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.

[VOXul]

Rich, this may be of some help. I buy this stuff so I can put nicotine in it and vape it, my lungs like it, I bet a lamp would too :) Food grade and real clean, they make stuff for Johnson and Johnson. Can be purchased in as small as a 150ml bottle and up to one gallon... well, you could buy multiple 1 gallon bottles so you could potentially fill a swimming pool with it if you wanted...or an ocean.

Rich C said:

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.

[Rich C]

Well, I was specifically talking about picking it up locally.  The only local place I can find it is Tractor Supply, they sell it as a cattle feed supplement.  They only sell it in gallon jugs.

[Rich C]

I've run it at least a dozen times, maybe more.  Always the same result, doming.  I can't imagine I will ever get any different results running it anymore at this point.  I don't think it got overheated, I think it is just not a good lamp as it sits.

The replacement that LL sent me didn't flow very well at all the first 3-4 times I ran it but at least it flowed.  After that it began flowing pretty well, at least as good as any China lamp I have flows (which is pretty good actually).  The first one just never showed ANY signs of life out of many attempts.

lalalava said:

I think you should just run it a few more times and watch it...It may not have overheated, it prob just needs to be broke in. :)

[Rich C]

My batting record is going down.  Picked up an emerald green clearview and after 2.5 hours of run time it has not even sent up streamers.  The wax is only half melted at this point and the globe isn't even warm to the touch.  I hope it perks up, I'm tired of this failure.

[Rich C]

Okay, it just sent up streamers so maybe there is hope yet.

[TomK]

Clearviews are very strange and temperamental creatures. The heat transfer is different because there is a plastic collar instead of the usual metal one. But you finally got some streamers so hang in there and it should eventually flow. With mine I got some high heat plastic(electrical) tape to match the lamp color and wrapped it around the base of the clear plastic--there is a small gap there that lets out a lot of heat and the tape keeps it in under the bottle so it will heat up faster. Fear not--you are not jinxed!!

Rich C said:

Okay, it just sent up streamers so maybe there is hope yet.

[Rich C]

It finally flowed and flowed pretty well.  It flowed well again today.  It takes FOREVER to warm up.  The clearview concept is interesting but as you said Tom, it does nothing to hold in the heat.  This is a great looking lamp, first for me in the green family.  I like the rocker switch on the side of base much better than the rotary switch in the cord, I wish they were all like this.

[TomK]

Yeah, that is the new edition Clearview. I tried buying one but returned it twice because the top cap came all bent up. I have several of the older original Clearviews in my collection--2 yellows and a purple. As I stated before, they're a bitch to work with but once they are running correctly, they are something wonderful to behold! I am glad yours is working out well. If you want to get it to warm up quicker you can use a hotter bulb but only in combo with a dimmer switch. Once it warms up you need to lower the dimmer setting to avoid over heating. As a rule, I run all my lamps now off of dimmers for safety as well as being able to custom tune each lamp for optimum performance and running time.