DIY aquarium fixtures repair

If the lighting in the aquarium fails, you need to decide: repair the cover or buy a new one. If the lid in which the aquarium lamps are installed is made of inexpensive materials and was bought as a temporary one, then there is no point in repairing it, since the breakdown will soon happen again. But if an expensive and high-quality item was purchased, then it must be sent to a service workshop. It should be understood that repairing lighting in an aquarium is not easy.

After the decision has been made to repair the lighting yourself, you need to identify the defect itself and the origin of the breakdown, so that it does not recur in the future. The most common cause of damage to electrical filling in an aquarium is a leak in the compartments where wires, timers and other devices are located. Leaky sockets and lamps that are not designed to work in high humidity conditions also suffer from moisture. To carry out repair work, you will need the following materials and tools:

• tester;
• stationery knife;
• side cutters;
• pliers;
• probe screwdriver;
• regular screwdriver;
• soldering iron;
• soldering kit;
• sealant;
• wires;
• insulating tape or heat shrink tubing.

Fault diagnostics must be carried out in a specific order - from simple to complex.First, we check the integrity of the network wire and the functionality of the switch. It is not difficult to do this using a tester: we check these elements, if they do not work, then we make a replacement. In the event that everything is in order, we proceed to the next stage.

Very often, the lighting device stops working from the effects of an aggressive environment, as a result of which the cartridges in which the lamps are installed oxidize and fail. Or moisture is entering the light source. Only a complete replacement of lighting equipment will help here. We release the luminaires from the protective panel, if it is provided by the design. We remove the lamps, dismantle the cartridges, "biting off" the oxidized wires.

In place of the old ones, we install modern waterproof cartridges, the design of which does not allow moisture to penetrate the contacts and cause the lamps to burn out.

After checking and troubleshooting the wiring and lighting, the most difficult case remains - this is the replacement of the chokes. We remove the lid from the aquarium, disconnect it from the electrical network and begin to disassemble it. Problems can arise with this: very often the top panel is glued or planted on a special silicone. Disconnecting will take some effort and at the same time try to do it as carefully as possible. Under the panel are electrical wires and electronic ballasts, in common people - starters. If you are not an expert, then it is advisable to write down, and it is better to photograph, which wire goes where.

It is better to purchase electronic ballasts in a specialized store in order to be sure of the reliability of the parts. We disconnect the starter from the wires, make a replacement with the same or greater power. We collect everything according to the previous scheme.

Choosing the right lighting for your aquarium is very important. Various types of energy-saving lamps are used to illuminate household ponds. Fluorescent lamps are widely used to illuminate fish tanks. Consider a T8 lamp. Its advantages:

• long working time, more than 10,000 hours;
• low heating of the incandescent element, which prevents the development of harmful bacteria and rotting algae;
• gradual failure, which allows you to replace the lamp in time.

Minuses:

• inability to install a brightness control;
• the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation on certain types of fish and plants;
• impossibility of switching on without additional starting equipment (starter).

To begin with, to replace the backlight with T8 lamps, you will need to open the cover and remove the previous equipment. If the lid does not have a removable panel, then using a ruler we apply marks and with a clerical knife carefully cut holes in the shape of a rectangle.

Next, we collect lighting using new details. We connect the wires to new sealed electrical holders and mount them in their old place. We select T8 lamps according to the size of the cover, then we install them in the lamp holders and connect the electronic ballast (the design of electrical circuits, which turns the usual mains voltage into alternating current).We mount everything according to the diagram on the ballast body; correct wiring is important. Then we connect the network cable and turn it on to check how everything works.

If everything is done correctly, then the lamps burn with a uniform light and quickly turn on and off. After checking the functionality, we install the cut out part of the cover in place. For easier access in the future, if repair is needed, it is better to make the cover collapsible. In this case, it is necessary to install fasteners inside the compartment where the wires and ballast are installed.

Repair of the Juwel aquarium lamp in the video below.