What causes a lava lamp to stop working?

As it gets further away from the light bulb, the wax begins to cool and becomes denser than the water, causing it to sink back toward the light bulb. This creates a loop of heating and cooling that gives the Lava® lamp its iconic mix of glowing and flowing. read more

There are two ways for a lava lamp to break. The first, and least complicated, is that the light should go out. The next way, which happened to me, is the lava getting dropped. read more

Fortunately, decades of trial and error since the lava lamp was invented in the ‘60’s has zeroed in on a handful of solutions that have proven successful. “Dead” Lava. Decide whether the lava lies flat or is shaped like a dome. If the latter, then the lava is overheating, and turning off the lamp for two hours may solve the problem. read more