What’s up with Beamworks LED lights?

[blobaugh]

I have been rocking Beamworks LED lights on my tanks since 2014 or 2015. Every year power supplies die on me. I have spent as much in replacement power supplies as the lights themselves by this point. Happens on all my tanks, across multiple houses. The current house has new wiring and the tanks are on different breakers, so I do not suspect it is the incoming electricity.

Yesterday the power supply died on my 150….

The lights themselves seem great. Super bright, easy to set up brightness levels. Plants grow well with them. Anyone else experience this, or am I some sort of oddity?

 

[sir_keith]

I have been running Beamswork EA and DA lights on all 12 of my tanks for about ten years, and have never had a power supply fail. That said, all of my lights are running through optional Beamswork Timer/Dimmer modules, with the actinic lights set to 100% and the 6500K lights set to 10 or 20%. I have no idea whether that makes any difference, but there it is.

​

 

[DMD123]

I remember hearing about those problems years ago when LEDs were first starting out but I have not really heard of this in more recent times. I think I have only had one power supply ever go out on me in the past 10 years and it wasn’t a Beamswork, it was a fancy Current USA fixture. I ended up buying a larger power supply and chaining two fixtures to it with a single timer.

 

[blobaugh]

So it is me then

I have replaced with both beamworks and generic power supplies.

I do have the dimmers on the tanks. I was suspecting that, but if y’all use them too then that is an unlikely culprit.

Grr. This is frustrating.

 

[sir_keith]

You mentioned that the lights are bright; are you running them at full intensity? That might be the difference, although really, it shouldn't be an issue with power supplies that come with the lights from the factory. Grasping at straws here...

 

[lloyd378]

I remember hearing about those problems years ago when LEDs were first starting out but I have not really heard of this in more recent times. I think I have only had one power supply ever go out on me in the past 10 years and it wasn’t a Beamswork, it was a fancy Current USA fixture. I ended up buying a larger power supply and chaining two fixtures to it with a single time

So it is me then

I have replaced with both beamworks and generic power supplies.

I do have the dimmers on the tanks. I was suspecting that, but if y’all use them too then that is an unlikely culprit.

Grr. This is frustrating.

sbout six years ago, two of my beamworks power supplies went out. I ordered replacement power supplies ( someone on here recommended them to me) and they have worked ever since… I will say that they are looking a bit abused with the amount of dirt and debris on them since they are on lower tanks in the garage.

 

[Modest_Man]

The only time I had any fail was when the power supply got wet.

 

[fishguy1978]

The current USA power supplies had/have a known issue for failure. The capacitors overheat and fail. It could be the same thing with the beamsworks.
The capacitor on the right is failed. Note the domed top. It’s a 25 cent piece.

 

[fishguy1978]

A simple solder iron and some patience both capacitors removed and replaced. It’s more obvious now with new installed. The capacitors do have a positive and a negative pole which is marketed by the grey band.

 

[blobaugh]

You mentioned that the lights are bright; are you running them at full intensity? That might be the difference, although really, it shouldn't be an issue with power supplies that come with the lights from the factory. Grasping at straws here...

I run the white between 6 & 8, depending on top plant growth.
The blue usually at 8