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A lava lamp can lend a relaxing glow and a look of retro fun to just about any space. After a while, though, you may observe that the "lava" in your lamp isn't flowing the mode it used to, or that clumping or clouding are taking away from the lamp's aesthetic. When these issues arise, information technology can exist helpful to know how to articulate them upward—literally. Fortunately, troubleshooting well-nigh mutual lava lamp issues is a breeze.

  1. 1

    Check to encounter whether the metal heating curl is in the right position. When your lamp is working as it should, the ring-shaped, free-floating curl will prevarication flat at the bottom of the bottle, or the transparent container that holds the pause fluid. If it becomes displaced, however, it will no longer be able to transfer rut efficiently, which tin sometimes crusade the wax to slow down or stop birthday.[1]

    • A displaced heating coil may appear slanted or stand up on its side. This typically happens when the coil becomes encased in the fallen wax as information technology dries, causing it to rest at an uneven angle.
    • The heating coil'southward chore is to amplify the heat generated by the internal heating element in the base, which warms the wax from beneath and helps information technology cook faster.[2]

  2. 2

    Turn off your lamp and allow it to cool down for 30 minutes to an hour. Leave the lamp sitting undisturbed until the canteen reaches a safe handling temperature. At this point, you'll exist able to take concord of it and brand the necessary adjustments without worrying virtually burning yourself.[3]

    • It may nevertheless be a good idea to wear gloves or wrap your lava lamp in a thick towel while manipulating it, just in case.

    Tip: Common hang-ups like clumping and doming are often the result of overheating. Past simply giving your lamp a hazard to cool down, these problems will nigh likely sort themselves out.[4]

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  3. three

    Move the lamp around gently until the gyre is lying apartment over again. Start by twirling the bottle in its base or rocking information technology from side to side. If that doesn't do the trick, carefully selection it upward and tilt it at a more extreme angle. Once you've righted the ringlet, you lot can plough the lamp back on and enjoy its relaxing glow.[v]

    • Avert shaking or jostling the lamp too hard, as this can cause clouding, which is somewhat tougher to fix.
    • The coil is smaller in diameter than bottom of the bottle, so you should have no problem getting it back in its proper position one time the wax has warmed up enough to melt partially.

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  1. 1

    Switch off your lava lamp and allow the wax to settle completely. With well-nigh styles of lamps, this volition ordinarily take somewhere around six-8 hours. Your all-time bet is to allow it sit overnight and come back to information technology sometime the next mean solar day.[6]

    • Clouding occurs when trace amounts of oils from the wax begin seeping into the surrounding liquid. This can happen if yous shake your lamp or knock it over accidentally.
    • To avoid overturning your lava lamp, situate it in an out-of-the-way spot where you or someone else will be less probable to bump into it.

  2. ii

    Plow on the lamp for about an hour, and so turn it off and let it cool again. This volition give the wax merely enough time to melt just a chip. The idea is to get it prissy and soft and so that when it settles again, all the loose picayune particles floating effectually in the liquid will fuse back into one big hulk.[7]

    • Be certain to requite the wax plenty of time to resettle after the initial burst of heat. If you turn it back on prematurely, you may just end upwardly having to do the whole thing over again.
    • In some cases, turning off the lamp for 24 hours and turning it back on may as well take care of the problem.[viii]

  3. 3

    Run the lamp continuously for 8-x hours. With any luck, the repeated heating and cooling will have reintegrated the wax, leaving the suspension liquid crystal clear. If your lamp still looks cloudy afterwards, you may have no other option than to buy a new 1 or supplant the tainted liquid yourself.[ix]

    • Never leave your lava lamp on for more than than 8-10 hours at a fourth dimension. Overheating can present a serious risk of fire.[x]

    Tip: If y'all want to savour your lamp'due south mesmerizing aura 24/seven, encounter if your unit has a built-in timer that you can set to turn it off automatically, or invest in a second lamp that you tin can alternate with the first.[11]

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  1. ane

    Turn off your lava lamp and permit it sit down for 2-iii hours. It's important to brand sure that the wax inside has had a chance to cool completely prior to operating on your lamp. Otherwise, y'all could end up accidentally pouring it out when you go to empty the canteen.[12]

    • While you're at information technology, become alee and unplug your lamp as well to ensure that there's no ability running to it.
    • Make sure that all of the wax is settled at the lesser of the lamp before you keep.

  2. 2

    Unscrew or pry off the top of the lamp. Some lamps accept threaded tops that you tin simply twist off by hand. Others have flat or bottle cap-style tops that will be a little more difficult to remove. You may demand to catch an adaptable wrench, a pair of pliers, or a canteen opener to give yourself some extra leverage.[13]

    • Brace the lamp firmly with your free hand while you work on the top to prevent the liquid within from sloshing out when it finally pops off.

    Warning: Removing the peak from your lava lamp could void your warranty and ruin your chances of getting a free or discounted replacement should your repairs be unsuccessful.

  3. 3

    Pour out the erstwhile liquid without disturbing the solidified wax. Drain the liquid into the sink slowly. Once the lamp is completely empty, run iii–4 fluid ounces (89–118 mL) of cold water down the interior side of the bottle, swish it effectually gently for a few seconds, and drain it over again.[fourteen]

    • Don't shake the lamp up and downwardly, as this could break up the wax.
    • Y'all may need to repeat the rinsing process several times to flush out every last bit of lingering oil residue.
    • Both the liquid and the wax within a lava lamp are non-toxic, so in that location's no need to habiliment gloves or exist overly cautious hither. Only exist sure to wash your easily afterwards.[15]

  4. iv

    Refill the bottle with fresh h2o, leaving 2 inches (5.1 cm) of space at the tiptop. Equally yous did when rinsing, run the downwards the side of the bottle to avoid breaking up the hardened wax. Stop before you reach the top—you'll exist adding a couple more than ingredients, then save some room.[16]

    • It's best to use distilled or filtered h2o for this stride, since both types of water tend to be more than pure than ordinary tap water. However, tap water will also work if it's all you lot accept.
    • If you opt to use tap water, be aware that it contains small amounts of chemicals and minerals that may bear on the beliefs of the wax one time you get the lamp going again.

  5. 5

    Turn on the lamp and allow it to warm upwards for 2-6 hours. Now, return your still-topless lamp to its base of operations, plug it back in, and switch it on to become some heat running through it. For the last few steps, you lot'll need the wax to exist melted in order to find whether it'due south behaving properly.[17]

    • Most lava lamps attain platonic flow temperature in around ii-3 hours, merely your lamp may need more or less time, depending on its size, volume, and frequency of apply.[18]
    • The lack of a top won't affect your lava lamp's operation. It's simply at that place to hold the liquid in.

  6. 6

    Squeeze 2-3 drops of articulate liquid dish soap into the water in the bottle. Easy does it here—a little bit of soap goes a long way. You only need enough detergent to promote separation between the oily wax and the surrounding fluid. Adding too much could lead to bubbling, foaming, excessive separation or other visual defects.[xix]

    • A clear diversity of soap will prevent whatever unexpected and undesired changes to your lamp's colors.

  7. seven

    Deliquesce ½ cup (150 g) of Epsom salt in a small drinking glass of warm water. Make full the glass first, then measure your salt and sift them in gradually as you stir. Keep stirring the mixture until the common salt has dissolved entirely. The resulting solution should announced somewhat white in color.[xx]

    • For this project, yous'll desire to utilize pure, all-natural Epsom common salt, without any added colors, fragrances, or essential oils.
    • Steer clear of regular table salts, and any type of iodized table salt, for that matter. These will just cause the lamp liquid to become cloudy again.[21]

  8. 8

    Use a harbinger or pipette to slowly add the solution until the wax flows normally. Drop in well-nigh one teaspoon (4.9 mL) at a time, then expect three-v minutes to meet how the wax reacts. The common salt will gradually increase the density of the water, encouraging the less dense wax to ascension. Subsequently a petty while, your lava lamp should be flowing just like the solar day you got it![22]

    • Yous tin can as well use a teaspoon to transfer the salt solution if you lot don't happen to have a pipette or drinking straw handy.[23]
    • This is the nearly time-consuming step, merely also the nigh important, so accept patience and be careful not to overdo it.

  9. nine

    Supervene upon your lamp's top when y'all're happy with the way things are moving. If it'south the kind with threads, all you have to do is screw it back on snugly. If it'due south a flat or bottle cap-style acme, you lot may need to utilise a dab of super glue to assistance secure information technology since you had to force it off earlier. All done![24]

    • Leave your lamp running while the glue dries. Most super glues cure faster when exposed to heat.

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  • Don't sweat it if none of the solutions outlined hither become your lamp looking brand new. Lava lamps tend to be fairly inexpensive, then if worse comes to worst, you can e'er merely pick up a replacement.

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  • Problems like astringent clouding, defective heating elements, damaged electrical components, and cracked or broken bottles volition likely be beyond the average user's ability to repair at domicile. Should you lot encounter any of these issues, consider buying a new lamp.

  • Never touch your lamp when it's running or has only recently been turned off. Doing then could give you lot a nasty burn down.

  • To minimize the danger of burn, make sure your lava lamp is a safe distance away from flammable items like defunction, tablecloths, and loose papers.

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Things You'll Need

  • Gloves or thick towel (optional)
  • Distilled or filtered water
  • Clear liquid dish soap
  • Epsom salt
  • Drinking glass
  • Spoon
  • Straw, pipette, or teaspoon
  • Adaptable wrench, pliers, or bottle opener (optional)
  • Tap h2o (optional)
  • Super mucilage (optional)

References

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  • Jeb

    "Lava lamp stalled and nosotros fixed it with the info contained in this article, thank you lot."

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