Floating foamy Goo problem

[Baslotto]

Hello everyone.
I bought my first 20 oz. lavalamp 2 days ago.
I have a little issue with it and I want to know if it's normal or if I have a defective product.
After I bought it I put it in boiling water to make it go quicker (is it stupid to do?).
Now I noticed that my Goo is going up with pockets of water in it (like bubbles). Every time a little ball goes up is more like a bubble filled with water.
This afternoon it reached a point where all the bubbles of Goo staid on the surface. I decided to leave it on all night and when I came back about 9-10 hours later they were solid balls floating on top still.
Now I let it cool down and as I saw the Goo on the bottom I turned it back on.
End result. All the Goo is on tthe bottom with an evident water pocket in it.
What to do???
Thank you for any help.
I'm still on time to bring it back.
Another question: if I return it and get a new one what is the best way to start it the very first time? How long should I keep it on the first time?

[Casey Haldeman]

"After I bought it I put it in boiling water to make it go quicker (is it stupid to do?)."
Yeah, that's a pretty bad idea. Especially considering that a lava lamp is sealed. The air pressure in the bottle would raise the boiling point of the liquid significantly. If the seal broke, the reduced air pressure would cause the liquid to boil violently and probably shoot scalding liquid all over the place. The high heat and pressure probably cause the wax to decay.

[Baslotto]

Well.. I only left it in the boiling water for a couple of minutes until I felt the bottle getting warm, I didn't make the water inside the bottle get hot to a point I couldn't hold it in my hands.

[Keith]

People have died from this:
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/lavalamp.asp

[Casey Haldeman]

well in that case, still bad idea, but....probably just a crappy lamp if the wax didn't overheat.

[Baslotto]

Any suggestions about how to perfectly "start" a lava lamp? How many hours the first day, how to make the Goo become the right consistency... Anything else to avoid?

[Keith]

Just turn it on and let it heat up. Some lamps heat up faster than others, but most will be runnings after an hour or so. There is no need to rush the process. In general, lamps should not be ran for more than 8 hours, and sometimes a lot less. If there are a lot of small globs at the top, or if lava "domes" at the bottom after flowing it is probably too hot.

Not sure who I "borrowed" this image from ;)

[Baslotto]

I got my next one!
It's clear red.
I got a bigger one, the 16.3".
It appears to me to be a little cloudy, just a little.
I can't really see trough.
Is it because it's new? Should I let it run for a while and let the lava get all the dustiness?

Thanks!

[WeeboTech]

It was also confirmed by mythbusters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7_dVUx5lZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azHzE-5cO3A

[StickStoneBone]

I believe he wasn't boiling the lamp but had placed it directly on the electric stove burner. Which is also what the MythBusters did. I don't think it could get hot enough in boiling water to explode the glass walls, it could pop the top though. Which is bad enough.

[paul jones]

how come they dont show the most common fault with there lamps CLOUDY haha

[Baslotto]

Thanks, you gave me hope! Should I not return it then?
I have 30 days to return it in case it doesn't get better.
Another question: I feel like my house is a little too warm for this bulb, is there a lighter bulb that doesn't warm the bottle too much? I think I have a 40W now, should I try with something different? I think I was reading somewhere that the opaque bulbs are cooler than the clear ones?
By the way your lamp looks fabulous!

Thank you again.
Stefano.

[Casey Haldeman]

Room temperature does have a big influence on the lamp. My red swirl wont flow if my ceiling fan is on. Maybe a frosted bulb or a dimmer.