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 Old-House-Friends Forum: Where can I find ... | Pre-1900 Houses | Post-1900 Houses | General Discussion
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September 2, 2010
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Renovators.com Forum - Not signed in
I have my grandma's old rain lamp and it has been sitting unused for years. I feel/hear the motor work but it is soooo dirty, inside as well as out, I am sure. How to clean it? And what kind of oil to use? There is no oil in this one anymore.
What a great place this is! A new bookmark for sure! Thanks for any help you can offer!! Susan
Susan
I have one of those rain lamps and I use Kleenex to wipe all the inside including the strings. I take all of anything that comes loose and use soap and water. For oil I use mineral oil. Hope this helps you. Kathy
I have one that was left from my mother's estate. My hysband and I took it apart from the top and the bottom. You can't completely take it apart, it all stays connected by cords etc., I put it in the sink and use very soapy dish washing soap in the water after I drained the oil form it. I changed the water several times and rewashed it several times so I had fresh water and soap to clean several times. It doesn't take long but it is helpful if you have another pair of hands . My husband and I unscrewed everything we could and washed it out because any old oil in it will just smell ransed. I even took Q-tips and alcohol and cleaned any hard to reach areas that we didn't get completely. I also sprayed the lines where the oil runs down with a soapy cleaner and then sprayed it with the hottest water out of the tap.I sprayed the whole thing with the hottest water you can get. I did that with the whole thing to make sure I got all the old oil out. Be careful not to immerse the motor in water.Then we laid it out in the sun for a day to completely dry it and freshen it from the clean smell from outdoors. This also helps to kill any thing that would create a smell. The sun is good for lots of things
After it is completely dry 24 hours later we will add the mineral oil.
shirley at laverne_shirley44@yahoo.com
Hi there
Thanks, to you as well as my previous reply, for your input regarding my rain lamp. I haven't been able to use the info yet as I have had sick kids and sick me and an emergency surgery to deal with first, grrr...but was thinking about tackling it today. Have a great day! Susan
Hi there
Thanks for your input regarding my rain lamp. I haven't been able to use the info yet as I have had sick kids and sick me and an emergency surgery to deal with first, grrr...but was thinking about tackling it today. Have a great day! Susan
I am new at this webpage, but i just acquired a rain lamp. I am going to follow the advice i have seen here and clean the lamp very carefully. My question is this. i have bought my mineral oil and was wondering. How much mineral oil do you put in the lamp? i used to have a large rain lamp, but this lamp i just recently acquired is a smaller version of the one i used to own. This new lamp sits on a table, as the one i used to own hung from the ceiling. i would appreciate any help. Thanks.............John
Hi John! I, too, am looking for an answer as to how much oil to put in a rain lamp. Has anyone answered your question? If so, would you share this information with me?
Another qustion I have... what is the easiest and proper way to add oil to these lamps? I would appreciate any information anyone can give me. Thanks!
Marilyn
It takes 1 quart of mineral oil.
My question is though, why does it work sometimes and sometimes not?? I cleaned it all out and the pump works awesome!!! Any ideas anybody???
Hi
I'm looking to buy a rain lamp. Where did you find yours? Thank you Jan
Hi Jan
My name is Jerry and I was emailing you to see if you had found a hanging rain lamp yet. I have a large one, It is 3foot tall and about 18" around ( yes it is big) .I live in Bloomington,illinois my email address is (chevyman.6@netzero.com)OR call me at 309-829-0070 ............................
They aren't being made anymore. However you may check on e-bay. I have seen some there.
There is a store , the only one of it's kind now in the USA that sells some and parts, near me. If you would like I can later get the info for you. This store has bought up a bunch of stuff some where My email is laverne_shirley44@yahoo.com
Actually, I received one for Christmas 2 years ago. My sister found it at Wal-Mart. I have another one that is about 30 years old (I got it from my brother after his wife died- I always told them that if they got rid of it, I'd love to have it). He said they've always used vegetable oil. It's a lot cheaper, and works just as well...I have to agree with him.
Cheryl H. girl4kenny@live.com
VEGETABLE OIL WILL WORK FOR A WHILE , BUT IS VERY BAD FOR THESE LAMPS!! AS IT CAUSES THE HOLES TO GET CLOGGED MUCH FASTER .BABY OIL IS MINERAL OIL AND IS NOT THAT EXPENSIVE! SO BABY OIL IS THE WAY TO GO EFINITLY DONT USE VEGETABLE OIL OR IT WILL RUIN YOUR LAMP!!
BERKNDOROTHY5630HELIVESINUS!!!
Ebay has oil rain lamps for sale, just do a search for them.
WildWiccan
Hello there,
Go on e-bay and type in rain lamp and a bunch of them come up.
John,
I have been delaying cleaning mine, but the time has come. The paper work we have for the one we have is not complete, but here's what we have. It says quantities required for: Large- 14" Diameter= 2 qts. Medium- 11" Diameter= 1 qt. Small- 8" Diameter=1/2 qt. It also says to drain the oil, just tip it to the side, and let the oil run out. Then just pour the oil directly into the base before connecting to the power supply. This information is taken from a piece of paper we have for our lamp that has a mill with a water wheel that turns as oil is pumped out of a tube above it. For what it's worth, the name of the company that made and or sold it is: Creators Lamp Corp. 2321 N. Keystone Avenue Chicago, Il 60639-3709 I can't find it on the 'net anywhere, but if it helps anyone there it is. By the way, we did order petroleum mineral oil 35 from them in 1988, as the paper said that is what should be used. However, I cannot find petroleum mineral oil 35 anywhere either. Good luck! Joe
I have the same kind of rain lamp, but the motor stopped working. It is a table model and I love it very much. Can you tell me where I can find a new motor or if it can be fixed? Thanks
clp23@roadrunner.com, Cheryle Pauley, 1-740-237-4067
Hey John. I just acquired a 38" swag rain lamp and it will take easily two quarts of mineral oil for it to work efficient. Also, if you just bought one that hasn't been in use for a while, be patient as to let the oil warm up and to get the pump primed before it will start pumping the oil. They are really beautiful lamps. I have a 38" swag and a 30" table lamp with the light bulb/shade on the top.
Dean
Add the oil (just a few teaspoon full at a time) to the bottom where the strings go back into the unit's base. I poured mine in, but again be careful not to overload it.
Thanks for the info about how to add the mineral oil to the rainlamp, but i'm still not sure how a person knows when they have added the right amount of oil to the rain lamp. Does anyone have any information on the amount of oil to be added? Thanks..............John
My rain lamp is a very large swag lamp. It takes 4 pints of oil to run mine, but mine pumps up 2 seperate hoses. 1 runs the water mill wheel, and the other down the lamp strings. I think it really depends on how deep or shallow your pump sets down in the bottom base. You want the entire bottom of the pump down in the oil.
I just started a web page about rain lamps with what little info I've been able to find on them, combined with my own experience:
http://www.simnia.com/rain_lamps/ My rain lamp didn't start to work until I put in 1 1/2 points of mineral oil. I didn't know there was a risk if too much oil is put in, however, so I'm glad to read that bit of helpful information in this forum.
Thanks for every body for helping me with my rain lamp I just bought one at a thrift store for cheap very cheap but did not know how to clean or what kind of oil to use but now I know how thank you for this web page now I will clean and use it.
Thank you http: www.simnia.com/rain lamps you helped me out with every thang I needed on all information on my rain lamp now I know how to take apart thank you very much and evry thing I needed to now about the history on them.
tj's rain lamp.
I believe i have the same exact rain lamp as your friend. I have been trying soo long to figure out what the lamp was called and who it was by. I heard a friend say it was a rain lamp and i did research and found your page. Please for give me if i give you any info you may already have. On the rain/oil lamp i have their is an issue# its the same as your friends too. mlnda
It sounds like you have the same rain lamp as I have. I purchased mine at a garage sale. It was full of dead bugs. I dumped out the old mineral oil and cleaned it with hot water. I then let it dry good and added new mineral oil. It ran great for a few days but now won't pump the oil to the water wheel or the top. What can I do? Can it be taken apart and the motor also cleaned? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Robin
Cleaning is one thing...But what if one of the strands break? Can you repair them. Are they all hooked together or can you fix one or two only?
Just finished cleaning one and it was sooo yucky. It belonged to my husband's grandmother and when our daughter was little she loved it so Grammy gave it to her before she passed away. I don't think the oil had even been changed. It was orange because they (Granny and Gramps) were both smokers. Anyway. I pulled the green foliage out and cleaned it with a degreaser and water. Let the little suckers soak and they came out real clean. As for the rest, It had been living in a 30 gallon trash can in our garage for years with no lid so you can imagine the dirt. leaves, bugs etc. I started by cleaning the strands with rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. It worked great. It even removed all the nicotine stains and they are clear and bright. I continued by pouring rubbing alcohol down through the base and letting it sit for awhile to soften up the oil in the bottom then opened it up dumped out at much of the oil as I could then washed the bowl in the commercial degreaser, rinsed and dired thoroughly, cleaned the bottom and the top of the base with alcohol and a soft cloth and it removed all the yucky oil and years of dirt. Removed the top and cleaned it with the rubbing alcohol and reassembled removing the little vixen and replacing her with a short candle holder that is shaped like a pineapple and we are awaiting a carved tiki. We added some silk hibiscus to the greenery to go with the hawaiian theme in my daughters room and filled it with 3/4 of a large bottle of mineral oil and it is running fine. Ours takes a little more oil because the lamp has three different rounds of filiments. One straight, one leaning left and one leaning right. It was on most of last evening and it has been running all day, when we first turned it on there was a little hum in the motor, but it must have been a bubble because it is completely silent now and running like new. It turned out so well that were buying another one for "tiki" room. Just as a side note if you go to your local drug store mineral oil is in the laxative section. It's not in high demand anymore and even the pharmacist wasn't sure where it was.
Longing for the tropics in the desert.
Hello my name is Denise and I have a mineral oil lamp. I don't know how to take it apart and clean it. Is it ok if I hear the motor running? Because I don't want to throw it away because you just can't go out and find them every day. I need some help fixing it. My email is denice55m@aol.com.
Hi Denise,
My name is Bill and I believe I can help you with your Rain Lamp. I helped start the company that made the lamp in the late 70's in Chicago. The name of the company was "Creators Inc." and was bought out in the early 80's by the Lava Lite people. The lamps are very basic and simply made. Of course, I can say that because I helped make them. It is ok to hear the motor running. Some run quieter than others but it is normal to hear them. Email me and let me know how I can help you with the lamp. Address is navyman696@aol.com
To Bill; Hi, my name is Kay. Could you tell me why the bulb in my rain lamp goes real dim after I turn it on. It lights up bright, a 25watt bulb, then goes dim like something is draining off the electric. Are they supposed to do that? Or, if anybody can help me I would appreciate it. My lamp was made back in the early seventy's, and it close to 40 years old.
Kay
Bill,
My mom has The Three Graces Raindrop Lamp, made by Creators ,Inc. My father had given it to her, and it will not pump the oil. She has taken it apart and cleaned, the ladies, lines, etc., however the pump is stumping us right now. The blades do move when gently helped, however it appears the be sealed. How do we clean the blades, to make sure that is why it will not work. We can hear the motor hum when turned on. I would appreciate your help. Regards, Pat
Hi Bill,
I was wondering if you or anyone else knows where I can find a hanging rain lamp, the watermill model. My grandparents had that lamp and when I was a little girl I used to love to just sit there for what seemed like hours and just watch it. I don't know what happened to their lamp but I would love one just like theirs. If anyone is selling theirs or knows of one please e-mail me at JMM7896@aol.com. Thanks, Joanna
I was wondering if you still had the Rain Lamp for sale or if it was already sold. If you haven't sold it I would be very interested in buying it. You can email your response to me at Randall.Turner@BayCare.org
Thank you!! Randall M. Turner
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
i was hopeing someone would specify it was used as laxitave or not,
I found my lamp in an antique store and have wanted to hang for the longest time. thank you all for you information, as it was so helpful in restoring and clean, and what oil i needed to purchanse. oh also when i found out it was called a rain lamp, made me love it more. and yes i am one of those rain lamp 70's groupies. thanks so much.
SHAR
I have just cleaned and started my old rain lamp made by Ellsworthy UK.
There are no instruction as to mineral oil level. The oil comes up out of the pump tunnel...but keeps rising and will go down the 2 other tunnels that have the bulb cable in and the other has another 2 wires. Is the oil meant to go down these holes? I keep spooning off oil but it rises up to the above holes when pump on......perhaps it is meant to go down these holes with the wires as well? Any help appreciated. Please post elsewhere if I have approached wrong person..thanks
Did you ever get an answer to the "non working pump" question? Any information would be helpful.
Karen
Hello ,
My husband and I discovered an old Rain Lamp with the three virgins in the center which also does'nt want to pump the oil up from the base . Even though we are certain the top motor is running . It was in an old thrift shop nearly completely covered with junk ! Obviously abused and neglected for many years ! At any rate ; Have you ever recieved an answer to your motor question or should I just break down and purchase new parts ?
Karen
Robin,
I have just undertaken that task. It took me 2 days, but it is DONE! I took it out to the garage and went to work. First lean it over and drain as much oil as you can. Then hang it low enough so you can work on it comfortably. (I drove a nail in the ceiling and bent it over to hold it). I then took the 3 bolts out that hold the bottom to the main lamp. I put blocks under it to hold most of the weight. I was supprised to see how much dirt and grime was in the very bottom. I did nothing to this lamp for 25 years, except add oil. anyway, I also removed the plastic shrubery around the mill itself and swished them around in a 50/50 soution of hot water and Krud Kutter. I couldn't get the shrubbery off the mill itself, so I used the same solution in a spray bottle, and sprayed them down good. I then rinsed them with a clear water sprayer. I let it sit overnight, then went out with my wife's blow dryer and made sure there was no more water on them. I then measured to the top of the pump from the lamp, and used that measurement on the bottom that I had romoved. I then measured water into the base and came up with the 3 quart volume that I needed to fill the base, without submerging the motor. When I plugged it in, the cheap little switch that is on the cord made a sparking noise so I cut it out, and now we just plug/unplug to turn it on/off. If you have any questions, I would like to help if I can. you can e-mail me at jbreitbach@gmail.com. Joe
Robin,
I believe you have the same lamp as me. The bottom comes off by removing the 3 nuts at the bottom of the three support poles. I did this by hanging the lamp out in the garage, and having a small step-stool to support the bottom. After removing the nuts,(be careful not to scratch the finish), carefully ease the bottom loose and carry it to where you will dump it. It's best to have another bucket or pan to catch the oil that will drip off the pump and hoses. then it is just a matter of cleaning and replacing. If you have any other questions, you can e-mail me at joebb48@yahoo.com good luck Joe
I used a fish tank pump, it works great! Mineral oil at the Dollar Store is $1.75. I found a oil rain lamp that sits in a brass floor stand, has 3 metal cut flowers that look like lotus flowers. Has anybody seen this one? Has a clear lady in the center? Thanks Kay
Kay
The Creator Inc. rain lamp takes one quart of light or regular mineral oil. I doubt if the pump can pump the heavy medicinal type. There are 3 screws on the bottom of the fixture. Hang the lamp on a hook, set a regular utility plastic bucket under it. Remove the three screws while holding the bottom. I set this piece in the bucket and let the fixture and pump assembly drain. Once open you can see the pump and understand why the oil needs to be a certain level. You don't want to submerge the motor. The top will come off by turning the fixture hook where the wire goes in to the lamp. Don't twist the wire, just the hook. This allows you to open everything up for cleaning. Be sure to leave it dry long enough for the electrical componets to be dry. I wouldn't remove the pump because the friction fit vibration pads fall apart very easily. This creates a lot of work. Good Luck
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