FireFlyz FAQ

“Per Step no. 5 of the quickstart guide, I’m finding it difficult to place the Fireflyz body onto the bottom cover and lock? “

If you find this method of placement difficult per step no. 2, using a garden trowel, make a crevis in the soil where you want to place your Fireflyz. While holding the Fireflyz body in one hand upside down (viewing the bottom), assemble the bottom cover and assembled stake onto the lower part of the body and turn the cover clockwise to lock (don’t forget to install the o-ring and turn the Timer switch to ON). Now place the assembled Firefly with stake into the crevis firmly but without too much force on the Firefly’s body so it is sitting securely in the soil and upright (body is vertical).

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

  1. Does your Fireflyz receive at least 2 hours of direct sunlight? If not it could be the reason that it is not operating.

  2. If it is receiving the minimum amount of sunlight try turning the Timer switch to the OFF position, remove the battery, and reinsert the battery after 15 seconds. Turn the Timer switch to the on position. Replace the bottom cover. If daytime, cover the solar cell with your hand completely (or go to a dark room). Does the Fireflyz now light and move?

  3. If it is still not operating, remove the battery and check it with a volt meter. It should read a minimum of 3.1 volts when fully charged. If not replace with a 14430 3.2V 400mAh to 600mAh solar battery which you can obtain at your local big box Home Improvement store.

  4. If all of the above does not solve this issue leave me a comment in the comments section here.

QUESTION: “My Fireflyz moves but the Fireflyz does not illuminate ?”

Check the entire length of the wire strand and look to see if the small wire that is twisted around the spring wire has been severed. This can happen if a weed wacker (trimmer) comes in contact with it. If the wire is severed this is probably the reason that LED at the end of the wire strand does not illuminate. If the Fireflyz is damaged in this way, the warranty does not cover this. However, if you want to leave me a comment in the comments section here I would be able to repair it for you for a small fee.

QUESTION: “My Fireflyz does not illuminate at dusk but hours later or in the middle of the night ?”

In some cases, the sleep cycle of the Fireflyz is off and needs a reset. While it is daylight, say in the morning hours, open the bottom cover and remove the battery. Wait 20 seconds and replace the battery. This should reset the sleep cycle so that your Firefly will illuminate at dusk and depending on the TIMER switch illuminate for 2 hours or 5 hours after dusk sets in.

QUESTION: “The bottom cover is difficult to twist off ?”

Go here for a more detailed explanation and solution.

QUESTION: “When I remove the cardboard packing from the top opening of my Fireflyz, the green or the white or both wires protrude from the opening ?”

This is a result of the cardboard packing grabbing the wire enough to pull it upward. If this happens, gently push the green or white wire back down into the cavity.

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 and vertical when at rest. Gently bend the wire strand (usually near the base where protrudes) like this between your forefinger, thumb, and middle finger. Refer to Step 3 Figure 5 of the manual for an illustration. If the strand is severely bent, you can hold the plastic base of the wire strand (plastic part protruding from the body) stationary with a thumb and forefinger, and with your other hand’s forefinger, push the wire in the opposite direction of the bend until straighten and standing vertical at rest. Go here for a video demonstration.

QUESTION: “After a year or two my Fireflyz, is dimly illuminating and the movement is very little? “

  1. After sitting in sunlight for a minimum of 4 hours, remove the battery and check it with a volt meter. It should read 3.2 volts at full charge. If it reads 2.5 volts or lower, replace it with a 14430 3.2V 400mAh to 600mAh solar battery which you can obtain at your local big box Home Improvement store. Or Amazon.

  2. After a few years the solar cell surface can become cloudy like this which will decrease the performance of your Fireflyz. This can occur due to excessive water build up but also after a few years most solar cells of this type have an epoxy coating that becomes affected by the UV of sunlight. Fortunately, there is an easy way to 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 until the surface of the solar cell is clear and glossy.

QUESTION: “ When removing the bottom cover, the green and/or white wire is protruding through the circular slot openings, Is this a problem ?”

If the white and/or green wire protrudes from the circular openings at the bottom like this, gently push them back into its cavity, or when replacing the bottom cover let the bottom cover tabs push the wire/s back into the cavity - but make sure that the tabs of the bottom cover do not pinch the wire/s.

QUESTION: “ I have leaves, debris, or bugs that have gotten into the inner cavity opening of my Fireflyz and may be affecting its performance ?”

If you have an air compressor or duster canister, you can blow out any obstructions that may have entered the inner cavity. Additionally, if you can attach a small wand or hose to your vacuum, you can vacuum out anything that might still be lodged. Please be careful around the green and white wires to avoid putting undue stress on them when cleaning.

QUESTION: “I would like to use Fireflyz as a night light and place it on their nightstand but there isn’t direct sunlight to charge it adequately ?”

You can replace the solar battery with a “battery eliminator” like this. You can find these on Amazon by typing into the search bar “battery eliminator AAA”. The 14430 battery used in Fireflyz is approximately the same length as an AAA battery (but shorter than an AA). Be sure to set the battery eliminator the the 3V setting; setting it to a higher setting will damage Fireflyz. Using a battery eliminator is at your own risk.

QUESTION: “ The wire strand is leaning over in one direction when activated and is not straight up when at rest? “

If the wire strand leans over in one direction when at rest, then your wire strand needs to be balanced. To do this grasp the wire strand at its base (where it is attached to the plastic pendulum protruding from the body), like this and gently bend it between your forefinger, thumb, and middle finger to straighten the strand until, when at rest, (upright and vertical) like this as much as possible. If the wire strand is severely bent over like this, you can hold the plastic base of the wire strand (plastic part protruding from the body) stationary with a thumb and forefinger, and with your other hand’s forefinger, push the strand in the opposite direction of the bend until straighten and standing vertical at rest.

QUESTION: “ The wire strand of my Fireflyz is “tacky” to the touch, is there anything I can do about this ?”

The wire strand has an anti-rust coating on it. If tacky to the touch and you want to eliminate the tacky feel, you dampen a paper towel, pinch the wire strand with the damp towel and stroke it’s length several times and let it dry. Alternatively, you can use Isopropyl Alcohol with a paper towel but this will remove some of the coating, so first try water and let it dry.

QUESTION: “ Is my Fireflyz waterproof ?”

Your fireflyz is IP66, 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.

QUESTION: “ I drop a metal object into the inner chamber of my Fireflyz and it is interfering with the movement of the wire strand. How can I remove it ?”

The object has likely stuck itself to the powerful magnet at the bottom of the chamber. It is unlikely you will be able to remove it without disassembling the upper and lower housing. First, try to remove it by reaching in with a tweezer or other tool. If these attempts fail, see here for instructions on disassembling the upper housing from the lower housing.