Lava lamps are fascinating little pieces of art that can also help you relax and mellow your mood. They’re also just a lot of fun to watch, too!
Let’s dig in and find out more about them.
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What are lava lamps?
Lava lamps are a type of novelty lighting that dates back to the 1960s. They’ve been popular ever since, and they’re often given as gifts for various occasions such as birthdays or graduations. While extremely popular in the United States they’re a favorite item to have for many people worldwide.
Lava lamps are basically simple appliances that consist of two or three parts:
- The lava in a sealed glass container. The “lava” is composed of a mixture of mineral oil and paraffin wax.
- Water with a conditioning agent.
- A base with an incandescent light bulb (usually colored) to heat up the lava inside.
That’s all there is to it! After the incandescent light bulb inside warms up the liquid and wax inside, the colored wax begins to rise slowly to the top where it cools, gracefully falls back to the bottom, and begins to warm up again. The process then repeats.
Their popularity has also helped lava lamp manufacturers release newer versions of lava lamps with different designs and features.
They’re truly one of a kind pieces of art that not only look good but will help calm your mood down after a long day at work! It’s easy to see why these interesting lighting fixtures were popular back in the 1960s and still remain so today.
How long does a lava lamp last?
How long each one lasts depends on the type and quality of the lava lamp you’re using. There are many cheaper lava lamps that can work for just a few months before they break down, whereas there are high-quality lava lamps made with stronger materials such as glass or plastic which tend to last much longer than their counterparts, up to a handful of years.
The bulb itself is generally the problem with a non-working lamp as they’re susceptible to burning out and will need to be replaced.
What affects how long lava lamps last?
The most important factor in determining how long your lava lamp lasts is checking if it has any signs of damage or cracks inside its shell. If the wax inside starts leaking out from these cracks, then all you have left is an empty lava lamp. This will definitely shorten its lifespan, and you should throw it away if this happens to your lava lamp.
Also, shaking them causes problems with the liquid and lava, affecting how they work and their life span.
Fortunately, lava lamps are generally easy to fix when they suddenly stop working. The most common reason lava lamps stop working (aside from a bad bulb) is a broken or loose cord that brings power from the outlet where your lava lamp is plugged into the metal contacts inside of it.
How long do their bulbs last?
Standard size lamps use a 25 watt incandescent bulb although it depends on the model. Good quality bulbs last several hundred hours before they lose their ability to properly heat the lamp. However, like other bulbs, they’re constantly under the stress of high heat and may die unexpectedly.
Cheap brand bulbs are much worse and can have much shorter life spans – or not even work well enough to have the lava rise at all! I recommend avoiding buying non-brand name bulbs when possible.
Can you use an LED bulb in a lava lamp?
No, you can’t because LED bulbs don’t create much heat. The lava and water won’t be heated and won’t work.
What are the benefits of buying a lava lamp?
There are many benefits associated with lava lamps, including:
They’re a great form of decoration that can add life to any room or space they’re put in.
Manufacturers have made it possible for lava lamps to come in various colors and styles so that you can find lava lamps that perfectly match the theme of your room or space. If you’re looking for lava lamp designs, they vary from classic to modern, and also come in different colors like blue, orange, green, white, etc., with reds, purples, and pinks being very common.
Lava lamps are truly mesmerizing; their beauty is enough reason to purchase one!
Watching them can be relaxing too as it will help calm down any anxiety or stress you might have during a hard day at work. The sight of bubbling lava has been known to induce feelings of peace and tranquility within anyone looking on by making them feel relaxed and comfortable—and maybe even sleepy. It’s ideal if you want some time alone after a stressful day.
Lava lamps are also relatively affordable.
They can cost as little as $15 or up to hundreds of dollars depending on the size, quality, and intricacies that come with lava lamp designs—like glass lava lamps, plastic lava lamps, etc. So you won’t have to worry about paying too much for a lava lamp unless it’s made by some high-end manufacturer or is part of an expensive collection like smoking volcano lava lamps.