Question - How to clear up a foggy 90's lava lamp

[Spencer541]

I'm going through my whole collection and running into a few lava's that are very foggy such as this cranberry pictured below, a green one, a teal one etc.  These are all globes from the 1990's.  What can I do to help clear them up -

Should I run them?  

If so how long?

Frosted bulb or clear bulb?

Right now they are running a 4 hour cycle twice a day with about 12 hours in between cycles.  Is that enough or do they need more run time?

Thanks.

Pictured below is one #16 black and two #18 cranberry lamps sitting next to each other.  Obviously one is doing a little better then the other

The tape on the globe is just there to let me know where the liquid level was when I boxed them up years ago. 

[Bohdan]

Looking great and yes with many cloudy globes they need heat to make it happen and running the globes the old way with a few hours on and off can make it worse. 8 to 10 hours with a clear 40w bulb works wonders.

[Bohdan]

There are times when dealing with a cloudy lamp you run across a bad coil. What I have done is removed the cap carefully and if its rusty on the inside I will recap with a new cap. There are times when the older LL USA globes have become loose enough to let air in and the liquid level starts to drop. Once the cap is off I will run the globe till hot and use a long metal hook to remove the coil. This hook can also be made from a coat metal hanger and just reform the tip with a short hook.

[Bohdan]

I will use other coils that I have saved and they are cleaned up with a toothbrush as is with warm to hot water and then once you have the old bad coil out just drop that newer coil in and once again run the lamp with only the decorator cap on to make sure this new coil works before you reseal again.

[Bohdan]

The hook tool will be cleaned with rubbing alcohol before use and as you remove that old coil most of the wax will be gone but for the hook which will have some on it I will then just wipe the hook clean there is very little wax on the hook for it to be a loss.

[Spencer541]

I'm excited but terrified to try it, the only globe I ever recapped because of a bad bottle cap is the one cranberry you see pictured above.... and it's not looking good at all, I would hate to screw up another one due to a bad job by myself

[Spencer541]

may i ask what this hook is or where you found it?  I'd rather use something like this then a coat hanger.

[Bohdan]

This is what you will be looking for.

http://www.tecratools.com/product947.html

[Bohdan]

For the cap I will use a thin screwdriver under the cap then turn as shown into the glass and into the 21 cap points 1 at a time this will pry out the cap complete and make it easy to remove with no damage. The cap will be easy to reseal once done.

[Mortebianca]

Finally, my membership has been approved! I've been wanting to talk to both of you guys after reading this post. I know it's an old one, I hope at least one of you is still online these days.

So, I have so many questions: did it work? Did it actually work? Did you clear up a foggy lava lamp (opaque water, flow and everything else is okay) with this method? I have seen the picture that Spencer posted, but the color of the Lamp had changed so I needed a confirmation.

Also, how exactly did you do it? You said "4 days on and then a few days off". How many "few" days exactly should it stay off? And for how long should the cycle continue? I've read from a month to a month and a half. And does it include the "off" days? After how long should you notice improvement?

I have read many remedies for this Foggy thing. But first I need to ask: does fogginess come inevitably, like a sort of aging, or is it optional and can be prevented' I have heard of "old lamps that still works" but those lamps have probably never been used in a ton of time so they were not exactly really active. Do Mathmos Lamps really last longer, or do they last shorter than competition (like some sort of Programmed Senescence to sell more bottles)? Casuse 2000 hours is quite small of a time.

Anyway, the remedies I've read range from:
-Keeping it for a period of time off (Doesn't work. I've tried and actually my Lava Lamp became more foggy after a period of not-usage)
-Keeping it in a Fridge or a cold spot (I have submerged my lamp in really cold water and let it sit there for hours. It's basically the same thing, nothing changed. Also, nowhere on the internet have I ever seen pictures that prove this method, or even tales about people claiming in first person that this succeded)
-Making cycles of "2 hours on, 2 hours off" (I have tried this and it's a mess. My lava lamp doesn't start to make bubbles immediatly. It first forms columns that are still solid and united. If I leave it on just for 2 hours what I obtain is that it doesn't fully melt and then, by turning it off, I think it would do a mess. I have tried a few of these cycles, like 3, and it didn't seem to improve).
-Using it for 8-10 straight hours (tried, doesn't work)
-Using it for 8-10 hours, for 3-4 days on (tried, doesn't work)
-Using it for 8-10 hours, for 3-4 days on, then let it rest for "a few" days, then start over, do this for a month or so (I'm trying this right now)
-Using it for 8-10 hours every day for a month (Haven't tried that, kinda scared it could ruin the lamp).
-Filter the Lamp (have not tried that, and I've read it could actually make the lamp "slower" to get hot, it will take more time than before to have bubbles each time you filter it)
-Empty the Lamp and use distilled water, epsonite salt, dishwasher soap to make a new liquid (Haven't tried that, I'm scared I might mess up the wax or make it explode or that it might last so little and I might spend so much that just buying 3x2 Bottles at Mathmos might be more convenient).

[Bohdan]

Hi,

Using it for 8-10 hours, for 3-4 days on, then let it rest for "a few" days, then start over, do this for a month or so (I'm trying this right now)

If this method does not work then there may be a problem with the wax. Older Lava World USA globes should clear up over time, new Lava Lite China globes may never clear up dependent on batch that was used.

Cloudy Mathmos globes may also take a very long time to clear up as well. If the above does not work within a few weeks then it would be better to order new Mathmos globes. This way you will at least have a great warranty with them once they arrive. Trying to redo a Mathmos with water plus other products is not worth the time and money which could be better used to buy another vase.

[Mortebianca]

It's not a Mathmos. Not sure if it's Chinese, it's this one. I got a Mathmos after this one. Here's a link to the Lamp I'm talking about. "Red on Transparent". If I put my fingers behind it, I can recognize the shape of them beyond the mist. I hope I can clear it up.

About the "few days off", on your experience how many days off is optimal?

https://www.amazon.it/Lumo-Lavalamp-illusione-movimento-colore/dp/B0167HQ3M8/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=lumos+lava+lamp&qid=1582246295&sr=8-1

[Bohdan]

Most lava lamps made today come from China except for Mathmos. The cloudy liquid is caused by the wax itself so after the vase becomes hot and as it cools down some of the wax goes to the bottom.

Once the lamp is cold if there is a white film on the bottom of the wax then it may take forever for it to clear due to a cheap wax made by the company. You came let the vase sit for around a week in a cool area of the home then start it up again and continue the run. If after a month of running the lamp and still not looking good the lamp may never clear up.