The official LavaLite Grande owners thread :)

[Gooboy]

I thought it a good idea to start a thread just for Grande owners.

Your concerns, comments, opinions and suggestions all in one convienient thread :)

 

I have 2, a purple/yellow from Amazon waiting for a replacement globe due to the now

controversial "cloudy" issue which has been ackknowledged by LL to be a manufacturing

defect.

My other, from Lamps Plus.com, is blue with yellow lava.

It's on the cloudy side, and I am trying to get that one replaced also.

 

I have no idea when they will be shipping the "corrected" globes, but at least I am on the list!

 

I love the idea of a giant 250oz lava lamp :)

The look, and flow are completly different from the 52oz versions, and if they can only get

their act together, I will buy another.

 

I really heart this big lamps :)

[Gooboy]

Ok, so while I wait for the new "improved" Grande's to come out (us folks who have called in complaining about

our cloudy globes should be fist to receive!!??).

I just got my GooKit in the mail. If I can gather the nerve, I will prize open this aweful cloudy purple Grande and do the

GooKit treatment.

Maybe I missed something, but how do you color the liquid? They give you colors for the goo (I guess) only!?

I mean, I dont mind a clear LL, but would like the option to add a little color ;)

 

Has anyone had experience GooKitting a Grande? I remember one member said she has Goo Kitted 3 so far.

 

I am wondering how the flow looks compaired with a normal LL.

I dont know if I like the idea of having to use a dimmer as they recommend. Too much stuff to deal with!

 

Also, I am wondering how I am going to clean this globe out once I dump the liquid?

 

lava does not look like something I would want to put down the sink :\

 

Will hot soapy water clean all the old goo out? Maybe a little alchohol?

 

If you have GooKitted a Grande and took a few pics, I would love to see them :)

 

I figure this thing is worthless the way it is, so I cant make it any worse.

[Josh Van Cleave]

I have Goo Kitted 5 Grande Lava Lamps.  I do not like cloudy lamps.  I am a fan of clear liquid and colored wax.

 

Here is a You Tube of them flowing, but the color on the camera really sucks... 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5hXi8HYDU4

 

[Gooboy]

Wow, you did a fine job, nice flow too :)

Were you nervous the first time doing it (errr, the lamps I mean ;)

How did you clean the globs out and stuff?

 

[Gooboy]

I noticed the Goo Kit instructions say you should change out the water and goo after about 2000 hrs of use!

Do you do this? Are they just trying to sell more GooKits? :)

[Josh Van Cleave]

I have not had the lamps long enough to need to change them.  I have read elsewhere that you do not really need to do that but only time will tell.

 

I open the lamps while they are HOT, pop the top and then dump ALL the contents into a big plastic tub (Watch the Coils!).  Then I spray the the inside of the globe out with the hottest water I can and wipe out with a long brush several times.  I have never used any chemicals because I am afraid of having some kind of adverse reaction with the lava.

[Gooboy]

Sounds easy then. Thanks for the tips :)

 

[Josh Van Cleave]

The only other tip I would give is to color choice.  If you are afraid you will not be able to completely clean out the globe use a compatible color for the wax.  In other words, if your Grande has red in it from the factory then replace with red or a compatible color like maybe orange, probably not green.  Scrub those coils off too!

 

[Gooboy]

NEWS FLASH!!!

Came home today from work to a surprise, my replacement purple/yellow Grande!!

Opened it up, they shipped me a whole new lamp!! I thought I would just get the globe!!??

 

Anyway, after setting it up, I can see it's almost as cloudy as the first one, but not as bad.

 

Here is the interesting part, they put a note in the box the says (in part) the following:

 

"Due to shipping, your new lamp's liquid may appear cloudy.

Running the lamp for 3 - 5 days should clear up this issue"

 

So, this is a direct contradition to what Paula told me, that it was a manufacturing issue

and they had corrected it!!

Very interesting!!

 

I suppose I should expect the other cloudy Grande (blue/yellow) that I also complained about to show

up soon too.

 

So then I will have 4 cloudy Grande's!! LOL! :\

 

When they say to run it 3 to 5 days, do they mean continuous? Wouldnt it overheat with that 100W flood

in there??!! I guess I should get out my dimmer switch!!

[Gooboy]

To make it more clear, I talked to Paula again. You run the lamp about 10 hours a day (put it on a timer

if you want) and it should clear up after 5 days.

Trouble is, I have been doing that all along.

I am sure these things leave the factory clear, but because of the China formula, they get cloudy in shipping,

but this seems to be limited to a particular batch. I see others have posted their pics of Grande's shipped around

the world and they are clear, they are also an older lot.

Also, LL's made from the 60's to 90's do not arrive cloudy in shipping.

 

My conclusion is, they are indeed making them cheaper, different formula, and attempting to cover their butts.

 

I think Paula now realizes she should not have let the cat out of the bag by telling me it was a manufacturing

defect.

I do not see them at this point admitting any problems, they will continue to blame shipping.

 

Meanwhile, one of their major and oldest distributors has discontinued selling these due to the cloudy issue.

I will go ahead and run them 10 hours a day as told, but I dont think they will ever clear up that much.

 

So, I will go out today and get 2 gallons of distilled water and GooKit one of these suckers ;)

Stanley Post said:

NEWS FLASH!!!

Came home today from work to a surprise, my replacement purple/yellow Grande!!

Opened it up, they shipped me a whole new lamp!! I thought I would just get the globe!!??

 

Anyway, after setting it up, I can see it's almost as cloudy as the first one, but not as bad.

 

Here is the interesting part, they put a note in the box the says (in part) the following:

 

"Due to shipping, your new lamp's liquid may appear cloudy.

Running the lamp for 3 - 5 days should clear up this issue"

 

So, this is a direct contradition to what Paula told me, that it was a manufacturing issue

and they had corrected it!!

Very interesting!!

 

I suppose I should expect the other cloudy Grande (blue/yellow) that I also complained about to show

up soon too.

 

So then I will have 4 cloudy Grande's!! LOL! :\

 

When they say to run it 3 to 5 days, do they mean continuous? Wouldnt it overheat with that 100W flood

in there??!! I guess I should get out my dimmer switch!!

[Gooboy]

Yes, it has to be something new that has been changed in the formula.

Consider the following:

 

A) Older (2008, 2009 and all earlier lots) Grande's look clear after shipping from China to the US.

B) As best as I can track it, this only poped up within the last year.

C) In my phone conversation with Paula, she let it slip out that the cloudy issue was indeed a manufacturing error.

D) LavaLite's "official" stand on the issue is that it's caused from shipping, and will clear up in 3 to 5 days with use.

They are inserting notes in the boxes with that statement.

E) Mathmos lamps are shipped to the US from the UK and are never (to my knowledge) cloudy.

F) One major retailer and distributor of LavaLite lamps informed me that they have discontinued selling them until it can be demonstrated that the problem has been fixed. Strongly indicating that it's a manufacturing problem with the factory and not a shipping issue. These folks have been selling these since the 80's and they know what they are talking about (no, I will not mention the companies name, sorry ;)

 

The bottom line is, unless some of their main distributors pull the plug on these lamps, LL will do nothing. We will continue to get cloudy lamps with little notes telling us everything is fine, just a temporary condition caused by shipping and it will go away with normal use.

Jim said:

This does indeed seem to be the root cause of their issues, but the problem is, who is "they"?  I'm not willing to give Lava Lite a free pass, but I can accept the argument that a change was initiated by their supplier that they were not aware of.  I don't consider this a unique situation - melamine in pet food, lead in paint, etc.  A number of companies, many much larger and more prestigious than Lava Lite have been burned by not locking down their Chinese supplier's quality.

 

What would be most helpful are clear indications on the packaging (as well as the cap) as to when the lamp was produced as well as an idea from Lava Lite as to a specific date when the formula was reverted to their old school formula.

 

We have been assured by Lava Lite that they have not changed their formula.  They had plans to send one of their recently rehired old school chemists to China to sort out the formula.  I really do wish their reps still came to visit us and keep us abreast of their progress, but I completely understand why they don't.

Stanley Post said:

My conclusion is, they are indeed making them cheaper, different formula, and attempting to cover their butts.

[Gooboy]

I agree, personaly, I smell a rat in the works and I think LL is covering up for their China factory until they can

unload this lot of junk lamps they are stuck with.

It may be true that with much patience, these lamps will eventually clear up on there own.

The thing is, this should not be happening, it's not normal, and it's their responsibility to correct it before they

loose the trust of their distributors and customers.

If they think anything of their company, it behooves them to send someone to China to supervise what the heck

they are doing to these lamps.

[Don Souliere]

Stan, dont throw the cloudy ones away, save them to learn how to use kits to fix, OR sell them to me =)