Lava Brand 52oz. Experience

[ferrisnox]

So I am aware of the situation with Lava Brand lights and the quality control issues. I thought I would just add my recent experiences. So I picked up a 52oz clear/red from Fry's electronics a few weeks back. Initially I was shocked by the clarity and the lava. It looked great the first couple times thick opaque lava that would “join up” with other lava well. After just a few days the lamp stopped working and with a little poking
around it turned out to be a coil problem. The lava had separated
from the coil.

I tried slowly spinning it to re-catch but it was done.

So I returned it and tried a Spencer's Gifts in the mall. I ask the clerk what their policy was on lava lamp returns and she said 30 days. She mentioned they had trouble with cloudy globes about a year ago but since then everything has been fine. I gave it a shot and low and behold this one is even clearer and still working (knocks on wood). I did notice the packaging was slightly different and the coils are different even for
the same 52oz lamp and same clear/red color.

They were both in the cylinder boxes, but the Spencer's lamp had different numbers on cap:

H5210

09092001

B

The previous lamp I returned had only one string of numbers on it I believe, can't remember the numbers I think just a date. The packaging design as I mentioned was slightly different it had “Lampara Movimiento” on the side and a weird blurring/shadow of the lamp in motion. Still says on the box “Made in China”. Just curious really does anyone make anything of this. I definitely think this lamp is working much much better than the
previous one and I can't explain it. 

 

[ferrisnox]

I picked up a capper and some caps for $15.00 so I'm waiting for the goo to melt right now to take out the old one.

[ferrisnox]

Well it is working now, instead of just sitting in a blob with my new coil. The flow doesn't seem to impressive right now, but maybe its not fully heated up.

[ferrisnox]

Okay final post of this discussion....
I was able to get the brewing supply co to let me use the bench capper since my hand capper would not work. So it got it sealed up this morning...a bit definitely evaporated but its still pretty much covered up by the cap so I'm not too worried about it.

It cleared right up after letting it cool overnight and the new coil settle in. This evening will be the final test. Once it got warm last night they were mostly streams large thick, long streams instead of tiny eggs or bubbles. Which I kinda like, so we'll see how it goes.