My lava lamp stopped working correctly, anybody think they can help?

Question

My lava lamp is used, and I dont know how old it is. When i got it, the wax was hardened and was floating at the top with the spring infused into the wax. I turned it on for about 8 hours or more and it still hadnt melted. I then flipped it upside down to get the wax closer to the light bulb, and it finally melted, so i flipped it back over. But now, the wax is at the bottom and is not bubbling and the color is at the top now, just floating around. So I tried to shake it up to mix the wax and the color, but still nothing. Is it gone forever, or does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Answer 1

"spring infused in the wax" makes no sense to me, but the rest of the description suggests that a chemical change has occurred in the wax and your lamp is done for.   I would suggest trying to fix it by taking the bottle out (the top off, lift the bottle out of the base) and putting it in a pot of pretty hot water.  I don't think you want boiling, but pretty close.   Once it is completely heated, try shaking it again.   There are supposed to be 2 substances in there and it sounds like you have got 3 or 4.  I think one of your two substances has unmixed or coagulated.