Welcome Guest, Please Login or Register!
Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Support RL
Home Forum Aquarium Log Gallery Sponsors RHO Bookstore

Help - Is there a quality problem with LOA lights?

Go Back   Reeflands Forum > Equipment > Lighting
Sponsored Links
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-01-2002, 06:46 PM   #1
Citizen
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New Orleans, LA, USA
Posts: 152
Unhappy Help - Is there a quality problem with LOA lights?

or is it something I did wrong? I bought a LOA (Lights of America) 6500K Florex PC flood lights from Home Depot several weeks ago, I used a 6' extension cord, (is this a problem?) cut off one end, got the two wires connected to those on the LOA light, twisted the wires with wire cap. I put it on the glass cover (would this be a problem?), with the casing. After a week, the light failed to come on. Thinking that I might have got a lemon, I went to HD and exchanged for another Florex. I did the same thing, and after 2 weeks, today it failed to light again. Are there so many defective products of this brand PC, or is it just my bad luck, or is it something I did wrong?

Thanks.
__________________
Welcome to visit my web site Aquarist Report
Seafan is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links

Old 02-01-2002, 07:01 PM   #2
Moderator
 
scubadude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Posts: 5,301
Hi Seafan

Did you forget about the photo sensor? they have a little button on them that will detect light and not come on...you may have the lights on (in the room) and it wont work.....find that button and put some black electrical tape over it then it should work for ya....if it has been working before and you havent got a photo sensor problem and your wiring has good connection then you have a bad bulb or socket. But sounds like the photo sensor to me....it drove me whacky too for a couple of days. The way you have it wired sounds fine....Im not sure I would lay it right on the glass....but that should have nothing to do with it not working
scubadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 07:10 PM   #3
Citizen
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New Orleans, LA, USA
Posts: 152
Re: Hi Seafan

Quote:
Originally posted by scubadude
Did you forget about the photo sensor? they have a little button on them that will detect light and not come on...
Do you mean the green plastic thing on the back of the casing? This may be just the cause, as I didn't tape over it. But I happen to be home today, and saw the light came on earlier, then it was off later the day. Does that sound still like the photo sensor problem?

Thanks for the quick reply.
__________________
Welcome to visit my web site Aquarist Report
Seafan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 10:16 PM   #4
Governor
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 2,171
i agree with scuba sounds like it could be the sensor.i can tbeleive anyone has problems with these lights...i dropped mine in my sump twice,and after drying for a couple days it works as good as ever.
organicreefer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2002, 10:22 PM   #5
Moderator
 
scubadude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Posts: 5,301
Quote:
Originally posted by organicreefer
i agree with scuba sounds like it could be the sensor.i can tbeleive anyone has problems with these lights...i dropped mine in my sump twice,and after drying for a couple days it works as good as ever.
LOL...only twice? Mine have been in water more than air.

Seafan....when you bought the LOA lights they should of came with another button thats black....replace the semitransparent green one with the black one....Unless you threw it away.....I bet you where just too darn excited to see these lights work and said to yerself....I dont need this stinkin little button
scubadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2002, 12:47 PM   #6
Governor
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Rohnert Park, CA, USA
Posts: 1,102
Send a message via AIM to icemark
On the newer version of the lamp (the ones with the white reflector) there is also a very cheap thermal shut down built into the ballast.

If you have the clear bulb cover and it is resting on the glass firing straight down you may be overheating the units.

Another thing if you notice the instructions that most people don't even look at, they mention the light should be at a 25 to 65 degree angle to the flat surface, so again if you are mounting it firing straight down you may be overheating the bulbs as well as the the ballast assembly.

I have done a lot experimenting and playing around with these lights and have figured out where all the weaknesses are in them.
__________________
Play well

Mark
www.mazdamark.com
icemark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2002, 01:40 PM   #7
Moderator
 
scubadude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Posts: 5,301
Thumbs up

Thats some good info....thanx ice!
__________________
Rocky

scubadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2002, 04:02 PM   #8
Citizen
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New Orleans, LA, USA
Posts: 152
Question

I replaced the green button with the brown/black button, and the light still failed to come on. I guess the light is burned out?

Does anybody drill holes on the casing to allow more heat release?
__________________
Welcome to visit my web site Aquarist Report
Seafan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:12 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0 Release Candidate 3
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.1.0 ©2007, Crawlability, Inc.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79