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| I have an Eclipse Bio-Wheel/fluorescent-light hood combo on a 30-gallon tank that is just coming on 8-years old.
Have never had a problem with it until now. Apparently the light button is "stuck". It's not the bulbs - definitely the button, which is one of those rubber-covered discs, which hides the actual mechanism. I haven't priced a new hood yet, but it seems a shame to have to replace the whole hood when everything else - Bio-wheel, pump, etc., still works perfectly. Any ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Can you pry up that rubber piece to take a look?? Maybe some mineral residue build up underneath from condensation?? Also - not sure, but can the light unit be removed? So you can check it out? Could be just a couple of screws holding it onto the hood. Mines been going strong for about 5 years now. No issues with lights so far! |
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| Pry off the rubber and take a look at the button. You may be able to go to radio shack or someplace and get a comparable switch to replace it. A light switch only has 2 wires so it isn't any big deal to figure out how to replace it. If there isn't an exact match, see if you can find something similar - you might be able to get something that fits in the hole but you'd have to leave the rubber off. Or, if worst came to worst, drill a new hole in the hood and mount a different switch. Just be careful it isn't where water can get into it. Obviously, unplug the light before you fool around with any of this. WW |
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| The following are just ideas and please be very careful with whatever you decide to do. Everyone has a different degree of skill at these types of things. Only you know for sure what the hood looks like and the components inside, how they come apart, etc. so take my advice with a ‘grain of salt’. I assume that when you say the button is stuck, it’s stuck in the "off" position. That is, the light doesn't go on. I agree your first thing should be the cut the rubber and see if the switch needs cleaning. Second thing may be (if the first doesn’t work) to find a new replacement switch. Or, can you do without the switch? Let me explain… Maybe just ‘bypass’ the switch. That is, cut the two wires at the point where they are connected to the switch and then connect the wires directly together without a switch inbetween. Use the appropriate wire connector or electrical tape, or better yet, both. Afterward try to tuck the wire back in the plastic housing and use aquarium silicone to seal up any holes and protect against water splashing. Obviously after this your light may work, but you won’t have an on/off switch to turn the light off and on. It will be on permanently. So, either unplug the light every night or I recommend getting a $7 appliance timer, which you can set and it will turn the light on and off every day. Obviously this will only work if the filter has a separate plug in going to the outlet on the wall than the light. You wouldn’t want to set your filter on a timer and not have it going 24/7. Just a suggestion. Glen |
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| Thanks for all of the suggestions. And yes, the light doesn't come on. Normally, when you press down on the flexible rubber disc, you can feel & hear the button/switch/whatever underneath click down & back up again. Now, it seems like the button is stuck in the "down" position. Hopefully with my husband around to keep me from getting electrocuted, we can pry or cut the rubber button & see what's going on. Don't get me wrong guys - I'm not a "cheap" person. I just hate to toss the whole hood for one little thing. |
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| hey - no sense in contributing more plastic to the garbage dump when something can be salvaged for a small problem! :) Just as recommended - just don't start exploring with the thing plugged in! You can "disconnect" the top of the hood from the frame easily so that the unit is separated from the tank to make things easier. Then you're just dealing with the light and plug and not fussing with it by the water. Besides which - eclipse hoods don't come by cheap! hope it's fixable. |
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| Want to hear something funny? Like "how to feel like the moron of the century" funny? I was just re-examining the hood while feeding the fish & lo & behold discovered that the little rubber disc covering the light switch just "peels" up. It's not permanently attached. A couple of quick up-&-down clicks on the switch to "loosen" it up, snapped the rubber disc back on, & VOILA - let there be light - lol!!! |
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| LOL! Now that's funny!!! |
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| I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I didn't whine to my husband about fixing it before discovering this. I can easily envision the "& where did we leave our brains today" look. . . . lol!! |
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- Posted by imaginators z6 KY (My Page) on Fri, Mar 4, 05 at 20:04
| My husband has a saying that drives me nuts..."It not Rocket Science." Which leaves me feeling like a dumb one. Theresa |
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| Glad that everything worked out. Seriously though, if the button starts giving you more problems (working some of the time, not working some of the time) maybe just leave it in the "on" position and plug the cord for the light into an appliance timer which will save wear and tear on the actual button on the light. |
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