Tek Light Owners Question

SoulFish · 09/23/2009, 10:45 AM

Ok got my new Tek light 48" 6 bulb unit in the mail. I hung it up last night on a pulley system I fabricated. One question I have is I'm using the angle hanger that is supplied with the unit to suspend it from the cables.

My fixture does not hang level, but instead dips down in the front and is slightly higher from gravity in the rear. Essentially slightly angleing the light back. Is this normal? Do all Tek lights hang heavier in the front? Is this bu design of is it a flaw?

TheH · 09/23/2009, 11:10 AM

I know that the power cords are pretty thick, are you sure that there isn't some slight tension on them that could be pushing the fixture down in the back?

SoulFish · 09/23/2009, 11:25 AM

no that would be the opposite if that was happening. The unit hangs lower in the front, higher in the back.

syrss · 09/23/2009, 05:16 PM

I thought I was the only one who had this problem. I spend hours/days trying to level the thing, but finally gave up and used the brackets instead of hanging it.

The problem is that the aluminum used to make the fixture is too soft and it's tweaking when it's hung and the the thick power cord is putting weight on that one corner.

You can try doing this, after you get it at the right height and leveled, have one person hold one end of the fixture firmly, and then have another person hold and twist the other end to adjust it. But this will only last until the next time you adjust the light.

I am not sure why no one else mentioned this before I bought mine 48 inch unit, and I did countless hours of research.

SoulFish · 09/24/2009, 04:36 PM

Nope, since then the "Puckering" due to the thin metal has gotten worse over a 1 day's time. I think your on to something looks like Tek is skimping on the larger housings.

a. They need internal horizontal and lateral supports so they can properly be hung

b. Or they need the larger units to be made with a thicker gauge metal.

Also as a side effect of the warping/puckering it appears the acrylic splash guard is also warping in just one day, is this related to my unit's twisting/puckering? Is it too close to the bulbs b/c reflectors were all loose and some broken reflector connections, is it due to the units puckering, or is getting too hot, or a combo. Either way it appears the 48" 6 bulb unit has several defects!

I'm sorry to say that I now am trying to see if Reef Geek can help me. I hope they can. But buyers beware of this model of Tek Light. Maybe this is just my "one" unit? Or maybe this is a bigger problem that has not been reported on much?

Images below of my unit, 1 day after setup, you decide.

syrss · 09/24/2009, 06:04 PM

Wow, no offense but that acrylic shield looks horribly warped, that can't be how it's supposed to be.

I don't have the shield so I can't say.

But the fixture rigidity is definitely a problem (at least on the 48 incher)

dwilly · 09/24/2009, 06:12 PM

I've had my 48" by 6 bulb unit for almost 2 yrs now and I ordered it w/ the hanging kit and couldn't make it work. I bought the legs and it works fine. Also, I don't have any cover on my tank and I don't use the splash shield on the lights and they work fine. I keep them about 7" above the water and I wipe down the reflectors (w/o removing the bulbs) every 6 months. The shield and the tank cover seem to really reduce the par available to the tank inhabitants.

nikon187 · 09/24/2009, 06:23 PM

I put a counter weight on the opposite side from the cords and it levels out the light just fine. Look for a slightly heavier magnet and place on the back and you should be set.

arredondojason · 09/24/2009, 06:37 PM

i have the 48" with 8 bulbs and i did not have that problem at all with either of the 2 fixtures are you sure it is not from the home made suspension kit. no offence.

jamesdawson · 09/24/2009, 11:01 PM

IME, TekLights are poorly designed units because they have no active cooling and this really hurts PAR. The reflectors are easily corroded and if you put a shield on them the already insufficient passive cooling goes down even more and your PAR and bulb life really go in the crapper. They also suffer from poor materials selection.

James

TheH · 10/12/2009, 01:17 PM

Both your warped acrylic shield and warped housing around the v-hooks point to some major defects. I had a 48" 4 bulb unit and did not have either of these problems in the 18 months that I used the fixture.

c'est ma · 10/23/2009, 10:10 PM

IME it's definitely the power cords. I just happen to have my fixture hanging beneath a cabinet next to a deeper cabinet, and so I was able to run the power cords a short distance horizontally till they were behind the next cabinet and could drape over the cabinet handles. (I realize this would be clearer with a picture!) At any rate, after I raise or lower the fixture on the wire hangers, I just have to add or remove some slack from the power cords to make the fixture hang level front to back.

Obviously not helpful if there's no place nearby to drape your cords over...

09/23/2009, 10:45 AM	#1
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Tek Light Owners Question Ok got my new Tek light 48" 6 bulb unit in the mail. I hung it up last night on a pulley system I fabricated. One question I have is I'm using the angle hanger that is supplied with the unit to suspend it from the cables. My fixture does not hang level, but instead dips down in the front and is slightly higher from gravity in the rear. Essentially slightly angleing the light back. Is this normal? Do all Tek lights hang heavier in the front? Is this bu design of is it a flaw?

09/24/2009, 04:36 PM	#5
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	Tek Light Defects? Nope, since then the "Puckering" due to the thin metal has gotten worse over a 1 day's time. I think your on to something looks like Tek is skimping on the larger housings. a. They need internal horizontal and lateral supports so they can properly be hung b. Or they need the larger units to be made with a thicker gauge metal. Also as a side effect of the warping/puckering it appears the acrylic splash guard is also warping in just one day, is this related to my unit's twisting/puckering? Is it too close to the bulbs b/c reflectors were all loose and some broken reflector connections, is it due to the units puckering, or is getting too hot, or a combo. Either way it appears the 48" 6 bulb unit has several defects! I'm sorry to say that I now am trying to see if Reef Geek can help me. I hope they can. But buyers beware of this model of Tek Light. Maybe this is just my "one" unit? Or maybe this is a bigger problem that has not been reported on much? Images below of my unit, 1 day after setup, you decide. Last edited by SoulFish; 09/24/2009 at 05:34 PM.

09/24/2009, 06:12 PM	#7
dwilly Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Palatine, Illinois Posts: 475	I've had my 48" by 6 bulb unit for almost 2 yrs now and I ordered it w/ the hanging kit and couldn't make it work. I bought the legs and it works fine. Also, I don't have any cover on my tank and I don't use the splash shield on the lights and they work fine. I keep them about 7" above the water and I wipe down the reflectors (w/o removing the bulbs) every 6 months. The shield and the tank cover seem to really reduce the par available to the tank inhabitants. __________________ A little learning is a dangerous thing, but a lot of ignorance is just as bad. Bob Edwards Current Tank Info: 75 gl reef w/ 30 gl sump, Vertex In 100, 6 x 54w T5, 10 gl nano

09/24/2009, 11:01 PM	#10
jamesdawson Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: I AM THE SEA Posts: 1,303	IME, TekLights are poorly designed units because they have no active cooling and this really hurts PAR. The reflectors are easily corroded and if you put a shield on them the already insufficient passive cooling goes down even more and your PAR and bulb life really go in the crapper. They also suffer from poor materials selection. James __________________ Old Reefers Never Die, they just...join the crew! Current Tank Info: I'm expanding my reach

09/23/2009, 11:10 AM	#2
TheH Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,278	I know that the power cords are pretty thick, are you sure that there isn't some slight tension on them that could be pushing the fixture down in the back?

09/23/2009, 11:25 AM	#3
SoulFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tampa Area Posts: 316	no that would be the opposite if that was happening. The unit hangs lower in the front, higher in the back.

09/23/2009, 05:16 PM	#4
syrss Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: RSM, OC Posts: 170	I thought I was the only one who had this problem. I spend hours/days trying to level the thing, but finally gave up and used the brackets instead of hanging it. The problem is that the aluminum used to make the fixture is too soft and it's tweaking when it's hung and the the thick power cord is putting weight on that one corner. You can try doing this, after you get it at the right height and leveled, have one person hold one end of the fixture firmly, and then have another person hold and twist the other end to adjust it. But this will only last until the next time you adjust the light. I am not sure why no one else mentioned this before I bought mine 48 inch unit, and I did countless hours of research.

09/24/2009, 06:04 PM	#6
syrss Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: RSM, OC Posts: 170	Wow, no offense but that acrylic shield looks horribly warped, that can't be how it's supposed to be. I don't have the shield so I can't say. But the fixture rigidity is definitely a problem (at least on the 48 incher)

09/24/2009, 06:23 PM	#8
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	I put a counter weight on the opposite side from the cords and it levels out the light just fine. Look for a slightly heavier magnet and place on the back and you should be set.

09/24/2009, 06:37 PM	#9
arredondojason Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 988	i have the 48" with 8 bulbs and i did not have that problem at all with either of the 2 fixtures are you sure it is not from the home made suspension kit. no offence.

10/12/2009, 01:17 PM	#11
TheH Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,278	Both your warped acrylic shield and warped housing around the v-hooks point to some major defects. I had a 48" 4 bulb unit and did not have either of these problems in the 18 months that I used the fixture.

10/23/2009, 10:10 PM	#12
c'est ma Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 22	IME it's definitely the power cords. I just happen to have my fixture hanging beneath a cabinet next to a deeper cabinet, and so I was able to run the power cords a short distance horizontally till they were behind the next cabinet and could drape over the cabinet handles. (I realize this would be clearer with a picture!) At any rate, after I raise or lower the fixture on the wire hangers, I just have to add or remove some slack from the power cords to make the fixture hang level front to back. Obviously not helpful if there's no place nearby to drape your cords over...