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 (do not force the Fireflyz with its stake assembled into hard 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, with the inserted 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 into the crevice in the soil 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 (2 or more hours), try turning the TIMER switch to the OFF position, removing the battery, wait 15 seconds and reinserting the battery, then, turn the TIMER switch to the ON position. Replace the bottom cover. If it is 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 none of the above solves this issue, please leave me a comment in the comments section here.

QUESTION: “My Fireflyz only works for 30 to 40 minutes and then does not move or illuminate ?”

This is most probably is due to the battery not being adequately charged during daylight hours. After getting a day’s charge, check the battery’s voltage; it should be approximately 3.2V at full charge. If it is not, likely, the Fireflyz is not getting an adequate amount of direct sunlight. In the winter months, when the sun is low on the horizon (North America), and weeks are filled with clouds and rain, your Fireflyz may not work as intended because 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 in the summer might not receive the same light in the winter. If you want to enjoy them in the winter months, reposition them where they will receive the minimum ( 2 hours) 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. The battery life can diminish over several days with minimum sunlight it could take a steady period of sunny days to bring them back to full charge.

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 it 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 straightened and standing vertical at rest. Go here for a video demonstration.

QUESTION: “2 or more of my fireflyz are not illuminating, and the wire strand is moving very little? “

This is symptomatic of the Fireflyz battery not being charged fully, probably due to it not receiving enough direct sunlight during the day. Remove the battery and check it with a battery checker or voltmeter; It should read 3.2 volts at full charge. If it reads 2.5 volts or lower, reinstall the battery and place it in an area where it can receive direct sunlight for 4 or more hours. Remove the battery and check it again; it should read approximately 3.2 volts, and your Fireflyz should illuminate and move normally.

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 voltmeter. 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 buildup 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, dampen a paper towel and pinch the wire strand with the towel, stroking its length several times, then 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.