I notice that your fluid got a bit more cloudy after you added more salt water. After some research, I found that Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) would be a better choice to prevent that cloudiness.
So I got a big lava lamp off my sister that was extremely cloudy for years. It looks similar to yours and I was going to give this a try. I got the crimped cap off nice and dumped out the water a d refilled it with distilled water and just turned it on. It worked exactly the same as it did, very well only minus the cloudy water. I didnt use dish soap or any type of salt...just water. It works great. I resealed the original cap with a metal hose clamp and it's like new again. Thanks for the video but why did this work for me?
Never use salts of any type, it will cause corrosion of the coil. Use glycerine or Proplene Glycol. Glycerine gives a far more exciting serpentine flow.
Propylene Glycol is the trick. It lowers the amount of heat the water can hold. This is what let's the wax cool just enough to sink. Without it it will eventually just float cause the water is too warm .
For anyone coming here to repair a Lava Lamp, NEVER use ANY kind of salt to balance the specific gravity. It will corrode the coil over time and can damage the wax causing cloudiness. There are better solutions out there, such as Glycerin or Polyethylene Glycol, which are both water soluble and much denser than water. You can get Glycerin at your local pharmacy in the skin care section.
Propylene Glycol is the trick. It lowers the amount of heat the water can hold. This is what let's the wax cool just enough to sink. Without it it will eventually just float cause the water is too warm.
Brilliant job there Ric. Can you say a bit more about the surfactant? Is diswashing liquid soap enough? I live in South Africa... So would like to know what ingredient specifically I have to look for. Also, what about the coil spring or gauze at the bottom of the bottle? Did yours have this? Thanks again.
the ingredient that you have to look for is glicerin and i think all dishwashers have and it has to be clear and if regular water do not work with your lamp do all process again but instead use destilled water
You are just like me.. I have almost a dozen lava lamps throughout my house!!! I think your lamp turned out great!! What is the water/Epson salt ratio?
It’s likely running a bit too hot. You can buy a cheap dimmer and turn down the bulb a bit once it gets up to operating temp to keep the lava from floating to the top so fast it sticks and stays. I found one for about $15 on Amazon, and I only have to turn it down about 5% to get it to work properly
I’m going to be doing this one the large, 27 inch one they sell. I got it years ago and it was cloudy off the bat. I returned it but had to pay for the shipping to return it and my replacement was also cloudy.
Appearantly there was a bad batch by lot number. I've read a few different places of the same problem. The inside of my 27 has stuff on the walls of the glass. I have no idea how to clean it. You can see it if you look across the glass side to side.
Epsom Salt will cause the water to become cloudy due to impurities caught in the large crystals due to the manufacturing process. You want to use a salt, you should use Kosher salt. Kosher Salt has far less impurities and kosher salt is less likely to contain additives like anti-caking agents and iodine. It has the same effect with far less cloudiness. This is what they use in commercial lava lamp liquids for tuning the specific gravity along with a drop of dish soap (to remove the surface tension of the water.) However the real heavy guarded secret they have is what they put in the paraffin wax to obtain the density there, what ever they use combines with the wax and doesn't leech into the water. It used to be trichloroethylene but that chemical is outlawed in many states, so if anyone knows what they use in the wax, it has almost a plastic flower smell to it, comment. :)
You can use perc (percloroethylene). And ad density if you need with glycerine. I made my own lava lamp with those ingredients. Actually, Mathmos lava lamps use chlorinated paraffin, becuz is safer, but is doen't sell at small amounts.
Salts should never be used. They cause corrosion of the coil. Glycerine or Proplene Glycol is the stuff you need. Glycerine is superior out of the two.
@Ric Barline. It would be so cool if just one of the Folks that have posted one of these ''Fixing Your Lava Lamp'' Video's would list the amounts used. Like what, a Tea Spoon of Epsom Salt per Liter of Distilled Water.... That would be so helpful..... Thanks for posting the video.. Our older Lamp has this issue; The wax, once heated, just floats to the top, where it remains, doesn't fall back down, doesn't pull apart. Just stays in one large glob.... I've been using the same 25 Watt Bulbs, that I pay probably around $1.50-$2.00 a piece, which has worked for the past 4 or so years since the original 25 Watt Halogen Bulb went bad......MD........
I've seen a teaspoon at a time of Epson salt/water mix. I think the reason there isn't a set amount recommended is that there are alot of variables at play: what wattage bulb used, size of bottle, how much water is inside, etc.
I notice that your fluid got a bit more cloudy after you added more salt water. After some research, I found that Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) would be a better choice to prevent that cloudiness.
The red lava in blue water is lovely
So I got a big lava lamp off my sister that was extremely cloudy for years. It looks similar to yours and I was going to give this a try. I got the crimped cap off nice and dumped out the water a d refilled it with distilled water and just turned it on. It worked exactly the same as it did, very well only minus the cloudy water. I didnt use dish soap or any type of salt...just water. It works great. I resealed the original cap with a metal hose clamp and it's like new again. Thanks for the video but why did this work for me?
Never use salts of any type, it will cause corrosion of the coil.
Use glycerine or Proplene Glycol.
Glycerine gives a far more exciting serpentine flow.
Propylene Glycol is the trick. It lowers the amount of heat the water can hold. This is what let's the wax cool just enough to sink. Without it it will eventually just float cause the water is too warm
.
My lamp has no coil.
@@TrpleAgnt2011
Then you have an issue lol
All lava lamps have a coil in the bottom.
Thanks for the video mate!
For anyone coming here to repair a Lava Lamp, NEVER use ANY kind of salt to balance the specific gravity. It will corrode the coil over time and can damage the wax causing cloudiness. There are better solutions out there, such as Glycerin or Polyethylene Glycol, which are both water soluble and much denser than water. You can get Glycerin at your local pharmacy in the skin care section.
Propylene Glycol is the trick. It lowers the amount of heat the water can hold. This is what let's the wax cool just enough to sink. Without it it will eventually just float cause the water is too warm.
what mix do you use
Do a video and show us how it is after it’s heated up
What size is yours
Brilliant job there Ric. Can you say a bit more about the surfactant? Is diswashing liquid soap enough? I live in South Africa... So would like to know what ingredient specifically I have to look for. Also, what about the coil spring or gauze at the bottom of the bottle? Did yours have this? Thanks again.
clear diswashing liquid. that s what i use in mine lamps.
the ingredient that you have to look for is glicerin and i think all dishwashers have and it has to be clear and if regular water do not work with your lamp do all process again but instead use destilled water
You are just like me.. I have almost a dozen lava lamps throughout my house!!! I think your lamp turned out great!! What is the water/Epson salt ratio?
Ideally I don't want any wax "clinging" to the top. It should briefly pause there without losing it's shape and then fall back down.
Insulator? How do I get one what is it
Which tipe of wax
Hi does salt not cloud the water
Check the recommended wattage there should be a sticker on the metal bottom where the bulb is check that
Should so much of the wax be sitting up at the top, mine does the same thing and I'm wondering if I need to refresh it.
It’s likely running a bit too hot. You can buy a cheap dimmer and turn down the bulb a bit once it gets up to operating temp to keep the lava from floating to the top so fast it sticks and stays. I found one for about $15 on Amazon, and I only have to turn it down about 5% to get it to work properly
I’m going to be doing this one the large, 27 inch one they sell. I got it years ago and it was cloudy off the bat. I returned it but had to pay for the shipping to return it and my replacement was also cloudy.
Did you try it
@@delj3875 it didn’t go too well. I’ll have to try again,
@Backlog Gaming I have a 27inch grande too the lava will get hot but not flow up . I'm going give it a good week before I try this
Appearantly there was a bad batch by lot number. I've read a few different places of the same problem. The inside of my 27 has stuff on the walls of the glass. I have no idea how to clean it. You can see it if you look across the glass side to side.
Can I use reverse osmosis water?
Should work. It’s considered “distilled water”
RO water is not distilled water. Distilled water is a $1 a gallon. Why take the chance. He said he used tap water & that may be why he has cloudiness.
I know I'm at the "magic spot" when my Lava Lamp lets out a scream and water shoots out the top !
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Saltiness? I think you mean salinity.
Epsom Salt will cause the water to become cloudy due to impurities caught in the large crystals due to the manufacturing process.
You want to use a salt, you should use Kosher salt.
Kosher Salt has far less impurities and kosher salt is less likely to contain additives like anti-caking agents and iodine. It has the same effect with far less cloudiness. This is what they use in commercial lava lamp liquids for tuning the specific gravity along with a drop of dish soap (to remove the surface tension of the water.)
However the real heavy guarded secret they have is what they put in the paraffin wax to obtain the density there, what ever they use combines with the wax and doesn't leech into the water.
It used to be trichloroethylene but that chemical is outlawed in many states, so if anyone knows what they use in the wax, it has almost a plastic flower smell to it, comment. :)
You can use perc (percloroethylene). And ad density if you need with glycerine. I made my own lava lamp with those ingredients. Actually, Mathmos lava lamps use chlorinated paraffin, becuz is safer, but is doen't sell at small amounts.
@@hyspecs7906 where can I get perc?
LOL. THAT TRICH WILL CLEAN OUT YOUR NOSE BIG TIME.
Salts should never be used. They cause corrosion of the coil.
Glycerine or Proplene Glycol is the stuff you need.
Glycerine is superior out of the two.
@Ric Barline. It would be so cool if just one of the Folks that have posted one of these ''Fixing Your Lava Lamp'' Video's would list the amounts used. Like what, a Tea Spoon of Epsom Salt per Liter of Distilled Water.... That would be so helpful.....
Thanks for posting the video.. Our older Lamp has this issue; The wax, once heated, just floats to the top, where it remains, doesn't fall back down, doesn't pull apart. Just stays in one large glob....
I've been using the same 25 Watt Bulbs, that I pay probably around $1.50-$2.00 a piece, which has worked for the past 4 or so years since the original 25 Watt Halogen Bulb went bad......MD........
Basically, take a jar, dissolve a ton of epsom salt into it until no more will dissolve. Then just do the method in the video and bob's your auntie
I've seen a teaspoon at a time of Epson salt/water mix. I think the reason there isn't a set amount recommended is that there are alot of variables at play: what wattage bulb used, size of bottle, how much water is inside, etc.
Kikoooo
Plug of wax happens. Use a hair dryer it’ll fall
It's pronounced puh-pette