Do You Need A Special Bulb For A Lava Lamp? Right Bulb for Your Lava Lamp

For a couple of quality reasons, lava lamps have recently grown in popularity. Lava lamps, which were initially introduced in 1963 and were known as “Astro Lamps,” are now more than simply excellent mood-setting accessories; they also make striking ornamental elements for any room in your house or business.

Unlike conventional lamps, lava lamps have a lot going on inside, including wax and, most importantly, a different light source. What sort of bulb works for a lava lamp is a common question from customers, incidentally. Without further ado, here’s the info on lava lamps’ operation and the kinds of bulbs that work best with them. Enjoy!

Do You Need A Special Bulb For A Lava Lamp?

Lava lights don’t require specific bulbs, despite the fact that they don’t resemble any other form of lamp now on the market. They do, nevertheless, need bulbs made specifically for the lamp. You can maintain your Lava lamp in good operating condition for as long as possible by selecting the Lava lamp lightbulb type that truly works for your specific model.

You may use the helpful chart below to determine the right Lava light bulb size and wattage for your particular model of Lava lamp. Most of them are the standard appliance-style bulbs that are offered by the majority of big-box stores, like Target, Walmart, Home Depot, etc.

To select the proper watt lightbulb for your lamp, look at the chart under. If bringing the bulb with you would help you be sure you’re receiving the appropriate one, do so.  Make sure you get a two-pack so you would be ready for the next occasion and won’t need to go back to the store to get your Lava lamp blazing and flowing once again.

• A 100-watt lightbulb is required if you have a large 27″ lava lamp.

• 15.5″ lights use a 25-watt bulb.

• A 40-watt lava lamp bulb is advised for lava lamps that are between 16.3″ and 17″, whereas a 15-watt bulb works well for lamps that are 11.5″ or less.

How To Replace Bulb in Lava Lamp?

To learn how to change the bulbs in a lava lamp, it is important to consult your user manual because the design and construction quality of lava lamps might differ across manufacturers. However, the instructions are often the same for all manufacturers, stating that you must first have a bulb with the exact same size, socket, and wattage.

After the lamp has had a chance to cool, disconnect it from the outlet. Disassemble the existing bulb, unscrew the glass globe, and rotate the lava lamp before putting it away. Finally, gently reattach the glass globe and insert the replacement bulb into the slot in a circular motion.

LED Bulb in a Lava Lamp

Because they are marketed as energy-efficient lighting, LED lights don’t generate much heat. Most LED lights provide very modest amounts of heat, insufficient to melt the waxes inside a lava lamp’s cylinder and prevent it from becoming less thick than the liquid of lava lamps and floating to the upper surface.

Compared to other types of bulbs like incandescent lights, LED bulbs utilize around 90% of their energy to generate light. Just 10% of that energy is lost as heat, which is again insufficient to heat the wax inside the lava lamp.

The lava lamp will still heat up if you use an LED bulb, but the lava show will be subpar. In most situations, The manufacturer’s suggested bulb should be noted in the owner’s guide and is the best option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a 20-watt lava lamp with a 25-watt bulb?

Oh, that’s all right. A light fixture’s “maximum wattage” rating is expressed in real watts, not incandescent-equivalent watts.

Can a 40-watt bulb be used in a lava lamp?

Most likely, unless the heat generated by a 40-watt incandescent bulb is required for the lamp’s optimal use, this holds for items like lava lamps, where the heat generated by the bulb is required for the oil to flow the wax to melt. If you got a lava lamp of 16.3” to 17” in height, you should use a 40-watt bulb. They are the best solution to your problem.  

Which type of bulb should I use in a lava lamp?

Lava lights don’t require specific bulbs, even though they don’t resemble any other form of lamp now on the market. They do, however, need bulbs made specifically for the light. You’ll be able to maintain your Lava lamp in good operating condition for as long as possible by finding the Lava lamp bulb type that truly works for your specific version.

How much time should my lava lamp need to warm up?

After being turned on, lava lamps should begin to operate after an hour each time and a half. They will begin to take the form of lava lamps after first forming stalagmite formations. Please be aware that it can take up to three hours for new bottles to heat up. However, after a few uses, the heating time would shorten.

Why are the stalagmite formations on my lava lamp strange?

This is a typical feature of the system warming up. Please give it some more time so that it can begin to produce flowing lava formations.

Final Thoughts

The bulb that produces heat so that the lava may flow to the upper surface is one of the many parts that make up lava lamps. The lava light bulb will eventually need to be replaced like every other bulb. Although LED lights can save you money on electricity, they are not a viable option for lava lamps since they don’t produce enough energy to melt the wax within the cylinder.

For lava lamps, halogen and incandescent lights work well because they produce just the perfect heat to melt the wax. Even if they have a limited lifetime, they are affordable and widely accessible. Your manufacturer’s manual or the recommendations on this page can help you determine the required bulb size.