Why Is My Lava Lamp Not Working? How to Know

Though lava lamps are a great way to add some fun to your home, sometimes they need some attention. Your lava lamp may stop lightening suddenly and make you frustrated enough to search- why is my lava lamp not working?

Remember that the most common reason for lava lamps not working is broken parts. You can easily replace these yourself if you know how and have the right tools on hand. In most cases, however, it is best to contact an expert who can do this work for you. When you can’t find the issue, read the whole article to understand why your lava lamp isn’t working.

Why Is The Lava Lamp Not Working?

If your lava lamp is no longer working, there are a few things you can try. First, check the cord and make sure it’s plugged in. Then, try turning the lights on and off again. If that doesn’t work and you’re still getting no glare from your lava lamp, turn it off completely (don’t just unplug it) and wait ten minutes before turning it back on again. This should reset any burnt-out components in the lava lamp.

If none of these solutions work for you, check other probable reasons below.

The Lamp Is Broken

If your lava lamp is broken, it’s easy to tell. The flame will be lit and flickering on one side of the glass tube but not on the other. You can also notice that some parts of the glass tube aren’t glowing anymore or look like they’ve been charred by fire.

Several different things can cause this:

• The lamp was not turned off properly before being stored away for long periods.
• The bulb has burned out and needs replacing with a new one if you have access to one.

The Lava Lamp Is Not Plugged In

We’ve already told you about a similar issue. This can be a problem for a number of reasons:

• The power source (the wall outlet) may be broken or damaged.
• The socket itself may be broken and needs to be replaced.
• You might have plugged something else into the socket before trying to connect with your lava lamp, like another electrical device that uses less electricity than what your lava lamp uses, like an electric toothbrush or hair dryer.

The Lava Lamp Is Not On After Plugged In

When your lava lamp is already plugged in but not lighting up, try the following steps:

1. Unplug the power cord from your wall outlet by grasping the plug and pulling it out of the socket.
2. Plug in again using another extension cord or a new one if possible. Be sure to use an extension that matches the voltage rating of your existing lamp. If this does not fix things, try using another extension cord as well.

The Lava Lamp Has A Light Bulb

At this stage, check the light bulb. If it’s out, replaces it with an LED or halogen bulb.

1. Plug in your lava lamp.
2. Turn on the switch at the base of your unit. To do this, push down on it with your finger while turning on electricity at home or work.
3. Finally, fill up any remaining space in its reservoir with fluid. Here, water is recommended since alcohol will break down over time, but water doesn’t evaporate so quickly. Let everything settle before turning off the power again and putting everything away for good.

The Lava Lamp Has No Fluid

Sometimes, when your lava lamp is not working, it’s probably because the fluid inside has evaporated. In that case, the lava lamp needs to be filled with fluid. There are a few ways you can do this:

• You can fill the lava lamp up yourself by adding water or other liquids like oil into the base and then putting it in direct sunlight until it evaporates. This will take several days, but it works! You may need to use a small funnel so that all of the liquid ends up getting inside at once. You can use something like an empty spray bottle that’s been washed out first and then dried out again before filling it with fluid.
• You can also buy some kind of lava lamp liquid from a store. However, if you’re worried about how safe these chemicals are for human consumption, stick with plain tap water instead.

How Do I Know If My Lava Lamp Is Broken?

When you’re wondering how to tell if your lava lamp is broken, there are a few ways to go about it.

1. The first way is by looking at the bottom of the lamp. If there’s no fluid in the base and it doesn’t hold its shape when you press on it, then that’s a good sign that your lava lamp is broken. When there are cracks in the base, something has gone wrong inside the glass tube and needs to be replaced. This can be hard to tell since they often look similar until you remove them from their bases.
2. The second way to tell if your lava lamp is broken is by looking at the glass tube itself. If there are cracks or chips throughout the glass tube’s entire surface, it needs to be replaced as well because it can’t withstand being moved around too much anymore.

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Do When Your Lava Lamp Isn’t Flowing?

You can try different ways to improve the flow of your lava lamp. For example, you can put it in a bowl or container with a lid. Or you can try using a hot plate under the lava lamp to heat up the water so that the lava will flow more easily.

Another way to make your lava lamp flow better is to add more calcium chloride into the water. Calcium chloride is a chemical that makes the water more alkaline, which means it has more acid in it than usual. This will make it easier for the water to cool down and contract into the lava again.

Do Lava Lamps Go Bad?

Yes, it is possible. However, the lifespan of a lava lamp depends on how it’s treated. Using your lava lamp regularly and keeping it away from direct sunlight can last for several years. On the other hand, leaving your lava lamp outside in direct sunlight, however, will break down much faster than an indoor lava lamp due to exposure to heat and humidity.

Why Is My Lava Lamp Not Heating Up?

In that case, you may have a defective lava lamp. Try plugging it in and letting it be in a dark area for at least 24 hours. If it still doesn’t work, then apply the methods mentioned in our article and find out which matches your lava lamp. You can also contact a professional when you cannot handle these things on your own.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand your lava lamp’s problem. The issue can be either a broken part or an internal malfunction. In any case, check the plugging and connection first before moving into the inner part.