Brand New Lava Lamp Not Flowing

[Joseph]

So yesterday i bought a clear water/ purple wax Premier 16.3'' lava lamp. Plugged it in at around 4pm and left it running throughout the night.

The wax expanded but never actually flowed. Around Midnight it started to have some float up and down, but a lot collected at the top and never actually came back down. So i went to sleep and that is where i left it.

Woke up this morning, around 6am, and the lava lamp was still doing the same thing, a very slow flow with a lot of wax collected at the top (and apparently stuck).

I return it this morning when the mall opened, and got another Premier but this time in a clear water and neon green wax. Plugged it in at 11:10am, it is now 5:03pm. It has expanded, and made a sort of thick column up the side of the globe, but not actually moving. 

Is there something i'm missing? my small 14'' lava lamp never had a problem. Do this bigger premier lamps need to be broke in or something? Help?

[Joseph]

Also worth mentioning, it is using the 40w bulb that came with the lamp, and yes the coil is flat on the bottom.

[Zachary]

i just bought the same lamp and when i ran it the first time it did exactly what yours did. it is now day three and i kid you not! it has long stretchy snake like flow! maybe these new lamps have a different formula?

[Brad]

i'd cycle it for a few days by running it for a few hours, then let it rest for a few hours.  if it doesn't flow by the second day of cycling, i'd return it.

welcome to OG!

[Joseph]

How often or what intervals would you run it off and on? I just turned it off from a 10 hour run (11:10a-9:10p) and it's currently cooling off

Brad said:

i'd cycle it for a few days by running it for a few hours, then let it rest for a few hours.  if it doesn't flow by the second day of cycling, i'd return it.

welcome to OG!

[Brad]

most people define cycling on this forum as 8 hours on, 8 hours off.  it doesn't have to be exact though.  just run it for a few hours, then turn it off for a few hours, and repeat.

i wonder if these new lamps need to be run a few times to mix the wax.  i have no idea, but if zachary's lamp did something similar to yours but then it worked after running it a few times, it's certainly possible.  if not, don't even mess with it and exchange it for a new one.  these lamps should work right out of the tube.

[Joseph]

Well, I guess I'll try to cycle the lamp. I read somewhere some had the same problem I did, and they put a 60watt bulb in it and it started to flow. Would a 60watt burn it out? Im starting to think that it doesn't get hot enough.

Brad said:

most people define cycling on this forum as 8 hours on, 8 hours off.  it doesn't have to be exact though.  just run it for a few hours, then turn it off for a few hours, and repeat.

i wonder if these new lamps need to be run a few times to mix the wax.  i have no idea, but if zachary's lamp did something similar to yours but then it worked after running it a few times, it's certainly possible.  if not, don't even mess with it and exchange it for a new one.  these lamps should work right out of the tube.

[Brad]

you could, but the lamp should flow with 40w.  also, if the ambient temperature is around 70F or the lamp is sitting under or close to a cold air vent, it will hinder flow.

[Joseph]

I tried a 60watt bulb. It wouldn't even come on in that base, so that's out of the question.

It's been going again for another 4 hours and it's just a blob in the bottom motionless. As far as the ambient temperature in the room it's 75f

Brad said:

you could, but the lamp should flow with 40w.  also, if the ambient temperature is around 70F or the lamp is sitting under or close to a cold air vent, it will hinder flow.

[Joseph]

I would just go and return it, but it's a decent drive from my house. Being that this is my second dud, how many of these things do I have to go through to get a working one. It just doesn't make any sense why it won't work.

[Brad]

if you contact susan at lava lite, they should send you a new one at no cost, and you get to keep the bad one.  her email is on this board if you search for it.   your last option is to try another 40w bulb to rule out a bad bulb.  if not, the densities are likely incorrect (bad formula).

[Brad]

no idea.  this happens from time to time and is a result of poor quality control.

Joseph said:

I would just go and return it, but it's a decent drive from my house. Being that this is my second dud, how many of these things do I have to go through to get a working one. It just doesn't make any sense why it won't work.

[Joseph]

Well thanks for your help anyway. It's currently been on today for 11 hours and it's actually starting to flow just a little, it's all melted back down (still partially a column form this morning) but it just goes up in a big ball half the length of the lamp and floats back down, but it is progress.

Brad said:

no idea.  this happens from time to time and is a result of poor quality control.

Joseph said:

I would just go and return it, but it's a decent drive from my house. Being that this is my second dud, how many of these things do I have to go through to get a working one. It just doesn't make any sense why it won't work.