Coralife F/W T-5 Aqualight

[superjalami30]

Has anyone used these units?

http/www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18360/si1379087/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight48

They're garbage just in case you wanted to know. Without getting into how I recieved about a dozen of them for free from the manufactuer, I want to know if anyone has had problems with them simply just stop working?
I'm sure its a ballast problem, but if you own one and have tried to take one apart you've noticed it isnt as easy as taking the back off and replacing the ballast. The unit is one piece, no screws, no rivets, no nothing. To take it apart I'm going to have to cut it apart around where the ballast is and then replace it if possible.

Has anyone else had the same problems with these units or did I just get, literally, 15 bad units?

 

[Mikaila31]

Hmmm.... are you saying none of them work? I would use a voltage meter to test the ballasts if you have one.

As far as taking them apart, its common for them not to have screws on the outside. Take the bulb out and usually there is a way to remove the reflector. Once the reflector is removed the ballast becomes accessible. I have no experience with this particular brand though. When I buy lights I avoid the "slim" ones. They put a lot of effort into making them slim, this usually makes the fixture less efficient by squashing the reflector. IMO it shortens the ballast life as well, being confined in a narrow metal house probably makes it get hotter than the bulkier light fixtures. This is all just my speculation though, I avoid the squished ones.

 

[superjalami30]

Hmmm.... are you saying none of them work? I would use a voltage meter to test the ballasts if you have one.

As far as taking them apart, its common for them not to have screws on the outside. Take the bulb out and usually there is a way to remove the reflector. Once the reflector is removed the ballast becomes accessible. I have no experience with this particular brand though. When I buy lights I avoid the "slim" ones. They put a lot of effort into making them slim, this usually makes the fixture less efficient by squashing the reflector. IMO it shortens the ballast life as well, being confined in a narrow metal house probably makes it get hotter than the bulkier light fixtures. This is all just my speculation though, I avoid the squished ones.

Out of the dozen I recieved 3 still work. I've actually saved the others in the event I ended up getting around to taking one apart and fixing it.
There is literally 'no way' to take these apart asides from cutting them apart. Under the reflector lies nothing. You can take the ends off and see very little down the lenght of the unit. The unit is one big cast piece of aluminum.
I as well figured the problem lies with the ballast overheating. The odd part is I've heard of no one else having the same problems. I posted this same question two years ago and then searched the net for any hits on these units regarding problems and have found nothing.

I wonder if I have a whole lot of bunky units?