Lava lamps are a fantastic aesthetic addition to any room. The gently floating blobs and the soothing light are calming. Some even say they are borderline hypnotic. Their proponents use them for many things, from improving moods to getting better sleep. Lava lamps are a favorite childhood toy that has been around for decades. They’re made of wax and oil, which float on top of the water in an enclosed container. With their beauty, you might be tempted to run your lava or glitter lamp 24/7. This, coupled with the fact that it takes up to six hours to get one warmed up and going, makes switching them off seem counterintuitive.
What is a Lava Lamp?
Before we get into the question, can you leave a lava lamp on all night? Let’s first discuss what a lava lamp is. It’s a novelty lighting that looks like a glass container full of liquid with wax floating inside. When the light from the lamp hits the wax, it creates different colors and shapes that can captivate those looking at it for hours.
How Do Lava Lamps Work?
First, it’s important to understand how a lava lamp works. These lamps are filled with a mixture of water and mineral oil.There is also a heat source in the lamp, typically a light bulb. When the heat source is turned on, it heats up the water and oil mixture. This causes the water to expand and become less dense. In addition to oil and water, a lava lamp contains paraffin wax. This substance is the floating “lava” that you see in the lamp. The paraffin wax comes in many colors and is denser than the water and oil mixture. As the heat source warms up the liquid, the wax begins to rise.
Once the wax reaches the top of the lamp, it starts to cool down. This causes it to contract and become denser. The density difference between the wax and the surrounding liquid causes it to sink back down to the bottom of the lamp. The heat source then reheats the wax, and the cycle starts over again. This process is what creates the lava-like effect in a lava lamp. That’s also why these lamps are typically used as decorations rather than as light sources. The lightbulb in the lamp is usually not very bright, and it’s not designed to fully illuminate a room.
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Is It Okay to Sleep With a Lava Lamp On?
For the most part, you will be safe using a lava lamp as a nightlight, especially if you turn it on right before going to bed. They are pretty safe if you turn them off after 10 or 12 hours. There are a couple of things you can do to make a lava lamp safer to use at night. Always keep in mind that lava lamps can get hot, even too hot to touch.
Be sure to place the lava lamp where it won’t touch paper or other things that might catch on fire or melt. Make sure you don’t put it on paper or cloth, and that it isn’t somewhere that someone tossing and turning in their sleep will hit. That will prevent burns.That should also help prevent it from getting knocked over. If it gets knocked over, the hot wax might spill out and come into contact with the heating coil or hot bulb and catch on fire. You’ll also want to consider whether a pet might knock into it during the night.
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Overheating
By leaving your lava lamp for long, it may end up overheating and fail to function as it is designed to. As aforementioned, lava lamps are designed to create colored blobs that move in an amoeba-like design. If the lamp overheats, the colored liquid may create one large blob that floats without changing.
High Energy Consumption
In general, the base of a floor-standing lava lamp is bigger. Such a lamp also has a larger heating bulb and will therefore need more electricity to heat the bulb. Therefore, if you want to reduce your energy bills it is recommendable not to leave the lamp running throughout.
Risky
As aforementioned, when overheated, lava lamps can overheat and even explode and cause a fire. It is advisable to only run the lamp for the recommended time. Additionally, ensure that you are around when the lamp is operating.
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Tips for operating Lava lamps effectively
Note that as aforementioned, you should not allow your lava lamp to run for more than eight to ten hours. At times you may find that you abide by these rules but still find your lamp is not functioning as designed. There are various tips that can help you get the most from your lava lamp. According to Electrical Safety First, lava lamp is generally safe to use as far as you take a number of sensible precautions, before and after use and also by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
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- Ensure that you purchase your lava lamp from a trustworthy dealer and carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions
It is advisable to register your new lava lamp with the manufacturer to ensure that they can contact you with ease if a recall is necessary or in case of a safety notice. You will also have an easy time returning a faulty lamp to the manufacturer or if you want to request for repair - Ensure that the brand of the plug you will be using matches the brand of your lava lamp
Perform regular checks on the socket and plug for sounds of arcing, burn marks and also seek to see whether the plug and socket feel too hot to touch - Ensure that any socket you purpose to plug in your lamp has residue current device abbreviated as RCD (a life-saving device that reduces the chances of electrical fires by curbing electrical shock.
- You should also never put your lamp on a heated stove even if fails to heat.
- According to Find Any Answer, you should never unplug your lamp if the plug or cord is wet
- You should also avoid dropping or shaking your lava lamp when it is warm because it can lead to permanent damage like causing the lava lamp to break apart or become cloudy
- It is advisable to rewire the fixture of an old lava lamp if you happen to purchase one
- You should never microwave a lava lamp unless you are doing it for less than 3 minutes
- Avoid removing or loosening the cap on the globe’s top. If you break the seal, you will be ruining your lamp and nullifying your warranty
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