Salt Lamps are sculptural pieces of millions of year-old rock salt – illuminated from within by a warm, soft glow. Rock salt lamps are very popular decorative pieces due to the warm, soothing glow they offer any room. But did you know there were recent regulation changes around the safety of salt lamp cords?
While these changes came into effect in Australia back in 2020, information online is often conflicting and confusing. That’s why we’ve decided to write a definitive blog post on these regulation changes, and what it means for our customers. In this blog post we’ll answer the what, the why, the who, the when, and the where – and if you still have questions after reading this – be sure to comment below and let us know!
What are rock salt lamps?
Himalayan rock salt lamps are made from millions-of-year-old salt from the Himalayas, a mountain range that stretches across India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Nepal. Due to their popularity there are plenty of fakes sold online. While real himalayan lamps are strong, but fragile and most give off a dim light, fakes are tough to break and glow brightly. For safety and authenticity, be sure to buy yours from a reputable source. If you’re in doubt if your lamp is the real deal, consider giving it a lick – it’s a chunk of salt after all!
Why do rock salt lamps get wet?
Have you noticed your rock salt lamp sweating? This happens because salt is naturally hygroscopic, meaning it draws moisture from the air. The bulb inside should produce enough heat that then evaporates this moisture. But note that if you live in extremely wet, or tropical conditions, there still may be some minor sweating, due to the environmental conditions.
What do the safety regulations entail?
The changes came about to keep you and your home, children, and business safe.
The output voltage has been reduced from 240V to no more than 24V, and sizes are to be no more than 5 kg.
The salt lamps over 5kgs were deemed unsafe because they were potentially unable to safely evaporate all the moisture attracted to the lamp (leading to moisture buildup). For this reason, we don’t sell or recommend LED bulbs for salt lamps, as they don’t produce the heat needed to evaporate the moisture attracted to the rock salt. The second safety concern of the larger salt lamps is the weight of the lamp poses a risk to young children.
So to summarise, any lamps sold after 2020 need to be:
- No larger than 5kgs in weight
- Have no more than 24V DC output
However, retailers with stock bought before the 2020 regulation changes are still permitted to sell their old stock with the old cords even if they don’t meet the new regulations. Note also that the 240V cords and globes that were sold with salt lamps (prior to Feb 2020) are still sold with selenite and crystal lamps.
Additional safety information
We also don’t sell dimmer switches as we have found them to be unreliable and, in 2017, there was a major recall in the US of dimmer switches as they were shown to be faulty.
If you wish to purchase an LED salt lamp, it may not be a true salt lamp, in which case, the moisture won’t be an issue – but who wants a fake salt lamp?
So if you’re buying new cords or bulbs for an existing lamp, or you’re uncertain if your lamp meets regulations – get in touch.
We’re more than happy to have a chat with you.
Should I stop using my old salt lamp cords?
This is a tricky one – our view is, if it isn’t broken, why fix it. The old cords are still OK and if they’re still functioning, then why dispose of them? It’s bad for environmental, financial, and practical reasons. So whether you wish to let your old salt lamp cord live its course before updating it to suit the recent regulations, or you’d like to swap right away, the choice is yours. We currently offer a free globe with each cord and globe purchase.
Source your rock salt lamp from a trusted source!
If you’d like to buy a safe and beautiful rock salt lamp or selenite lamp for yourself or a loved one, know that all the lamps stocked on our site are Australian Safety Standard Approved. We care about your safety and wellbeing, and will only stock the best lamps and equipment available. If you’re unsure whether your rock salt lamp is safe, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll be able to help you out.
