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ok weird question but can I make the button that turns on the light no longer there/work. Then just run it on a timer or plug/unplug it for light. My stepdad insists that we can't run the tiny 15w light on the 29g tank for 8hrs a day. I've explained to him our current winter days are not long enough or enough light in the room for the various plants. Plus everytime he flips the light off in the middle of the day all the fish go into hiding for the next day or 2. My mom wants the tank out there and has explained it to him but he still flips it off everytime he walks by. Either I'm gonna eliminate the light switch or my stepdad. I'm not sure which one. I really shouldn't tell him there's currently 95w on the 55g in my room and they stay on 12hrs a day.

Flouros are very cheap to run... All of your lights put togather aren't using more then $5 or so a month at the _most_... So just explain it to him like that... and if need be move the power switch... I don't really know how to do that, but I'm sure someone can and will help you out with it.

It's been explained a dozen times.. he doesn't care.. He doesn't care if your still drinking that can of pepsi. If he can see it then it needs cleaned up. I'll just make it hard for him to turn off my aquarium light and he won't bother with it. Just whine to everyone who is not listening anyway.

If the switch was removed, wouldn't he just unplug it? And possibly all the heaters and filters as well (if he's anything like the people I live with and everything is on the same powerboard).

Could you change the timer so the lights come on after he goes to bed and turn off before he wakes up? Then the tank would get enough light and your step-dad wouldn't know about it.

Sometimes the best thing to do is - nothing.

Both you and your mother tried explaining, I assume in some reasonable way, so it's unlikely that his mind will be changed. Some people tend to get very stubborn about these things and there is little you can do. It is also possible there's some other reason for his turning off the light - it's hard to believe that he doesn't actually know about the light in your 55.

Removing the switch will just lead to a war of wills - the obvious next step is for him to start unplugging the light or playing around with the timer. While you might win such a war it will not be at all constructive and will just lead to other tensions. There's also the risk of screwing up the wiring, but this seems small.

Additionally, the plants will not necessarily die because of the smaller amount of light, and the fish may not remain frightened of light-switching forever. If they do, then you may just need to remove the light entirely, or leave it off for most of the day. Either way, you have a 55-gallon that nobody is bothering, so put your efforts into that one rather than trying to fight battles that probably aren't worth winning.

My stepdad doesn't notice anything. He threw my cat outside for meowing too much the day I was taking her to get spayed(she was in heat). The kittens were 4months before he knew they existed. He just doesn't notice. The powerstrip is in the stand which blocks the outlet. That would require actual work to find and unplug. It's just too easy as is to snap out the light and walk out the door when he's annoyed for something like a bread crumb on the counter. The fish are less stressed about people walking by if the light is on and since he started turning the light out all have faded color except the pair of rams. My red lilly was finally growing getting a little natural sunlight along with the aquarium light for that first week. Now it's yellowish/brown again instead. If I can't stop him turning out the light then my mom said we're moving the tank again. (dunno where) I hate moving tanks.

the problem with removing the power button is that it will no longer meet UL standards for electrical wiring. this means that you will not be protected if you get some kind of surge and your light explodes or catches fire. it will be 100% YOUR FAULT for screwing with the wiring.

now that that is out of the way, you *can* do this if you're willing, but realize that many things can (and sometimes will) go wrong at any time and that you're really better off finding some other way of dealing with this problem. you can wire a new plug to be near the end of the cord (where it plugs into the strip) so that nobody can reach it without trying. or if you have any electrician friends, have them come over and explain things to your dad. or have an electrical shop explain it to him. there must be some way to get him to "notice" this and stop messing with your setup.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

i would hardwire a digital timer to the switch and set it for 5 mins. when he uses the switch to shut it off he will actually start a timer that will turn it back on in 5 mins after hes walked away. this will mean of course you will have to use the plug to actually shut it off. should be able to find a digital timer with a electric circut breaker. the idea is to wire the breaker to the switch so the switch still works but the timer throws it back on. as far as exact instructiosn ive never done such a thing to a light but it can be done.

i say blackmail or threaten him then he'll be to scared to turn it off

Last edited by resle at 14-Nov-2004 13:20

*evil laugh* I'm a bad step child Ok I took the light apart just to see what all connects and found an easy easy solution. Just unscrew the wide round piece over the button and it pops inside. No rewiring required. Plugged it into a timer, hid the power strip down *under* the bottom of the stand. I put the thing together I know how to lift the bottom shelf. Today he walks by and there's no switch. Just a hole in the light. He flips it over and everything. I thought my mom was gonna start laughing. He mumbled something about it not needing to be on and walked off. That makes up for all the times I've kept my mouth shut the past 9yrs

This is one time I am glad to be wrong. Sounds like a funny moment.

rofl

Hi
First is it the money of the electricity he is concerned about? If so tell him you will pay for the electricity used by the light. Ask him how much the light is costing, cause it is very little and then pay him for usage of the electricity. It is....

15watts = .015 kw and times that by 12 hour(lets assume it is on 12 hours/day) = 0.180kw/h
so that light uses 0.180kw/h per day and lets assume each month has 30 days in it. so .180kw/h x 30days = 5.4kw/h. This is the total usage for the light per month. In my area the power company charges $0.06133 kw/h.
5.4 kw/h x 0.06133 = $.33(round down) per month. $.33 x 12 month = 3.96 per year. Pretty cheap for the whole year.

So just pay him $5.00 and call it even, cause in reality it would be a little(small amount) higher due to line losses and other factors.

sham, when you unscrewed the switch and pushed it back into the light fitting did you check to see if the terminals will short out on anything? very important if the light has a metal casing.