It calms me down considerably to watch my lamps.  I've already turned all mine on, and it is waaaayyyy before dark.  Drat.   P. S.  I'll watch for "smoke."   :-)

[Dr. WHAT?!]

Dont get me wrong its takes a while before a lamp actually goes belly up, but they dont last forever. If you run them all day everyday your only speeding up that process. Has anyone ever bought a lamp off a ebay to find they had a 60w bulb on a base that takes a 40w bulb? and when you run the lamp the wax is just shot to shit? I have and 9 times out of 10 the globe is fried and no salvageable because it was overheated. Running your lamps all day is no different.