This comprehensive guide and review on Lampe Berger will answer your house’s perfuming and air purifying needs. Our house is home to odor-causing bacteria due to pets, humans, and germs. That makes our home smell bad. And a Lampe Berger is a perfect answer to all of these problems. We will talk about history, working, and the benefits of using it in your house alongside certain troubleshooting scenarios which might be encountered.
What is a Lampe Berger
Image Credit: Wenz Home Furniture
Lampe Berger is a French word that means Shepherd’s Lamp.
It is a specially designed lamp, that contains alcohol and fragrance which are dispensed through a catalytic burning function.
It contains a special wick with a top stone burner. That is burnt to dispense the alcohol and fragrance molecules in the air.
Alcohol kills the odor-causing bacteria, whereas fragrance adds a layer of scent, unlike some of the best-scented candles, that would only add layers of fragrance to your room, only.
History of Lampe Berger
In the 1800s the world of science was experimenting to come up with solutions for the purification of air in hospitals. Two scientists Justus Von Liebig and Charles Gerhart found out that a catalytic burner system can disinfect the air. It does so by releasing alcohol molecules into the air. Which can kill germs.
Maurice Berger, a pharmacist in Paris, France, patented the system in 1898. That was the origin of Lampe Berger. Initially, the lamp was used in hospitals and similar places. Methyl alcohol was solely used, which would purify the air. But, would release an unpleasant smell.
In 1927, the liquid was changed from methyl alcohol to ethyl alcohol, which was more pleasant, and would resemble a smell close to freshly ripe apples. That was the advent of bringing Lampe Berger to homes and consumer markets.
Moreover, classy and timeless bottles were used for Lampe Berger, which were sold as a decoration for the upper class. So alongside the medical benefits, the bottles also add to the beauty of the house.
Later on, for efficient burning, purification of air, and dispensing fragrance, isopropyl alcohol was used in Lampe Bergers.
Isopropyl Alcohol is a colorless, clear liquid that is a major component of rubbing alcohol and is also available in the consumer market. It has the property of carrying the essential oil fragrance more efficiently once dispensed.
Later on, the company changed its name to Maison Berger and is still operational in France and produces the best Lampe Berger alongside an exquisite line of fragrances.
How Lampe Berger Works
As told earlier, a catalytic combustion method is used to dispense alcohol and fragrance into the air.
Germs and Bacteria are living organisms that multiply and have a thick outer protein layer. Alcohol has the property of thinning the protein layer of germs and bacteria to a point, where inners are exposed and bacteria are killed through a chemical process known as denaturation.
Buth why all the burning and flaming then? Can’t it be diffused in the air through the normal diffusion method?
And the answer is, Yes it can be. But not in the proper way and reach is less. Heat is introduced to dispense molecules far away as it has more energy.
The wick of Lampe Berger has a special stone on top. This stone has two purposes. The first one is to act as a barrier between liquid and flame. And also to let oxygen go underneath the burner for burning.
Once you flame the burner, the alcohol from the bottom is carried to the top and this creates a process of diffusion from the high-pressure chamber to the low-pressure atmosphere. The stone becomes heated and dispenses vapors more efficiently.
And the material of the wick, coupled with the hot stone and oxygen creates a process where the right amount is dispensed in the atmosphere.
If too much alcohol starts coming up, the stone will become cold very early and the diffusion process would slow down or even stops. Or Alternatively, the stone getting clogged would result in the non-lightning of flame.
We will also talk about the troubleshooting of these problems later in the article.
When to extinguish the flame
Once you will burn the Lampe Berger, the flame would be erratic and big. Wait till the flame settles down to a position where it is static and small. Blow the flame off, as, alcohol has started coming up in the right proportion and oxygen is going in the bottle.
After this, your Lampe Berger would ideally dispense Alcohol and Fragrance in the room for 20-25 minutes. And after that, the diffusion process would slow down. As the lamp would be cooled to room temperature. And also, during this time enough air purification has been done alongside perfume dispensation, so there is no point in wasting the liquid or overdoing it.
If you are using the lamp for the first time and your home environment is infested with odor, you might not feel the scent immediately or maybe it would not be long-lasting. As all the bacteria and germs are not killed. Remember that it is a continuous process. You need to purify the air every day to a point where germination and production of bacteria are controlled.
What should be the room size
Now comes a very important question. One Lamp should purify the air of what room size?
Must know that a Lampe Berger will not purify a big house completely. You might want to burn two at the same time. Or maybe use the lamp in the morning and evenings.
Ideally, one Lampe Berger should be enough for a house size of 1800-2000 Sq ft. For ideal calculation, for a room size of 600-800 sq ft, A single burner should eliminate 66-68% of bacteria in 25-30 minutes. And it should sustain it for the next 24 hours.
So based on the above calculation. Let’s say that you have a house equalling the size of 1000 sq ft. You should be good with a single Lampe Berger being used for around 35-40 mins. After that, you can put a stopper on the lamp to control the diffusion of liquid.
And you don’t need to use Lampe Berger like this every day. For the first usage, you can use it for 1 hour. But after a couple of times, just use it for 25-30 minutes every day and you have a clean and odorless home.
How to ideally calculate the usage time of Lampe Berger
Formula for usage of Lampe Berger
Size of house / 28 = Time in minutes
So how we came up with this formula? You divide the ideal room size (mean 700 sq ft) by the ideal usage time (mean is 25 mins), which comes to 28 sq ft/ min. And then divide your house size by 28. And you will get the ideal usage time of Lampe Berger.
A tip is that you need not change the position of a lamp from one place to another in the hall.
If you have a double-story home or maybe there are many rooms. So yes, in that case, you might be needing more lamps as per the dimensions of your Home. And then use the lamp as per the calculations above.
Where to Buy
If you intend to buy with confidence then look no beyond than Amazon. Shop confidently as free returns are offered if you are unsatisfied with your purchase. A Lampe Berger alongside its benefits also adds excellent decor and class to your house interior.
What are the best Fragrances for Lampe Berger?
When it comes to the best fragrances for Lampe Berger then my choice is as follows.
All the recommended refills are from Maison Berger and have more than 4.4-star ratings on Amazon. Hopefully, you would be happy with my recommendations.
Moreover do check our article on Best Maison Berger Fragrances to know in-depth as to how each fragrance smells like.
Benefits of Using Lampe Berger
These lamps are being used for a variety of benefits as under:-
- Purification of Air from 68 % of germs and odor-causing bacteria.
- Pleasant-smelling home from bad smells of pets, kitchen, and other factors
- Aromatherapeutic benefits of scents
- Staying fresh and focused
- Known to heal Asthma patients while using neutral liquid without scent
- Repel most insects
- Prevent germination of mold in humid environment
- Repel mosquitos and flies
- Ideal if you use it alongside humidifiers
What You Get in the Box
Once you will order the lamp for the first time. You will get the following items
- An elegant and good-looking bottle
- Specially made wick with a rock burner
- Funnel
- Bottle Stopper cap
- Bottle Diffuser Cap
- A scent of your choice
How to Properly use Lampe Berger
Now is the time to set it all up as per following instructions.
- First fill the bottle 2/3 level with the fragrance.
- Set the wick inside the bottle and leave it there for a good 25 minutes to soak it with liquid.
- This will ensure that no dry burning of the wick and burner happens.
- After soaking time is over, light the catalytic burner with a lighter.
- Let the flame light for 2-3 minutes till the time flame is settled.
- Extinguish the flame.
- Put on the diffuser cap for even distribution of vapors in the room.
- For first time let the liquid diffuse for 60 minutes.
- For subsequent uses diffuse the liquid for 25-30 minutes
- Put on the stopper cap after usage.
- Repeat after 24 hrs.
Troubleshooting
Here are the solutions to normal problems that can be encountered while using the Lampe Berger.
The burner is cold after the flame is extinguished or the wick won’t light
The possible answer is the overfill of the bottle with liquid. Or an over-soaked wick. The recommended filling of the bottle is 2/3 level. If you overfill then the liquid coming up the wick to the burner is more than the burning of flame. You might see erratic burning even after 2 minutes and the flame won’t settle.
Also, the liquid might clog the stone and not let the oxygen pass through. In this scenario, the wick won’t light or the flame is extinguished suddenly.
Remedial Action
- Bring the level of liquid to 2/3 or even 1/2 of the bottle.
- Clean the wick and burner with 91% isopropyl alcohol solution, and let it get dry in the open for 12-14 hours.
- Put it back on and let the liquid soak in the wick for 20-25 minutes.
- If the usage is over 1 year then it is time for a replacement of wick and burner.
The Stone of Lampe Berger has Turned Black
This problem is due to over burning of Lampe Berger stone. Recommended burning time is till the flame is settled. Which is 2 minutes in normal circumstances or might be prolonged to 3 minutes if the liquid is more. Another reason for this is the usage of homemade liquid (DIY) which carries impurities and brings the efficiency of wick down and blackening the stone.
Remedial Action
- Ensure that level of liquid is no more than 2/3 and for an ideal burning, you can bring it to 1/2 of the size of the bottle.
- This would ensure that flame is settled within 2 minutes.
- Do not use long wicks for small bottles. Long wicks would soak in more liquid.
- Extinguish the flame as soon as flame is settled and steady.
- If stone has turned black then take the wick out. Place the burner and wick in 91% isopropyl solution (available in normal pharmacy) overnight.
- Ensure to soak the burner in the solution every week to enhance life of wick and burner
- Regularly use your berge lampe for efficient working.
Conclusion
We all want our dear ones to breathe in a healthy environment. And Lampe Berger is a perfect solution to home odor and clean air. Over time certain smells are infested due to pets, cooking, or even spilling of things. Invented in 1898, still, Lampe Berger is not very common in homes. Partly due to the non-availability of information on the subject.
Hopefully, this article will guide you towards a better home environment alongside common troubleshooting and remedies surrounding the usage of this wonderful product. Which also adds to the decor.
