New lamp arrived with cloudy liquid

[Ron Lawrence]

Does anyone know if putting a cloudy lamp in the cold for a while will help clear the liquid?

[MattMJB0188]

Not a real cold place. But I have had lot's of luck by setting globes in my basement for a few weeks and they've cleared. Patience is the key.

[Ron Lawrence]

Thanks. If running it for a while then letting it set for a couple of days doesn't work, I'll try the basement cure.

[Ron Lawrence]

It's a LW from Lamps Plus. Clear liquid/purple lava. I see on the packing tube it is made in China and it was delivered by FedEx.

[João Roberto Gabbardo]

Receive the new lava lamp with the liquid clouded is really a very bad notice and I know it very well since the same problem happened with me.

The reason for the clouding is: The liquid become clouded if you shake the lamp when the lava is melted inside the bottle and never become clear again, meaning that the only solution is to replace the liquid.

Unfortunately it is not too simple because to the lamp works according a delicate balance between the specific gravity of the two substances inside the bottle should be established. If you don’t like too much make experiments, the best procedure is try to exchange your damaged lava lamp for a new one in good conditions from the seller. However, if you are a guy that like the “do it yourself” way if life, why not try to repair your lava lamp like I wanting to do?

[Ron Lawrence]

I contacted Lava World through their website and told them I wanted them to replace the globe seeing as it's because of their cheap globes made in China. With the current high shipping rates I'm not paying almost as much as the lamp is worth to send it back to Lamps Plus.

[Ron Lawrence]

If repeated running the lamp and letting it rest for 2-3 days does not clear it, I will try putting the globe in my basement for a couple of weeks to see if the coolness will clear it. I'm still hoping Lava World will stand by their product and send me a replacement globe.

[João Roberto Gabbardo]

I doubt that let the lamp in the basement will clear the liquid. Ideally the two liquids inside the lamp should not mix but it is not true with the Chinese lamps. I hope you have luck and can get a new lava lamp from the seller. In my case, even the seller proposing return my money I decide stay with the lamp to make some experiments intending repair the lamp. At first I decide only change the clouded liquid and to do so I measured its density. It has density slightly less than the density of the water. One way of reduce the density of the water is add to it another substance with density less than the water. My first choice was add alcohol ethylic to the water and at first I had success. Unfortunately the alcohol mixed to the lava reducing its density too. By this way I decide make a lava lamp using the formula of percholoroethylene/wax to the lava and a brine to the clear liquid.

[Ron Lawrence]

Thanks for all the advice. The lamp only cost $20 with the shipping,so I'll just hope for the best with time.

[Ron Lawrence]

In an email from Lamps Plus today I was told:


"Please be advised that the lava lamp does take a couple weeks to clear up. You are supposed to leave it on for one week for 8 hours. The second week you are supposed to leave it on for 4 hours. You should see the lava moving after that point and the cloudiness going away. Please try this and if it still doesn’t work, email us and we’ll go ahead and replace the lamp for you."











.

[Michael]

I find it quite sad that they now have to have disclaimers explaining that the lamp should be expected to arrive cloudy...

LaVa LiTe DuDe

[Ron Lawrence]

I did buy a clear/red lamp from Walmart the other day for $15 and to my surprise the liquid was clear. I have a picture of one of my first lamps from"the good old days."

[Ron Lawrence]

The first day the lamp had the same flow problem, but the second day it started flowing fine and still is.Here's a picture of another "oldie."