Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

THE PROBLEM After reading many of the customer reviews posed in this forum, it is clear that many of these "made in China" devices suffer an early demise after only a few weeks. Here is a preventative measure to try before installing your Sunforce solar light. I have concluded - based upon the negative reviews herein and my own personal inspection of the Sunforce device - that the failures are most likely due to water intrusion. Even if the lamp is installed in a dry location (such as a shed) the solar panel will still be exposed to the weather. Here is how to make your device a bit more robust with a tube of black RTV sealant and some electrical tape. This procedure will likely void the warranty but in my mind it is well worth it. Warranties are nice when honored but the time spent un-installing, packaging, returning, and re-installing a failed $35 product is still an inconvenience. If you will be up and down a ladder, spending more time re-testing and re-adjusting the motion sensor, that inconvenience quickly becomes a major headache. Your time is valuable. Will the replacement unit work any better or fail the same way? Also, bear in mind other reviewers have stated less-than-satisfactory results in obtaining warranty service from the manufacturer. Another hassle and wasted time you don't need. So an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure, even if it means voiding the warranty. TESTING DEVICE FOR "Dead-On-Arrival" CONDITION Before beginning the waterproofing procedure, you will want to ensure you did not receive a defective unit out of the box. If you did receive a defective unit, return it within the 30 day window. Once the waterproofing modifications are made the unit cannot be returned. First verify the solar panel is working by measuring the voltage at the connector with a voltmeter. It should vary with the intensity of the ambient lighting. I recorded 4 to 9 volts indoors depending if the room lighting was off or on (with sunlight entering the windows). If you do not have a voltmeter, place the connector on your tongue. You should feel a slight tingle similar to that of a 9 volt battery. Now verify the lamp is working by placing the switch in the "auto" position. The batteries in my unit were already charged. The lamp should snap on when motion is detected. Be sure all LEDs illuminate and be sure the lamp extinguishes after the "time out" delay. If the lamp does not light, double check the lux setting and adjust if needed. Note: As another reviewer pointed out, the owner's manual appears to have a misprint regarding the max/min settings of this dial. SOLAR PANEL MODIFICATION Upon examination of the solar panel, you will notice that it is a glass plate sandwiched between a two-piece plastic frame which is held together by 8 screws. Yet, there are nine screw holes. I'm guessing a design error left an empty screw hole at the top center of the frame. This is a point for water entry. It is not possible to simply add a screw here as there is not a threaded hole to accept the screw on the opposite side. Due to this omitted screw, the two halves of the plastic frame do not fasten together tightly at the top of the panel. The result is water can seep down onto the glass plate containing the solar cells. A failed solar panel will not recharge the battery and the lamp will cease working once the batteries are depleted. Here's what you need to do. Carefully remove the 8 screws and separate the frame. Take care that the glass plate does not fall out. Next, remove the glass plate from the frame. You will see two wires attached to the glass plate - one for `+' and one for `-`. Use black RTV sealant to make two gaskets around the plastic frame (use the side of the frame containing the threaded holes). The first gasket is around the inside where the glass plate sits. The second gasket is around the outside which mates with the other half of the frame. I used a gloved finger to smear the sealant around (thinly) to form the gaskets. When you're done, add a spot of sealant to both electrical contacts where they attach to the glass plate (there may be some here already). Do not put sealant in the cord holes at the bottom of the frame; allow them to function as weep holes just in case water does get inside. Reassemble the frame, tighten the 8 screws and wipe off any excess sealant. Finally fill that 9th screw hole with a dab of sealant. LAMP MODIFICATION The lamp does have a rubber gasket around the lens. However, on the unit I received, it was not a tight seal. A noticeable gap was visible on the top allowing water penetration. Unscrew the single screw at the top which clamps the lens against the gasket. Unhinge things a bit and add a little RTV sealant (about a 1" bead in length) below the screw hole. Beware of a black rubber washer which may fall off the screw. I noticed that replacing the washer under the screw head allowed the screw to tighten down more (and seal better) than placing the washer under the metal flange. When assembled, there should be no visible gaps along the top of the lamp. Next, I used a piece of black electrical tape to cover the seam around the replaceable battery. The tape is hardly noticeable if positioned carefully. Finally, a thin film of RTV sealant was added along the motion sensor seams (including the lens seams - a toothpick may be helpful here). If possible, the motion sensor should angle down slightly when installed to facilitate water runoff. Now double check that all screws are tight without overdoing it. INSTALLATION TIP When plugging in the solar panel, it might be a good idea to shade the solar panel from the sun. This will zero the output voltage at the connector. Just seems a good practice to reduce the risk of damage to the solar panel should the electrical contacts get shorted together (briefly) while plugging the connector into the lamp. Likewise shade the panel during installation if you must route the cable across or through any metallic object which may come into contact with the exposed connector. Important! Pay attention to the orientation of the solar panel. The owner's manual is completely void of any instructions for placement, mounting, or connection of the solar panel. In fact, the photo of the solar panel on the box and on this website shows it positioned upside down. If the solar panel is mounted in this manner rain water can enter via the two pre-fabricated cord holes in the frame which are supposed to be on the underside when mounted correctly. CONCLUSION There you have it. My unit is installed in Indiana weather and the lamp itself is actually in a shaded (but exposed) location. The solar panel is mounted to the roof just above and receives 6+ hours of sun per day. Installation was straight forward although the mounting screws provided were not adequate for heavy wind loads in my opinion. I chose to use my own. I rated the unit only 1 star simply to group this review with the other reviews reporting failures. The rationale is this review offers a preventative solution for consideration. Obviously a number of folks were unhappy with the product as it failed within the first month of use, or less. Hope these suggestions help! UPDATE 9/29/2013 - First day of moderate rain. Light still detects motion, illuminates, and shuts off after 30 seconds as expected. Will try to provide status update at 2 weeks and 1 month. And certainly if light fails. The next weakest link in the product's design is likely the installed NiMH batteries. After researching NiMH batteries I suspect they will fail within 2 years given the below freezing conditions during the winter, and erratic charging/discharging cycles of an unregulated solar panel charger. I suspect the installed batteries are not name-brand batteries by any means. Mounting the lamp (not solar panel) out of direct sunlight (heat) may benefit battery chemistry. SHED INSTALLATIONS This unit makes a convenient shed light but there is a very important consideration regarding battery life. If your shed is not conditioned (99% are not) the rechargeable batteries will soak in heat during the summer months, especially if the unit is mounted near the roof where heat collects. Extreme temperatures reduce the lifespan of the battery. That's why manufacturers recommend storing rechargeable batteries for yard tools not in the shed with the tool, but in a more mild environment (indoors). UPDATE 10/9/2013 - Went outside just after dark to test light (as I've been doing every night since installation) and noticed lamp was ON. Lamp would not extinguish after many minutes of observation without motion (the time-out delay is 30 seconds). After manually shutting light off for 15 seconds and back to "auto" mode, it appears to have reset itself and works as it should. Today was clear and sunny, no rain. This is concerning because the batteries would have likely drained completely had I not reset the light manually. Will likely post future updates in the comments section for sake of space.