PC Lighting help request

slice

slice

Active Member
I have a








CPR AquaFuge Light 1624



16" fixture with a 24W, 13" 6500k 4-straight prong, bulb, looks nice and fits the fuge perfectly,
on my CPR skimmer/refugium combo, has been in operation since the first week in October.
A couple of weeks ago, the bulb began to flicker only, would not stay on. I have no knowledge of PC lighting; I first looked at the bulb (a Karo brand, cannot even find it on google) and saw the end of the bulb near the prongs was discolored, gray/blackish. I assumed the bulb had gone bad after less than 3 months of service.
I could not find a 24W 13" in a 6500k or 6700K anywhere, so I replaced it with a Coralife 10K. The light worked for 1 week, the bulb would flicker a bit, then come on steady. I am not sure how much flicker the fixture made in the beginning, never really noticed.
Well, now the fixture will do nothing. No flicker, nothing, as if it was not plugged in at all.
Is this the starter? Ballast? What? Can I find off the shelf replacement parts that are suitable?
I will disassemble one night this week to see what is in there and start a search for parts. I have already sent a strongly worded email to CPR about my piece of snit light.
Any help/advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.
Oh, for the meantime, I have an old regular single florescent fixture over the fuge, the type that comes with a 10g starter kit. Ugly, hangs off the end, but a light.
Thanks again!
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Sounds like a ballast to me Joe, also check the wiring to the ends could be a short.
Don't those lights have those small little balasts - they almost look like a capasitor.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Thanks Al, I don't know what any of it looks like yet, I will take it apart one evening this week.
I hope I can find suitable parts. I was at Lowe's this past weekend and saw bins and bins of capasitor-looking things in the flourescent lighting section. It would be great if I can get it going again for only a few $s (saving up for MP10s).
The more I think about it, I believe CPR owes me at least an apology.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
I will be disassembling the light this evening to see what components I can recognize and easily replace. The manual that came with the light only shows an exploded view without component details.
I still have not heard back from CPR. I've attempted contact through the support section of their website, direct email and phone message left with support. I've given them over a week to respond.
Previous questions to support on other matters were answered promptly and completely, don't know what the problem is, but I am becoming a tad angry with them.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Once you get it opened Joe, post a pic I'm sure someone can ID the parts.....Hopefully SCSInet pops in to take a peak as well.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
I finally got through to a live person at CPR, the gracious and charming Midori.
She said they recently lost their tech support guy and apologized for no one getting back to me, but if I would send her a copy of the order summary, she would jump all over the problem.
I just emailed her a copy of the order summary, lets see what happens. From the sound of it, I may be OK with a new fixture and/or replacement parts. Depending on what the response is, I may or may not tear the thing apart.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///forum/thread/383065/pc-lighting-help-request#post_3349136
I finally got through to a live person at CPR, the gracious and charming Midori.
She said they recently lost their tech support guy and apologized for no one getting back to me, but if I would send her a copy of the order summary, she would jump all over the problem.
I just emailed her a copy of the order summary, lets see what happens. From the sound of it, I may be OK with a new fixture and/or replacement parts. Depending on what the response is, I may or may not tear the thing apart.
Slice does that model have an external starter on it? It's a little white, round cylinder looking thing on one side of the fixture. It's probably going to either be that or a ballast. It coule be a bad contact but I'm leaning a little more towards the other two.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///forum/thread/383065/pc-lighting-help-request#post_3349158
Yes Corey, the description says it has an external replaceable starter.
Just wondering. Hopefully they'll send you a new fixture. If not you could always check the power coming from the ballast. If the ballast is good you know it's probably just that starter since you've already tried the new bulb and it flickered the same way. Hopefully the constant firing over the course of a week hasn't comprimised the life of the new bulb too much. I have a pc fixture and I know those bulbs aren't super cheap.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/383065/pc-lighting-help-request#post_3349163
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///forum/thread/383065/pc-lighting-help-request#post_3349158
Yes Corey, the description says it has an external replaceable starter.
Just wondering. Hopefully they'll send you a new fixture. If not you could always check the power coming from the ballast. If the ballast is good you know it's probably just that starter since you've already tried the new bulb and it flickered the same way. Hopefully the constant firing over the course of a week hasn't comprimised the life of the new bulb too much. I have a pc fixture and I know those bulbs aren't super cheap.
The picture of the fixture on some sites show a cylinder plugged in from the outside of the fixture on the end away from the power cord. I assume that is the "external starter". My fixture however, has a hole in that spot covered by a "knock-out plug"; nothing protrudes from there.
Here is a pic from amazon:

There must be different versions out there.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///forum/thread/383065/pc-lighting-help-request#post_3349167
The picture of the fixture on some sites show a cylinder plugged in from the outside of the fixture on the end away from the power cord. I assume that is the "external starter". My fixture however, has a hole in that spot covered by a "knock-out plug"; nothing protrudes from there.
Here is a pic from amazon:

There must be different versions out there.
Yes, they must have switched ballast types somewhere along the way. That was the same picture I found when I searched for that model.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
**UPDATE**
I took the thing apart today, here it is before disassembly

As you can see, there in no "External Replaceable Starter" where most pictures show it to be (see picture in above post)

The switch side also has a hole covered with a "knock-out plug" where something could have been, or an option to move the switch to the other side?
Here is what I found inside, clearly NOT external replaceable:

It says: "Starter FS-U 4-65W 220-240V (WITH CONDENSER)".
I will go out later today and try to find something similar.
Still no word from CPR...
 
slice

slice

Active Member
I just googled for a direct replacement for the starter and all the hits are from the UK.
When I googled a replacement bulb the other week, I found it was of Chinese origin and found no where to buy a direct replacement.
Gotta love global trade.
I am real curious about the "220-240V" listing on the starter...
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Honestly, Slice...if it were me I'd just run out and pick up a new starter to see if that's what it is or not. You could probably find them for about $5 a piece. They are pretty universal. As long as you get one that's rated for the bulb you're pushing (24watts) and 220-240. The one you have is good for 4watt-65watt bulbs. Sometimes they even carry them at the large pet stores for the flourescents they use in the standard hoods. Ofcorse I'd still try to get them to do something about it but it's better than sitting around waiting for them to do something. How's everything else look...no burning or anything like that on the wires or connections I take it?
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Yeah, I have to go to Lowe's for supplies for my never-ending master bathroom remodeling project and will pick up a starter later this afternoon.
I see no burnt, discolored connections or anything that indicates anything but a bad component. Thanks for the advice on how to choose a replacement, I was hoping for those words.
As for CPR, I am now hoping for a replacement fixture to give my 10g the potential of being a future Zoa nano
 
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