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Thread: LED Light Waterproofing

  1. #1

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    LED Light Waterproofing

    Ok, So good morning, first post yadda yadda yadda...

    I've been using the search function and can't find anything.

    I've read the stickys and can't find anything.

    I want to build one of these. I found a light on amazon that is IP67 rated. It looks to avoid the issues in the "LED light warning" thread. I'm curious, as it is not hermetically sealed, what the gurus have to say about it's viability in an undertand/over sump type setup. Here is a link to the light:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ledfixtures-20

    if anyone has a thread from the past that discusses waterproofing in greater depth than the sticky that would be appreciated. I can't find anything regarding the ratings, I would assume that the ratings are relevant when discussing lighting in this type of climate, but only to a certain extent. It IS saltwater, so...yeah...

    My other thought is the small cluster being a hindrance to the spread of the light and it's capability to cover the entire surface of the mat. That being said, we're not talking about a huge tank or a heavily fed tank. I'm at one cube a day (admittedly, likely overfeeding), and once i get to full stocking don't see myself going higher than 3 per day. However, that's just a rough guesstimate and may build a 4 cube size scrubber.

    Which brings up another question: Is there a such thing as "too much" scrubber? I assume not but i want to check to be sure.

    Just some random thoughts...

    p.s. I'm a chronic over-thinker and i have yet to find the appropriate support group.

    -Ed

  2. #2
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    Welcome.

    For DIY, you can of course use anything you want for lighting, and the light you linked to is probably as good as what most DIY people use. I'm sure it's not really 300 watts of light, with no heat sink and no fan, but it will be good for one side of a screen. If the scrubber is an upflow, and is underwater, you might have only one light. If a waterfall, you will really need a light on each side to slow down matting and die-off, and maybe 10" away because of the concentrated size.

    For safety, it looks to be spash resistant, and does not have a fan, so that's good. Watch out for the switch... it cannot be anywhere near water or salt spray, or really even in a sump area at all. And you'll need to test the ground connection to be certain the earth wire does indeed connect to all metal parts of the case. Otherwise it's trash. And of course your electrical outlets need to be properly grounded.

    For long term, the issue with any of these lights is that they are metal, which means slow corrosion no matter what, including corrosion of the ground connection. And they are hollow (almost certainly not hermetically sealed), meaning moisture from the sump will be pulled inside it as it expands, and will condense on the electrical parts including the ground when it cools, even though it says the board is coated for protection (this will eventually corrode away at points). But as long as the ground connection holds, it should be ok for just you to use (and not made and sold to others).

    Hope that helps

  3. #3

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    Thanks!

    i was more concerned with the ip67 rating for this, and what it means for exposure to a "reef climate."

    you've brought up some good points and i appreciate it. I may have to buy one and take it apart just to see what exactly is "IP67" waterproofed, and what exactly that means.

    This light would be extremely cumbersome to use anyhow, just came across the ip67 rating and didn't know if there was anything posted relating to it. the sticky says hermetically sealed, but i cant find much on that.

    If my math is right i'd need this light to be approximately 8.5" away to achieve coverage on a 10x10 square based on their advertised spread angle.

    given that i plan on building a "4 cube per day" size waterfall scrubber, i'd be just under 7" square. Call it 7" square for simplicity's sake and i'd have to be a little over 6" away on either side of the screen. That's not gonna work.

    I appreciate the help.

  4. #4
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    The IP67 rating, or any of those ratings, are usually just for short term splash tests. Not for long term seepage, and certainly not for corrosion, which you have to consider for a sump area. But they are a good deal and should be ok to DIY.

  5. #5

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    that's what i thought, i kept seeing them referred to as "waterproof" though. figured i'd ask if anyone here had any experience. thanks!

  6. #6

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    This page will give you IP rating explanations: http://www.enclosurecompany.com/ip-r...-explained.php

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