Why is My Salt Lamp Leaking Water?

Why is My Salt Lamp Leaking Water

Why is My Salt Lamp Leaking Water?

Why is my salt lamp leaking water?

“Himalayan Salt Lamps”, made up of salt crystals obtained from the Pakistani foothills of Himalayas, are such materials which absorb water from the atmosphere. Materials which absorb water vapor from the atmosphere are also known as ‘hygroscopic’ materials.

This might sometimes cause the leakage of water from the lamps as if they are sweating. Many owners of salt lamps who live in very humid climate might face the problem of water leaking salt lamps due to the presence of high amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. While the owners might find it a matter of concern, there is not much to worry about.

The basic working of a salt lamp revolves around the concept of absorption and evaporation. The salt crystals in the lamp attract and absorb moisture from the atmosphere and when the pollution is settled, the water gets evaporated leaving behind the dust particles and being available for the next round of dust deposition.

While the salt crystals always absorb water due to the natural properties of the minerals present in it, water can only evaporate when and if the bulb present inside is turned on. The bulb facilitates the heat required and the heat aids to the initiation of evaporation.

Therefore if the bulb that is present inside is turned off, there is no heat available for initiating evaporation and thus the water absorbed starts to condensate and flows like along the streams around the salt lamp.

Hence, to obtain most of your Himalayan salt lamp, you must let the bulb left turned on always. The leaking of the salt lamp ceases to exist while the bulb is turned on.

I have my bulb turned on 24/7, but why does my Himalayan salt lamp still leak water?

Another reason for the leaking of your salt lamp may be the amount of moisture present in the air. While the bulb plays an important role in the process of evaporation after the water molecules have been deposited onto your salt lamp, the rate of deposition also has to be monitored.

If the rate of deposition or absorption of water from the air is more than the rate of evaporation of the water by the help of heat energy, the water will start to flow and give the effect of leakage. And this might damage your furniture as well as the floor.

This generally occurs in humid climates, where the water content in the air or moisture content is very much high. The higher availability of water vapor in the atmosphere leads to more and more deposition of water molecules on the salt crystal before it could be evaporated.

Therefore to lower the humidity in your room you can use a dehumidifier inside your home to decrease the moisture content in the air.

Another care should be taken while placing the salt lamp at any place in your house. Whether or not your location is anywhere in the tropical or humid region, make sure not to place the lamp at any room in your house with any activities that must contribute to the increase in the atmospheric moisture content.

Such places could be your bathroom, spa, kitchen, near your washing machine, dishwasher or anywhere alike. Places and activities involving the generation of steam must also be avoided anywhere near the salt lamp for its smooth functioning and preventing leakage.

I have my lamp placed in a low moisture content climate and a dry region in my room with my bulb turned on 24/7. Still, the salt lamp leaks water.

The only reason that your salt lamp is leaking even after making sure it is at a dry place and the bulb turned on is the low wattage of the bulb. Generally, the manufacturer provides you with a bulb of nearly 7 watts which might not be providing as much heat as required by the salt crystal to evaporate the water in that environment.

Because a 7-watt bulb offers less energy than required for evaporation, what you can do is, go for a bulb of higher energy output. A bulb of higher energy output say, 15 watts or even higher energy output such as 25 watts might provide the heat required and help facilitate the evaporation and stop the leakage of water.

The wattage of the bulb can be chosen depending on the amount of leakage and the type of environment it is placed in.

To make sure your lamp stays dry always, you can also make it habit of wiping the lamp with a dry cloth to remove the excess moisture. You can use a towel, dry cloth or any other item that might not disturb the structure and the beauty of your lamp to wipe out the moisture.

You may not actually be required to wipe the lamp on a regular basis if all the instructions are followed and the care required is taken. With proper care and maintenance, you just need to wipe the lamp if and only the surface has some excess water vapor on it.

Even if all the care is taken following the proper instructions, there might be some chances of leakage in highly humid climates. This might ruin the furniture and flooring and might cause a lot of problems. Water spilled on the floor might lead to slipping and may cause serious health hazards.

To make sure any such little ignorance does not cause harm to your family member, you must always place a layer of protection under the salt lamp. This protective layer might be anything like, plastic placemat, saucer or a coaster which would hold the leaked water and help you not getting the furniture ruined.

So next time when you find your Himalayan Salt Lamp sweating, make sure the bulb is switched on, it is not placed inside a room with high humidity or the dehumidifier is functioning properly, and a layer of protection is placed under the lamp to make sure it doesn’t ruin your furniture or floor.

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