I have 6 ai prime 16 hd on my tank now and have had the previous versions before and they all last about 1 1/2 years then the Uv or one of the blues burn out and as a result of that the lens also burns/melts, after the warranty. So now one of my Nero 3 and Nero 5 have burned out, out of warranty. They are great until they aren’t. Support says send them in and they will repair them and everytime I have, except once they say we will replace it for this price with a new one. The new one never fails to at some point have the same problem at some point. So I’ve put my old mp 40s back in and still using the lights with the colors not exactly the same but the corals are still growing. Rant over
Ai rant
- Thread starter larrynews
- Start date
I’ve had a hydra and a prime both have leds burn out after a couple years. Not a big fan
I am slowly replacing my AI lights with Radions. I have to say that when one of my Nero 5's crapped out they sold me a new one for half price. I felt that was a reasonable compromise considering it was out of warrantee and a unit that I purchased used. I had sent it in to them for repair and they offered to send me a new one instead. No idea how long it will last though.
I have 2 26hd and 3 nero 5 and they all seem to work great. Easy to program and pumps are easy to clean. no issues yet. Knock on wood.
I had 2 4+ year old 52s that worked perfect when i replaced them last year. They are still working fine in there new home. I had a pair of 26s that worked great 4+ years and are still working today too. Can not leave out the pair of prime HDs that worked great for 3 years and i recently replaced them with new 16s because I got a great deal on them. All of these AI performed perfectly. The onlt issue I saw was some of the lenses had some discoloration over the UV leds
I can say much about the neros because Ive only had my nero 3s for a couple months
Rocky Eliseo on Instagram: "Old lights just came down. Burnt lenses! 😖 This is why I have been wanting to change my lights. @illumagic lenses never burn, lifetime guarantee! @dalua_international _____________________________________________ Che
188 likes, 26 comments - thekoralito on January 18, 2023: "Old lights just came down. Burnt lenses! 😖 This is why I have been wanting to change my lights. @illumagic lenses never burn, lifeti..."
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Just saw this. Looks like an issue with the prime.
Bought my 15th hydra today and have been happy with every one
The issue of AI lenses degrading under their UV led’s is a known problem.
It is most likely caused by the lens material absorbing the UV wavelength, causing the plastic lens material to undergo depolymerization. That is, in essence, a kind of chemical ‘unzipping’ of the polymer material. Leading to degradation, lenses turning dark, etc.
The solution would be for AI to select a different material, based on the optical transmission spectrum matching the LED wavelengths. Obviously, this was never done, and/or product/material performance testing was not performed. Something all too common, especially on imported products, where requirements and/or expectations may be lacking.
The company should recognize the problem, change materials on their products and issue a recall/upgrade/credit/etc. (something!) for products already sold.
My $0.02
It is most likely caused by the lens material absorbing the UV wavelength, causing the plastic lens material to undergo depolymerization. That is, in essence, a kind of chemical ‘unzipping’ of the polymer material. Leading to degradation, lenses turning dark, etc.
The solution would be for AI to select a different material, based on the optical transmission spectrum matching the LED wavelengths. Obviously, this was never done, and/or product/material performance testing was not performed. Something all too common, especially on imported products, where requirements and/or expectations may be lacking.
The company should recognize the problem, change materials on their products and issue a recall/upgrade/credit/etc. (something!) for products already sold.
My $0.02
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