Light Blockers are in production!

After some experimentation and thought, I have just recently committed to a full production run of a slot pipe light blocker. It's been a long time coming, but I guarantee it will be worth it.

My initial trial runs were made with vinyl film and flex PVC "clips". I have gone as long as 3 weeks without cleaning my scrubber and have had zero growth into the slot - I don't even have to scrub the slot with a toothbrush, except for maybe around the rotatable ring.



Unfortunately, this was not a user-friendly solution.

So, I developed a concept for a one-piece snap-on light blocker, and had a prototype knocked out on a 3D printer for $5

This is a 3" section, which fits over one half of an L2 slot pipe





2 of them fit the pipe perfectly







As you can see from this cross-sectional view, the 'tabs' of the light blocker get close enough to the screen to block the light to the slot pipe junction, but they do not touch the screen and interfere with water flow.



I found that this is very important, otherwise the flow can get 'pushed' to one end of the screen.

The light blocker snaps on tight enough so that it won't slide around too easily, but it is loose enough such that any growth will allow it to rotate on the pipe and self-adjust.

The light blocker is flat on the top so that you can get it level without having to take off the light fixture and try to eyeball it. This design also allows for the production of an injection molded slot pipe, but with the latest version of the slot pipe now finalized, it's simple enough that I don't really see that coming to fruition anytime soon as it is rather cost prohibitive.

The extrusion template is in line to be manufactured, but it's probably a couple weeks out. The first production run should start shortly thereafter, waiting on a date for that. I expect to have product in hand by the end of the year, and as long as the extrusion work is satisfactory, I will start shipping these out to all my existing customers immediately.

 

** UPDATE **

I'm excited, because the prototype run of my custom extruded light blockers is en route! I hope to have them tomorrow or Saturday, but it will probably be Monday. Anyways, here is how they look:





I have been using the 3D printed versions on my L2 on my 120 for over a month and they work fantastic. The only algae growth in the slot of any significance is near the rotatable ring. The slot itself hardly need scrubbing. So I really hope this prototype run is everything I hoped for! If it is, I'm going to be ordering 100 meters (300 feet) of the stuff, which should take care of all existing customers and leave enough for future production for a while!

 

Just got a tracking number and it's on the way to me, will be here by tomorrow night!!

 

They are here...and they are perfect!





Tomorrow, I test cutting them on the table saw. After that, I think I'll be approving the order (300 ft)

 

So I went ahead an committed on an order of 300 feet. That's the good news. Bad news is that it's going to take until Feb 20th before I get the order but that's what you get for being small potatoes. If I ordered 3000ft I would probably have it next week

 

Shoot me a PM with your email address and zip code (for shipping estimate) and I'll send you an invoice via PayPal.

 

It called 'conversation' on xenForo. Click user name then 'start a conversation'. I edited your info out of your post

 

I just got news today that the light blockers are in Des Moines and out for delivery! That's 3 weeks ahead of time, woo hoo!

Now, I have only 4 units on my backlog, 2 of them are 90% done and the other 2 are 50%+, as soon as these are out the door I am stalling all new production until I can get upgrade kits out to all my existing customers, which I have been putting off for way too long. But now that I can include the much-awaited light blockers, I can get everything done in single shipments.

 

Oh wow. This is a whole lot of light blockers

 

48" sections - 75 of them. That's enough for all of my existing customers plus enough to last about a year, give or take.

 

Yes, these fit only 3/4" pipe. $10/foot, roughly, plus a few bucks for shipping

 

I'll shoot you a PM, I have a bunch of small orders to get to this weekend so I'll include this

 

Dang, I didn't send you these with your upgrade parts?

 

These are the only light blockers! I started this thread in Nov 2013