UV diode melted/burned lens on AI Prime HD

[ginoandres]

Hello all,

I recently picked up a used Red Sea Max Nano that came with the bundled AI Prime HD light. Upon cleaning the light, I noticed the lens has melted/burned right over the UV diode. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought the LED had actually burnt out as you see in pictures it looks quite bad. But upon testing each channel, I see the UV diode turns on and seems to be working just fine, it's just the lens that got all burnt/corroded. I did my best to clean it up and now I'm wondering--should I replace the lens? Any way I can prevent this in the future? Should I just leave it alone? Thanks in advance.

 

[Miller535]

That makes me nervous that it burned through the lens, truthfully even though the led turns on, it looks a little burned too. Did you buy it new?

 

[ginoandres]

That makes me nervous that it burned through the lens, truthfully even though the led turns on, it looks a little burned too. Did you buy it new?

It's used. I've found similar accounts online and apparently UV light breaks down plastic lenses. I'm just trying to figure out where I should go from here...

 

[Miller535]

It's used. I've found similar accounts online and apparently UV light breaks down plastic lenses. I'm just trying to figure out where I should go from here...

A true uv does, but what the aquarium led companies call uv, is actually barely in the uv spectrum, so I find this very hard to believe. Even with true uv, like a uv sterilizer, what generally happens to the plastic is it starts turning chalky and degreading into powder, not melting.

Are the accounts you are looking at all AI? Then maybe it's a problem with that light. I would get a hold of AI and show them your picture and ask them.

 

[melanotaenia]

I had a similar issue with burn marks, contacted AI and they asked me to send to them and fixed and QC checked for free and replaced the lens and sent back to me; I would contact them, they are really easy to work with, and can look the light over to make sure everything is ok before you use it.

 

[ginoandres]

I had a similar issue with burn marks, contacted AI and they asked me to send to them and fixed and QC checked for free and replaced the lens and sent back to me; I would contact them, they are really easy to work with, and can look the light over to make sure everything is ok before you use it.

Thanks. Their support offices have been closed since mid-March with no word on re-opening. I am cycling a new tank and can only imagine that if I sent out the light now, I wouldn't get it back for months with the backlog that must be building. I may consider doing that in a few months time but for now I think I'll just run the light.

Also, was your light still under warranty? Mine isn't, it's over a year old.

 

[oreo54]

A true uv does, but what the aquarium led companies call uv, is actually barely in the uv spectrum, so I find this very hard to believe. Even with true uv, like a uv sterilizer, what generally happens to the plastic is it starts turning chalky and degreading into powder, not melting.

Are the accounts you are looking at all AI? Then maybe it's a problem with that light. I would get a hold of AI and show them your picture and ask them.

Lens burning is fairly common from royal blue to UV..
High energy photons attack organics in the plastic..

Any VOCs present in a SSL system can diffuse into the gas permeable silicone lens and encapsulants of the LED. Within the molecular structure of these silicone materials, the VOCs will occupy a free space in the interwoven silicone polymer. With subsequent exposure to high photon energy emitted from the LED, along with the heat from the lighting system and the environment, the volatile compounds trapped in the LED’s lens or encapsulants can discolor. This discoloration of the trapped VOCs can degrade the light emitted from the LED. This discoloration tends to occur in blue, royal blue and white light producing LEDs that use blue wavelength LED chips with yellow phosphors for spectrum conversion. This sensitivity to VOC is not unique to one LED manufacturer but is a known problem for all types of blue, royal blue and white light LEDs. Chemically induced discoloration is less prevalent and not as noticeable with amber, red or green LEDs since these color LEDs have longer wavelengths, therefore a lower frequency, and produce lower photonic energy compared to blue LEDs. Photonic energy (E) is defined by the Planck- Einstein equation of E = hf, where h is Planck’s constant and f is frequency, thus a higher frequency produces a higher photonic energy.

LED and Lens Degradation Through Volatile Organic Compounds

In general, LEDs are very resistant light sources. Nevertheless, glues, conformal coatings, o-rings, gaskets, and potting compounds, all materials that are frequently used in the construction of LED based luminaires or lamps and often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may have a negative...

www.led-professional.com

 

[Miller535]

Lens burning is fairly common from royal blue to UV..
High energy photons attack organics in the plastic..

LED and Lens Degradation Through Volatile Organic Compounds

In general, LEDs are very resistant light sources. Nevertheless, glues, conformal coatings, o-rings, gaskets, and potting compounds, all materials that are frequently used in the construction of LED based luminaires or lamps and often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may have a negative...

www.led-professional.com

I did not say it was impossible for a UV even a led UV to degrade plastic. I said the led that get's called uv, i do not believe to do this. And the article you posted is for actual UV leds, which ours in the hobby are NOT. They barely dip into the uv spectrum, they are mostly blue.

I reef led burning or the lense is almost always going to be from heat, not from UV.

If royal blue and "UV" did what you say, then this forum and the internet should be polluted with people constantly having this issue regardless of brand of light. I have had so many lights over the years, even the old "black box lights" I use to have never melted.

 

[Silver14SS]

Looks like it may be a problem with this particular light. Might be useful if they push back about fixing it.

Ai prime lense melted

I’ll start out by saying I really like this little light, the WiFi can be hit or miss but I don’t think it’s something you should be messing with daily. My ai prime is only 6 months old at the most. last night when I was feeding my tank I noticed in the reflection that 2 less were a lot crisper...

www.reef2reef.com

Ai prime HD lens melted?

as the title states. I have 2 AI prime HD’s that I run in a aquatic life hybrid fixture about 11” from the water line. I noticed the fans were getting pretty dirty so I figured I would take them down and clean them. Once I began inspecting and cleaning the light I noticed a hole through the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Miller535]

Looks like it may be a problem with this particular light. Might be useful if they push back about fixing it.

Ai prime lense melted

I’ll start out by saying I really like this little light, the WiFi can be hit or miss but I don’t think it’s something you should be messing with daily. My ai prime is only 6 months old at the most. last night when I was feeding my tank I noticed in the reflection that 2 less were a lot crisper...

www.reef2reef.com

Ai prime HD lens melted?

as the title states. I have 2 AI prime HD’s that I run in a aquatic life hybrid fixture about 11” from the water line. I noticed the fans were getting pretty dirty so I figured I would take them down and clean them. Once I began inspecting and cleaning the light I noticed a hole through the...

www.reef2reef.com

Yep. when I search this that's what I see, that and some DIYers.

 

[ca1ore]

Lens blackening appears to be quite common. I had this happen to a pair of ReefBreeders Photon lights on all the blue diodes, though not any of the other colors or the whites. Heat may have been a factor, but it wasn't the only factor. RB sent me a bunch of new lenses.

 

[oreo54]

I did not say it was impossible for a UV even a led UV to degrade plastic. I said the led that get's called uv, i do not believe to do this. And the article you posted is for actual UV leds, which ours in the hobby are NOT. They barely dip into the uv spectrum, they are mostly blue.

I reef led burning or the lense is almost always going to be from heat, not from UV.

If royal blue and "UV" did what you say, then this forum and the internet should be polluted with people constantly having this issue regardless of brand of light. I have had so many lights over the years, even the old "black box lights" I use to have never melted.

If one looks there are threads on blackened Royal blues.
The article is general if you want to read it that way.

Heat , energetic photons, or both, bottom line is about the same.
Has more to do w/ contaminants than the lenses.

 

[Listus]

Hello all,

I recently picked up a used Red Sea Max Nano that came with the bundled AI Prime HD light. Upon cleaning the light, I noticed the lens has melted/burned right over the UV diode. Up until a few minutes ago, I thought the LED had actually burnt out as you see in pictures it looks quite bad. But upon testing each channel, I see the UV diode turns on and seems to be working just fine, it's just the lens that got all burnt/corroded. I did my best to clean it up and now I'm wondering--should I replace the lens? Any way I can prevent this in the future? Should I just leave it alone? Thanks in advance.

you can buy a replacement lens for $3 usd on the ai website under parts. I noticed my lens has the same issue yesterday and is a year old.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I have 2 hydra 52 HD’s, 2-26 HDs and 1 prime 16. I’ve had to replace all the lenses on them bc the UV leds burn the plastic. I assume this is bc I mount them high and almost max out the blues, uv, and v