Will I grow old to the glow of my lava lamp?

As I sit with my daughter looking at the warm glow and flowing lava in my Century model lava lamp I think of the day when it may go dark for good. Dark? Why? What travesty is this?

Well, where I live, in Ontario Canada our government (both Provincial and Federal) in their wisdom (sic) decided to ban outright the sale of traditional incandescent light bulbs by the year 2012. Other jurisdictions have done this also - California and Australia come to mind.

What does the community here think about this? Is there some way we can keep our lava warm and flowing once the last incandescent bulb has burned out?

Thinking of this now has me looking for a small coin shaped module I once bought to extend the life of an incandescent lamp. It was a small copper disc in a plastic housing that you first dropped into the light socket before screwing in the bulb. I understand it was a thermistor chip that prevents the initial surge of power from surging through the lamp filament which is what eventually stresses it and causes the bulb to burn out. I know it is around here somewhere. I don't think they are sold any more but I will look.

In looking at this post I may have answered my own question however I am interested to find out what others are doing to prevent the lava from going dark.

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Permalink Reply by Edward on January 8, 2009 at 11:26pm

That is a nice looking lamp as well.

I am sure that incandescent bulbs will somehow survive this crazy ban. I really don't see the fuss about banning them as I understand many people are moving towards compact fluorescent lamps where possible. In due time fixtures with a so-called "Energy Star" rating will be available that will be designed exclusively for non-incandescent lamps. Even LEDs will eventually take over once the cost comes down. Other interesting technologies for lighting are also in the works. Google for quantum dots and see what I mean. Cool stuff quite literally.

Halogen bulbs might be interesting as they run hotter to allow the evaporated tungsten from the filament to be redeposited onto the filament. A smaller bulb, perhaps even a 12 volt DC automotive bulb might work. For that you would want to know how much heat is produced by the existing bulb then compare it to find a compatible bulb.

I'll still look for that little device as I know it is around somewhere in a drawer or box. It is interesting that I discovered the company that made these stopped doing so in the early 90s. Why? Bad business model. You can't run a sustainable business with one product that people only buy once because it never wears out. It's something I think about now every Christmas when I see more LED lights in the stores. Other than physical damage they should never wear out. Gone will be the days of pulling out the strings of lights, untangling them, and replacing burnt out or broken bulbs. I'll miss those bubble lamps and the old bi-metal blinker module.