The lava in the lamp is melted by a bulb that heats up the wax causing it to melt into flowing lava, depending on the size of your lamp, the watt of the bulb will differ. In other words, the bigger the lamp is then a bigger bulb wattage will be needed.
The coil is located right at the bottom of the lamp, basically the hard wax sits on top of it.
So if someone was to ask me why there lava lamp wasn't flowing, I would say to them, make sure your coil is working and also the bulb as that's what mainly causes the wax to melt into lava and if it's not melted properly then it wont flow all that well.
Also there may not be anything wrong with your lava lamp at all, it might just require a bit more time, some take longer then others to fully melt, this also may depend on the density of the wax and oil, One could be taking a bit longer then the other.
If after all that it still doesn't flow properly, then it's possible it could be broken and you would be better off just buying a brand new one. They are rather inexpensive these days, of course that depends on the size. The giant ones can cost around $200 - $500 but if your like me, I love the smaller ones that fit perfectly on a table.
I've had my lava lamp about a month. It flowed fine the first two weeks but now it won't. The wax is melted but won't rise and fall like it's suppose to. I've turned the lamp and gently shook it and the wax will move, but once I set it back down it all collects at the bottom and stays there. What's wrong?
ReplyDeleteSounds like your coil or bulb has stuffed up. Try replacing the bulb? Do you have the correct watt bulb?
DeleteHave you shook it up BC what also causes it to flow is density so if you shook it then it caused the wax and the water to become the same density so it will not flow
DeleteI solved my problem by moving the coil around. you do that by tilting th lamp on its side slightly and it will move. then make sure you move the coil back to where it was so it can heat properly. kinda like reseting it
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DeleteNever ever shake your lava lamp there's a FAQ for lava lamps but I forgot the name of the website but I do know you never shake it
DeleteNever ever shake your lava lamp there's a FAQ for lava lamps but I forgot the name of the website but I do know you never shake it
DeleteMy lava lamp has a big blob at the bottom i checked the coil it has the same watt light bulb i got it for 30$ at Wal-Mart its only 2 weeks old what do i do
Deletei changed the blub in my lava lamp still nothing the coil is at the bottom the lava just sets at the bottom and the top i have one of those rainbow lamps it's green blue & red
DeleteAnyone know why my lamp is only making one large bubble
Deletei have the same issure unfortunately. One large ball of plasma at the bottom of my lamp not rising up at all. the two coils are perfectly placed at the bottom and I changed my lightbulb so that's not the problem here. This fenomena occured after not turning on my lamp for a few months. There's a lot to be found on the internat to fix a ball op plasma staying at the top but nothing to be found about it staying at the bottom. Please someone: how dit you fix it? I have the mathmos lavalamp astro (purple / red - black edition. Sad :(
DeleteSame thing going on with mine. The wax melts but just makes a mound at the bottom of the bottle. My other lava lamp flows very well but it is a different kind and it is quite old but works wonders. I've tried to switch the bulb, turn it over, etc. but still just is a blob at the bottom of the jar. Just got it for Christmas too.
ReplyDeleteHey question! Did yours ever work?? Mines been doing the same thing and I just got it for christmas as well. (Its funny we both got ours for christmas and I'm posting this comment on the same day. lol.) But anyway, do yours ever fix and how?
DeleteI got mine for Christmas also lol. Mines building up at the base but not really going to the top either. It did the first 2 or 3 times after it was on a for while. Now it's not. I'll have it on for over 5 hours and nothing is happening.
DeleteSame exact thing going on over here. We got it for Christmas. It worked a few times. Now it's all stuck at the bottom. I think we left it on too long once. Maybe that has something to do with it?
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DeleteGuys ... the common problem here seems to be either the bulb or coil.
DeleteReplace the bulb , try that first. I wouldn't bother with replacing the coil, to Mich stuffing around. Just buy a new lava lamp or perhaps still under warranty?
I got mine on Christmas too lol and had the same problem too!!!!!
DeleteI just bought one also, same problem. Gets real hot, wax all melted, and nothing.
DeleteI got mine yesterday. Its a 14" one, it rises but doesn't make the cute little bubble shapes. Its been plugged in all night
ReplyDeleteBubble shapes?
DeleteThe different shapes the bubble form into; thats what she means.
DeleteI have the same problem it does not flow the coil and bulb aré Ok, what Caín i do????
ReplyDeleteIf it ain't flowing then either your coil or bulb is not functioning properly .
DeleteNice
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem got mine for Christmas the lava just gets hot and sits at the bottom, but there is also me lava that sits around the top
ReplyDeleteSame
DeleteHmm.. that's Weird. Time for a new lamp perhaps?
Deletei have the same problem. it worked great for years. then the bulb died. i replaced it. and now theres lava at the bottom stuck all the way up one side finishing in a big solid mound at the top and has little specs of lava stuck dotting the sides all around the lamp. at first i thought it wasnt getting hot enough but i felt the lamp and its too hot to touch and the lava seems liquidy even on the upper sides its just stuck. It has me rather confused lol
DeleteHeat up your lava lamp and then,gradually and very smoothly invert the container.allow an hour or longer for the glass and wax to cool.the lighter wax will settle on what is normally the buttom this way.once cooled run the lamp again and the waxes will recombine.if you did not clumbsily shake it while inverting it the lamp will be as good as new
DeleteThis worked great! Thanks!
DeleteThis worked for me!
DeleteHeat up your lava lamp and then,gradually and very smoothly invert the container.allow an hour or longer for the glass and wax to cool.the lighter wax will settle on what is normally the buttom this way.once cooled run the lamp again and the waxes will recombine.if you did not clumbsily shake it while inverting it the lamp will be as good as new
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ReplyDeletemine just sits at top of lamp idk what is going on with it i put 40 wat in it still dont work right
ReplyDeleteHey Debbie , Sounds like there is something wrong with the wax in your lava lamp as the lava once melted and rises to the top, changes in density and begins to cool forcing it back down to the bottom for reheating.
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ReplyDeleteWhere's the guys that answers these problems? My daughter got one for Christmas too and it worked at first but now it doesn't
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a faulty lamp. When you purchased your daughters lava lamp , it should have come with at least 12 months warranty. Take it back and get a replacement.
DeleteHelp! Mine is stuck solidly at the top to the bottom, its all together but when it heats up it doesnt move. Its like the wax is burned and wont un-freeze... HELP ME PLZ
ReplyDeleteSounds like your coil or bulb has had it. If it is the bulb, then go buy a another bulb... very inexpensive. But , If it's the coil then My advice is, buy another Lava Lamp. Lamps plus is a great option.
DeleteBest advice? Buy one from Lamps Plus. Free shipping and Free returns. I purchased mine in December and the same thing happened two weeks ago. They're replacing it free of charge and not even asking me to return the one that stopped working. Also, when you purchase from Lamps Plus you have a full one year warranty! And, they have a great selection on colors, as well as great prices. Now that's Customer Service! No, I don't work for them!! Just a very satisfied customer.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree , Lamps plus is a great supplier of Lava Lamps.
DeleteMine did the same after probably 3 days of use... I do leave mine on all night... is it a hazard to just keep in on even if it's not moving?
ReplyDeleteYo unknown , Yes it can be a hazard leaving it on for long periods of time.
DeleteRecall that when you're dealing with electricity or any source of heat, there'll always be a risk. The glasses that lava lamps have are tempered. But even they can weaken over time. If a short occurs, usually the circuit breaker will trigger to prevent any further current flow as it detects a surge. Surges create powerful electromagnetic fields that actually switch the circuit breakers to off. I have my lava lamps plugged into a power strip that is typically used for things like computers because they have an added benefit of triggering their own built-in surge protectors. They do the job just fine to keep my lava lamps running. But still the foolproof safety is to have them off when you're not in supervision. Somedays, I keep them on because I'm either in the mood or anticipate on having company over. I know it's disconcerting to turn them off only to wait a couple hours for them to do their thing again but think of the safety, how you could be decreasing their lifetime with them on constantly, and your electric bill.
DeleteTHE PROBLEM I HAVE IS>The wax melts but just makes a mound at the bottom of the bottle ,the lava is not moving, the lava is sitting at the bottom of the globe
ReplyDeleteHey Yolander , Sounds like the coil , which is responsible for the Heating is not Heating up like I should be.
DeleteTwo options here.
You can replace the coil yourself. Pain in the butt doing that in my opinion.
Or two... just go and buy a new one :-)
Reading all of these problems that are the same, sounds like they must have gotten a bad batch of wax or oil. I think they should give all of us a refund. Too many, same problem,"............
DeleteMy lava lamp retired into my parents attic still the original bulb still in the original box sleeping for 30 years. I just recently found it again plugged it in and it still works. Sorta it's getting hot the coil is clean but it don't bubble anymore. The wax is melted but just sites on the bottom doing nothing. If you remove the top cap I can see a small bit of wax it looks like unmelted.or is this not wax but a main ingredient for making the wax flow? Is my lava lamp just dead and can't be fixed and thrown out? Or should I just let it run for a few days. I've had it on for about 5 hrs and still nothing. Can I fix it or trash it?
ReplyDeleteSame with mine. I put what I did in comment below. Maybe it will work for you.
DeleteSo I got my lava lamp out of storage it's been there for years. I plugged it in and it would melt and lay at the bottom and collect and harden at the top. Well before finding sites that said don't shake, I turned it a few times and it all separated. So I let it settle again. It collected at top and bottom again but it wouldn't flow right. So I turned the container upside down and let almost all of it collect. Once I saw it hardening I would flip it over and get the rest of the lava to the top to attach to the rest of the lava. When it was all hard and the coil sat level I took my hair dryer and put it to the glass to melt it away from the bottle. I put it in the metal light holder and sure enough once it got hot it started to flow again. My husband said its done just get another or make one. Well I don't I've up lol and making one is just to damn expensive. It worked for me hopefully this will help someone else.
ReplyDeleteThanks! This worked for me and my lava lamp works again! :-)
DeleteSOME MINDS THINK ALIKE~ i did the same thing u did,, i have also wrapped sheet of paper towel around the bottle ,then put a sheet of aluminium foil around the paper towel, and then put a rubber band around the foil (to hold paper towel & foil in place) then i will get a blow dryer and wave it around the bottle for 5mins or a bit longer,, this usually get it hot enough and lava starts flowing like it should
ReplyDeleteHi. We have been using my lavast lamp without any problem but the lava today has just reached out to the top of the glass and stuck- in one long blob by column! Any ideas? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've had my lava lamp for about two years and it's been working properly but for the past few days all it does is make a huge mound at the top. I don't know what to do or what's wrong with it. I'll leave it off when I go to school and when I turn it on the mound is still there. I've asked my girlfriend what's wrong with it and she doesn't know. May someone please help me. I miss watching it bubble ;-;
ReplyDeletehave only had my lava lamp for 2wks. Turned it n yeaterday and it was working fine. I left it on all night and now the lava is just like a thick string from top to botttom...
ReplyDeleteTry makelava.com. seems they may have a solution. Looks to be a bit of work, hut if it helps... :-)
DeleteTry makelava.com. seems they may have a solution. Looks to be a bit of work, hut if it helps... :-)
DeleteIf u are using an extension cord or power strip it will not work for long. Have to plug it into the wall receptacle
DeleteI bought a lava lamp today and it has been running for about 6 hours and the wax will not rise at all.
ReplyDeleteI just had this problem tonite, I was so sad, thought my 20 year old Lava lamp died. As I was troubleshooting I remembered that u can not use an extension cord or power strip with Lava lamps. I unplugged it from the power strip and plugged it directly into the wall receptacle. TADA TADA, she working great
ReplyDeleteMake sure u are not using an extension cord or power strip
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ReplyDeleteHow do you know if you have the right bulb I got a lava lamp replacment bulb from Wal-Mart.
ReplyDeleteLook at the label on the base of the lamp. It usually is provided, typically in the base where the bulb goes. The lamps I have are 14.5 inches. They require S11 bulbs that are 25 watts. Past that as you go bigger in size, you likely will need a bulb that has a normal base and may require somewhere between 30 to 40 watts. The bigger the lamp, the more watts you'll need, and typically a larger sized bulb. Research it online. They can usually tell you.
DeleteDid anyone get the sharper image bluetooth speaker lava lamp that what I got and I have 0 flow even after 5 hours
ReplyDeleteChoy there is more to it than the bulb and coil, the water contains glicine and salts and sometimes with the heat the composition of these ingredients changes rendering the lamp useless.You can try refreshing the water but getting the right balance of mixture is time consuming and difficult. My advice, Chuck it away and buy a new one for $20 it is sooo much easier.
ReplyDeleteYou know a brand new lava lamp runs about 10-25 dollars...this is my second one and some reason it quit bubbling just like my old one did :/ I'll just let it be a while
ReplyDeleteYou know a brand new lava lamp runs about 10-25 dollars...this is my second one and some reason it quit bubbling just like my old one did :/ I'll just let it be a while
ReplyDeletemy nieces lava lamp was very hot n wouldnt move the lava i shook it and now it works wonders
ReplyDeleteI dropped my lava lamp and now the lava is moving super slow. What do I do
ReplyDeleteMight be a lamp problem. Perhaps the drop affected the circuitry which resulted in decreasing the current flow resulting in a bulb just hot enough to melt the wax but not enough to create convection. It's basically not heated enough to expand and decrease its density to rise. It just melts and maintains its fluid state. Try a different bulb perhaps or one that is 5 watts hotter. The ones I have are 25 watts but going 30 watts might not hurt. Just supervise it when you do. Truth be told I have a habit of leaving mine on when not present. I'm changing that habit for both to prolong the life of my lava lamp and safety. Also to tack on a reason, electric bill. I have dropped one before and noticed for a while it would not circulate. But over time it started working again. Perhaps because I left it on for a while to do its thing or I put in a new bulb or I shook it up. But it definitely acts opposite of what it was doing before.
DeleteSame problem as everyone else. Just sits as a blob on the bottom. Looks like this has been an issue for a few years. We got the medium size. I wonder what size everyone else is having problems with.
ReplyDeleteOne other thought, I'm willing to bet the standard wattage light is too weak to actually make the lamp work. Probably because some idiot out there misused their light and sued lava lamp. So thanks to them we now have to replace our bulbs so the company can't assume liability. Lawyers, ruining life and lava lamps for everyone
That is likely. Try going 5 to 10 watts higher. It should remedy the problem. Or maybe it needs a proper shake. Do that as a last resort.
DeleteSome lava lamps have their own personalities, figuratively speaking. Every time I buy a new lava lamp and turn it on, it may take a few times of it being heated and turned off for it just to start behaving normally. I think doing that conditions the wax inside considering the process of making them and them being inert in a package for so long may have affected the chemistry of the liquid and wax. Turning it on will allow it to reset or change that chemistry going on. I can leave my lava lamps on for a week. By doing that they usually end up forming more and smaller globules. Sometimes they'll coalesce to form larger or continuous globules. Fact of the matter is you might have to use it a few times to prime it. I have shaken them a few times just to calibrate the mixture when heated. Has helped a few times but not recommended unless lamp misbehaves persistently.
ReplyDeleteI also have them plugged into a power strip. The more modern ones might be working better than their predecessors. Also remember that the different color waxes may have different color compositions. Same goes with the liquid they are in that has different color variations. Darker waxes may heat up better than lighter wax due to the albedo effect because darker ones absorb more light and therefore it is converted into heat. Lighter colored waxes are more prone to reflecting light back. Think of two cars on a summer day while one has a black interior and one has a white interior. The black interior one is much hotter. Same with black asphalt vs. white sidewalk pavement.
DeleteHi I'm having a similar problem with my lava lamp. I've had is for quite a few years. Everything seems to be fine. The Lava MELTS But Only Sits On The bottom I think there is something wrong with the coil. But how do I know if the coul has gone bad????
ReplyDeleteIf you are running a fan or something near a lava lamp, even if its not directly on it in a closed room, it will affect temp and resulting operation will be poor. I found this out with a new lamp I had only used maybe twice since I bought it about 1 yr ago...
ReplyDeleteSame problem here. I think the problem is the size of the lamps these days. they are smaller than the original. As a result the whole bottle gets to be as hot on top as it is on bottom and theres no convetion. The old taller bottles cooled better at the top i think.
ReplyDeleteMy problem with two of my lava lamps is that they heat up and work great. Beautiful flow and then after a couple hours the wax just sinks and sits in a pile on the bottom. So mine is confusing me because it works and then stops. Any idea?
ReplyDeleteAfter I read not to plug it into an extension cord or other adapter. I plug mine into the wall outlet it works perfectly and I had the same problem with the wax in a hot mound at the bottom.
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ReplyDeletei have had my lava lamp for just a week and the wax at the bottom has come up and there is a black and white ring at the bottom which i assume is the coil but how to I get it to settle at the bottom as it used to. ps it got knocked over by my cat which caused the wax to move.
ReplyDeleteSo I just got my lamp today and the coil was on the side and I didn't notice until the wax was melted so I turned it off and let it cool down. After it cooled I turned it back on and the coil had gone to the bottom when the wax was melted. Well when that happened the melted wax in the middle of the wax ball was released towards the top and it got stuck.... Is there a way for the wax to go back down or should I wait for it to heat up a little bit more?
ReplyDeletecan I take the bottle cap off the top of the lava lamp to access the wax on the inside?? It is stuck up at the top.
ReplyDeletei just bought a lava lamp from walmart,its one of the rainbow colored ones and i have had it about a week now,the lava when i opened it out of the box stretched from the bottom to the top of the lamp in a big cluster.I have let it run 4 hrs and turn it off let it rest like it says and repeat.The lava is still in this cluster and doesn't move any.The coil is on the bottom where it should be and the bulb works and should be good sense the lamp is brand new and gets hot.but it just doesn't seem to be working like it should.what can i do?
ReplyDeleteMy lamp gets hot and the lava moves but the lava blobs don't join together. Like two lava bubbles won't "pop" together to make one large bubble. To me, that was the most satisfying thing about the lava lamp. I wish I could explain it better but that's the best I can do.
ReplyDeleteI've got the same problem! The wax is getting hot, different size of bubbles rise to the top, but no matter how big/small they are or how many of them are there, they just don't melt into one and they fall down exactly the same as they floated up. But they melt at the bottom. I tried different room temperatures, different places (closer/further from window and sunlight) and nothing solves the problem... I haven't changed a thing inside (no swirling, no shaking, no bulb replacement) since I bought it about a month ago. Can somebody help me?
DeleteMy brand new Mathmos lamp doesn't seem to be working. I've left it on twice for over eight hours and the wax just stays at the bottom and never moves. The coil is right where it should be at the very bottom of the lamp. I live in the US and bought it through someone on eBay who got it from the Mathmos factory as they don't ship directly to the US. It was delivered in the cold and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with this. I've read in another forum that shipping in below freezing temperatures can permanently damage the wax.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any insight? Is there anything I can try short of returning it?
Interesting blog /thank you for having it/have a Grande /my coil is very old & broke /don't know what the coil is called /looks like about 03.mm /what can I replace it with
ReplyDeleteI brought 2 large lava lamps second hand the lava moves fine ..my problem is it is very cloudy how can I clear it without emptying it any ideas ?
ReplyDeleteI suspect the wax or oil can just get old. I have a green one that I suspect was pretty old but maybe wasn't used much. I don't really know. worked well
ReplyDeleteFor a year then bulb died replaced the 40w and it continued to work but after another 6 mo or so it didn't flow as well. Took longer to get the sweet spot with the wax undulating and then it started to stop flowing after about 5 hours with the wax just sitting in a lump at the bottom. So I created shims so some of the lamp heat could escape from under the glass and it helped for awhile but took even longer to warm up. Then it still was only lasting 4 hours so I got a 20 watt bulb. Then I had to do the 20 watt with shims. basically the sweet spot where the wax flows just keeps getting shorter. Does the wax or oil just start to wear out?
What's good you groovy mother fuckers. Went ahead and got myself a magma lamp for xmas too, and ya boy ran into the same problamo. I have it plugged into a power strip that's shared with my PS4 and TV, and I suspect that could be a factor. So I'm finna try plugging it into the wall straight up (la flame!) and see if that makes the bulb any hotter (like, Avril Lavigne hot) and makes my magma lamperino flow like nut from my rod after seeing girlsdoporn e319. I'll report back after I try it (probz). Happy New Year you groovy mother fuckers!
ReplyDeletea minha lampada fica a subir pelos lados e não faz bolhas o que fazer?
ReplyDeleteIt worked for the first day then it did not want to move the wax
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried a heating lamp I used one and it helped melt the wax to the right temp.
ReplyDeleteI've had mine since Christmas and it's only the 28th today and it stopped flowing the wax is floating at the top and idek what to do I've gently shook it I've turned it off for a day and it just won't flow
ReplyDeletemines having the same problem I got mine christmas and it worked for like 3 days I don't know what to do
DeleteI've been working for over 30 years how's the lighting distributor and among other things a lava lamp distributor. I have tried doing all the wrong things to lava lamps so it would have good answers for my customers. But now my giant lava doesn't want to work after three or four tries. I'm lighting knowledge-based and as soon as I figure it out I'll post it. By the way for some reason this is not showing my correct email address but I'll get back with answers
DeleteMy wax will melt after I take a hair dryer to it to warm it up because my bulb isn't getting hot enough. I'm using the bulb that came with my lava lamp but it doesn't get the top of the lava lamp hot enough so it'll just float and stay at the top. After I use a hair dryer on the lump of cold wax it just sits at the top even completely melted. Can someone help?
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I nought a used lava lamp (mathmos), that only makes one column of wax from top to bottom, not forming these rising and falling globules. Anyone any idea?
ReplyDelete