Problems with a modern China LL, not sure what to do

[Rich C]

This is the first time I've had a real problem with a lamp.  I couldn't help myself and bought a new rainbow, I think they call them ColorMax.  Anyway, fired it up about 4-5 hours ago and then left it alone.  I was out of the house most of the day.  No idea if it ever really flowed, but a small blob is stuck at the top so it must have done earlier.  Now it is just doming.  That means it is too hot, right?  I've got it on a different base with a dimmer to see if it can improve.  If not, am I better off just returning it or is there any easy fix?  Being a cheap lamp and a China one to boot, I'm guessing I should just return it.

[TomK]

I'm glad to hear that LL is backing up their product for you. Let's hope the next one is a good one! 

Rich C said:

LL just contacted me which is good timing as I was going to return it after work.  They said they would replace it directly since my local store didn't have any like it left.  I don't know if they are going to replace the whole thing or just the globe, but either is fine with me.

I'm happy they are helping me out.  If the replacement doesn't work out, I'll consider picking up the larger version, I know the local Spencers has them.

My first new lamp in ages was a 20oz version and it is one of the best flowing lamps I own.

[Rich C]

Okay, time to bring this one back up.  LL did replace my lamp and the new one started off slow but is flowing now.  Which leaves me with a nice looking but non-functioning lamp.  I could return it to the store and have ended up with a free one but that doesn't seem right since LL stepped up.  I could throw away the bummer lamp (which is what LL suggested) or give it away or mess around with it to try to fix it.  I heated it up the other day and of course it just domed.  Figuring I had nothing to lose I gently inverted the globe.  The wax all gloopped to the narrow end and back to the wide end as I rotated the globe.  The wax broke into globs but quickly accumulated again and never gave a hint of trying to float.

This leads me to believe it has a buoyancy problem, not a surface tension problem.  So, if I wanted to try to rebalance the globe should I start with epsom salts or prop glycol?  I have easy access to either.  How much would I want to add to start with?  At this point I have nothing to lose but there is no reason to ruin it. 

I could try adding additional wax as suggested earlier but not sure where I'd score some beeswax.  Making the fluid heavier seems an easier method but I've never tried to modify a lamp before.

Oh, and do the salt, PG and wax methods work on modern China lamps?

[Tim Gill]

What I would do would be to add some PG - this should change the density and get it flowing, you could also add some dawn soap to help it as well if the PG alone is not doing anything.

Epson salts dissolved in DI water also does the job but salts tend to make the lamp cloudy when cool.

I haven't heard about adding more wax - I know that beeswax would work but usually I stick to just changing the water and leave the wax out of it as then your only focusing on one aspect.

[Rich C]

I'll see about getting some PG and see what happens.  Can't make it any worse!

[TomK]

If you decide to try some salt, do not use epsom salts because it clouds up the liquid. I have successfully used pure sea salt which is non-iodized and my liquids stay clear. You can buy the pure salt at any super market right next to the regular table salt. Make sure you use non-iodized salt! As far as wax is concerned, you can buy it right from ebay. I would try the other methods first and use wax as a last resort because wax is hyper-buoyant hence you only need a little and if you add too much, you lava will never sink again!

Rich C said:

I'll see about getting some PG and see what happens.  Can't make it any worse!

[Rich C]

Actually, it looks like I can only buy PG in a gallon jug so I thought I'd try the salt trick first.  Cheaper and just as easy.  How much salt should I add at a time?  Should I add it when the lamp is warmed up or cold?  I understand I should draw out a little fluid, dissolve the salt in that and reintroduce the fluid but how much salt?  A pinch?  A few grams?  This is a 20oz lamp.  TIA.

[TomK]

What I did was draw off some liquid from the lamp into a small bottle/jar...like a medicine size bottle, preferably glass with a lid. Add a teaspoon or so of salt at a time into the small bottle liquid until you reach the saturation point and no more salt will dissolve in the liquid. Then if you have an eyedropper, add a couple shots every 10 minutes or so to the hot lamp until the dome breaks and your lava starts to flow. If you don't have an eyedropper, use a straw or a teaspoon. If you get that fix to work, then check the lava balls--if they don't stretch out enough for you then add some Dawn dishwashing liquid-- a couple drops every 10 minutes or so until your lava works the way you wish. If you'd rather use the gookit surfactant, it will take quite a bit more to get the same result. Good Luck!

[Rich C]

Sounds like I have project for the weekend.  Assuming I don't take the lamp back to the store and exchange it for something else they might have.  Nothing they had left on the shelves the other day was all that appealing to me though.  Oh, and would other dish soaps suffice?  I'll pick up a small bottle of Dawn if need be, but I think what we have at home is another brand.

[TomK]

If you can read the inner label of contents, look for the word "surfactant". If it is not listed as such, don't use it. I have had my success using original Dawn blue liquid. When I say "inner label" I mean that you look through the back side of the bottle to read the label that is facing down on the front side. It works as long as the dw liquid is clear enough for you to read through it.

[Rich C]

A small bottle of Dawn can't be that expensive.  So tonight's shopping list:
-Dawn
-Pure salt
-bananas (we just need bananas, not for the lava lamp!)

I'll probably get weird looks from the checkout gal.

[TomK]

Unless she's a goohead...then she'll say, "Oh, fixing your flow, eh?" Although the bananas might throw her a bit! 

[Tim Gill]

I havent heard about using non-iodized salts but it does make sense about it not clouding the water as there is no minerals to cloud the water, i have only heard about Epson salts for lamps -thanks for the heads up on the different salts available.

TomK said:

If you decide to try some salt, do not use epsom salts because it clouds up the liquid. I have successfully used pure sea salt which is non-iodized and my liquids stay clear. You can buy the pure salt at any super market right next to the regular table salt. Make sure you use non-iodized salt! As far as wax is concerned, you can buy it right from ebay. I would try the other methods first and use wax as a last resort because wax is hyper-buoyant hence you only need a little and if you add too much, you lava will never sink again!

Rich C said:

I'll see about getting some PG and see what happens.  Can't make it any worse!