Do you want to buy a lava lamp, at the same time you want to know are lava lamps safe. Or will the addition of lava lamp compromises the safety of the house? Take a deep breath and leave all the things over me.
Here I am going to tell you everything you want to know about lava lamps. So if you are planning to have one in your space, make sure you will read the whole article clearly.
Ultimately it will help you to use lava lamps safely. At the same time, you can enjoy its soothing and beautiful visuals without any hazards. Excited to know about them. Let’s quickly get into the post.
What Is a Lava Lamp? Are Lava Lamps Safe To Use?
Before getting into the safety concerns of lava lamps. There might be some people to whom the term lava lamp is new. So let me clear this confusion for such people.
So A lava lamp is a tube shape lamp, that is mostly used as a decorative piece to add more beauty to a place. These lamps comprise a liquid inside them. Furthermore, the liquid inside is tinted. This liquid glow to gives aesthetic and soothing vibes.
Lava lamps are safe to use to the time when users use them according to the safety guidelines provided by their manufacturers. Furthermore, in the articles, there are a few safety rules to use lava lamps that you must follow.
Components Of Lava Lamps
A lava lamp is designed by using different components this segment is all about the component of lava lamps. When we have a clear idea of the components of lava lamps, then we can estimate whether are lava lamps safe. Or how can we use them in a safe manner?
Liquid Component
The most dominant component of lava lamps is their liquid component. This liquid is made by mixing two types of liquid. The first can be alcohol like isopropyl or water. The second type of liquid will be mineral oil.
This mineral oil can be ethyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate, and cinnamyl alcohol. Both of these liquids are immiscible in one another.
Different Additive
Add color to the liquid there are different types of colorants that are added into it. Additionally, these colorants are water-soluble. The most commonly used, material here is sodium chloride to adjust the gravity of different phases.
Most models of lava lamps use turpentine paints for lava coalescence. Furthermore different types of anti-freezing agents are added to the liquid mixture that will help the lava to get warm quickly and decrease the freezing time.
Container or a Tube
The main important component of the lava lamp is its body, a container, or a tube that is used to hold all the liquid of the lamp. This container is generally made of glass. Nowadays, a thin transparent, and clear plastic is used to make the tube of the lava lamp.
A Heat Source
The main source of heat and light in lava lamps is incandescent bulbs. The duty of these lamps is to provide both heat and light instantly. A standard-size incandescent lamp provides balance heat so that lava inside the lamp does not get high or low heat.
Ultimately these bulbs will ensure that the lava will not get overheated or under heat. Commonly used bulbs in lava lamps are 100-watt reflector bulbs, 40-watt frosted bulbs, and more like these.
Hardware
Different types of hardware are also used in the manufacturing of lava lamps. These are base plates. The base plates are designed with metals and, metals alloy. It is used to hold electrical wires and plugs.
Furthermore, there is a rubber used to seal the chamber of the bottle. For the proper adjusting of different components, screws, and light dimmers are also utilized. In advanced lava lamps, a small fan is used to control the temperature and prevent lava from overheating.
Safety Features For Lava Lamps
Lava lamps are safe to use when you use them according to the guidelines provided by their manufacturer. So here I am going to cover the safety features that you should be in lava lamps to minimize hazards related to the lava lamp.
Buy From a Reputable Dealer
Always make a purchase of a lava lamp from the well know lava lamp dealer. These dealers sell high-quality lava lamps. Unluckily if you buy low-quality lava lamps there are more chances of hazards.
Always Registered a Lava Lamp
Never forget to register a new lava lamp with the manufacturer. By doing this, you can connect with the dealer of the lamp when you see any inconvenience related to it. Furthermore, you will get a chance to replace the lamp if you get a faulty one.
Uk plug
Always notice that every electric appliance should have a UK plug. The same is the case with a lava lamp, always pick the one that comes with the Uk plug. These plugs provide extra protection and minimize the chances of hazards.
Safety Rules You Must Follow While Using a Lava Lamp
Now it’s time to see the most important safety measures for using lava lamps in a safe manner. If a person adopts all of these measures properly, then he can enjoy the aesthetic vibes of a lava lamp without compromising the safety of the space.
Do Regular Checkups Of The Sockets
The very first thing you need to add to your routine is to do a regular checkup of the sockets. Check carefully if there is any damage in the socket or the wire of a lava lamp. Never ignore the minor arcing or buzzing in the lava lamp switch.
If you observe anything unusual, replace the switch instantly. These arcing can cause a great electric shock. Now you might think after following this safety measure are lava lamps safe? Somehow there are fewer chances of hazards.
RCD Plug
Can lava lamps catch on fire? Absolutely yes!! If you don’t follow the precautionary measures. Always connect the lava lamp with the RCD plug. An RCD plug is safer and minimizes electric shock as compared to ordinary sockets.
Unplug The Lava Lamp Before Cleaning
Never think to clean a lava lamp while it is plugged in. Here question must pop up what will happen? Can lava lamps explode? So yes there is the chance that it may explode. So always unplug the lava lamp before the cleaning process.
Always Check Lava Lamps Before Turning Them On
Before turning the lava lamp on, make sure to have a general check-up of it. Carefully examine all the hardware or body of the lava lamps at room temperature. If you see any part is heated, then no need to turn it on. This overheated lava lamp maybe explode.
Fix a Proper Place For the Placement
Always fix a proper place for the lava lamp. Make sure there should not any hot surfaces near them. Most people ask are lava lamps safe to use near hot surfaces. Most importantly, the cord of the lava lamp does not touch any hot object.
Furthermore always check if there should not be any objects that are caught fore immediately like paper, books, or clothes near lava lamps.
Avoid Using Damaged Cord Lava Lamps
The very common mistake that people do is that they did not give importance to the damaged cord. A damaged cord lava lamp is a big fire hazard.
Keep The Lamp in a Dry and Cool Place
The most important thing, if you are not using a lamp, then make sure you store the lamp in a cool and dry place. Wrap up the cord around the body of the lava lamp.
Questions Related to the Lava Lamp Safety
Question No 1: Are old lamps dangerous?
Answer: As far as safety is concerned, an old lamp is not safer as compared to lava lamps. So I recommend you if you want to buy a lamp, then pick the latest one.
Question No 2: Are lava lamps hot to the touch?
Answer: Yes, a lava lamp becomes hot while it is working. The intensity of the heat is enough, that it can easily damage the skin of a person.
Question No 3: Are lava lamps dangerous to leave on?
Answer: yes a lava lamp becomes dangerous when it is on for more than 8 hours consecutively.
Question No 4: Can lava lamps catch on fire?
Answer: if you do not use lava lamps by following the above instruction, then there is a chance that overheated lava lamps catch fire.
Question No 5: Are lava lamps safe for kids?
Answer: A lava lamp is a perfect gift for a kid or for an adult also. For the safety of the children never let the lava lamp on while the kid is alone with the lamp.
Question No 6: Are lava lamps expensive to run?
Answer: A 100-watt lava lamp utilizes 876 kilowatts of energy per year. You can minimize the use of energy if you use it wisely.
Final Words
Perfection never exists in things. Every gadget has a lot of pros at the same time there might be a few cons of it. The same is the case with lava lamps. A lava lamp is perfect to add beauty to the home. At the same time, it can compromise safety if a person doesn’t use it properly.
I hope this article clears your concussion regarding are lava lamps safe. In case there is something you want to ask related to the safety of lava lamps you can point it in the comment box.
