FireFlyz FAQ

QUESTION: “My Fireflyz does not move or illuminate ?”

First, make sure that you’ve placed your Fireflyz in an area that receives 2 hours of direct sunlight or more. If it is and the Fireflyz is still not illuminating or moving, place it in an area that can receive 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. If it still is not working, check the battery by removing the bottom cover and checking the voltage of the battery. With 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight, it should read approximately. 3.2 volts. If this is not the case, the battery needs to be replaced. You can obtain batteries at your local hardware or big-box store like Lowe’s or Home Depot or online at Amazon. You need to replace it with a 14430 battery @ 3.2 volts and 400mAh or greater. If replacing with a new battery and it still does not work, please contact us using the “Contact Us” tab at the top of the Home Page.

QUESTION: “When unpacking my Fireflyz, one or more of them resulted in a bent wire strand. What can I do to straighten it ?”

For optimum operation, the Fireflyz wire strand needs to be completely straight. Gently bend the wire strand near where it is attached to the rotating armature. while holding the rotating gentle bend the stand in the opposite direction of its bend until it straightens.

QUESTION: “I cannot remove the bottom cover of my Fireflyz ?”

The bottom cover is sealed with a rubber o-ring, which causes enough friction to make the cover hard to remove. Using a jar opener helps to aid in removal and assembly of the bottom cover. See here for more details.

QUESTION: “ Is my Fireflyz waterproof ?”

Your fireflyz is IP65, meaning they are water resistant to strong spray and can be used outdoors in any weather conditions. They are water resistant ONLY when the stake and rubber o-ring are installed between the lower housing and bottom housing. Do NOT submerge your Fireflyz, making sure that it is installed with approximately one inch of clearance above any standing water. Also, if you can avoid it, keep the Fireflyz out of the field of sprinklers. Water sprayed on the Fireflyz will not harm it, but water spot buildup on the solar cell will degrade the recharging performance. Do not leave it out in the snow since snow can build up higher than the bottom cover, and when melting and ingress into the lower housing.

QUESTION: “ When unpacking my Fireflyz, the small green and/or white wire is protruding from the top opening ?”

If the pendulum wires are protruding, gently push the wires back down into the inner chamber.

QUESTION: “ When unpacking my Fireflyz, the wire strand is bend. How do I straighten it ?”

If your Fireflyz wire strand is bent, you can bend it back straight. See here for more details.

QUESTION: “A green and/or white wire is protruding from the openings when I remove the bottom cover ?”

IF a green or white wire is protruding from an opening of the lower housing like this, then gently push the wire back down below the opening until it disappears.

QUESTION: “My Fireflyz is not moving very far or illuminating as brightly as when I first received them?”

This is a symptom of the fireflyz not getting enough direct sunlight. In the winter months, the sun is low on the horizon, and weeks are filled with clouds and rain, your Fireflyz may not work as intended because, obviously, they are powered by sunlight. Remember that they need at least 2 hours of direct sunlight to operate for at least 2 hours. Where you planted them this summer might not receive the same light this winter. If you want to enjoy them in the winter months, reposition them where they will receive the minimum amount of sunlight. You can also set them to be more efficient with less sunlight by setting the ON switch to TIMER and the other switch to SLOW. These settings will conserve power. Also, this could be caused by a degrading solar cell. After a few years, the solar cell surface can become cloudy, which will decrease the performance of your Fireflyz. You can restore the cell’s clarity by purchasing a headlight restoration kit from your local automotive supply store. Carefully polish the surface of the solar cell per the instructions of the kit, as if you were restoring your headlamp’s surface.

QUESTION: “The wire strand of my Fireflyz is sticky, how can I make it not sticky?”

The wire strand of your Fireflyz has a special coating that prevents the steel wire from rusting. Unfortunately, it also reacts chemically with the vinyl of the small wire that is wrapped around the steel wire. To neutralize the stickiness, dampen a paper towel or rag, and stroke the wire several times iwth the dampened towel or rag and let dry. If there is still a stick feel after it is dry, repeat the process. You can further alleviate the stickiness using isopropyl alcohol but be careful to only stroke it once or twice since the IP can remove the coating.

QUESTION: “There is an object that is lodged inside the inner upper housing chamber and I can not remove it which is interferring with the ?”

If leaves or small twigs are lodged in the inner upper housing chamber, try to remove them with tweezers and/or compressed air to completely remove all debris. Be careful not to damage or tamper with the green and white silicone wires. If A metal object is stuck inside the chamber, it could be difficult to remove given that there is a powerful magnet at the base of the chamber. Try first to remove it with a needle-nose pliers, and if you cannot, please see this for instructions to open up your Fireflyz.

QUESTION: “I would like to use my FireflyZ indoors or as a nightlight for my child ?”

Since you will not be able to access an adequate amount of direct sunlight indoors, you can use what is called a battery eliminator in place of the solar battery that is installed in your Fireflyz. Do a search on Amazon for “battery eliminator” like these, and choose one that can be adjusted to 3 volts. DO NOT set it to more than 3 volts since this could damage the circuitry of your FireflyZ.