Bypassing a Defective Button in Your Second Batch Nukit Lantern

Some of the units in the second batch of Nukit Lanterns have a defective power button. If you received one of these units, please email us a video clip of the issue, and we will, of course, replace it at no cost, offering our sincere apologies. 

That said, if you are little handy, you can bypass the power switch, use the Lantern with the external power button- and end up with two Lanterns for your trouble instead of one. To be clear, we are not suggesting you do this repair instead of getting a free replacement. You paid for (or in some cases were donated) a working product, not one that was fixable. We'll give you a replacement. We’re just happy if we can prevent e-waste, and you can get an extra unit free for your trouble.

The nature of the defective button and how it occurred is quite interesting- if embarrassing for us. The thin, flat metal spring that causes the button to latch into the down position was replaced with a cheaper alloy. After all the Lanterns were tested for 48 hours they were boxed with the switch in the on position with the spring slowly compressed, and never sprang back in many units. Usually, the spring failed after about a month. Unfortunately for us- once the lanterns were in overseas warehouses. 

This meant that the buttons would no longer latch in the power-on state. This effectively turned a latching power button into a momentary button long after the Lanterns were out of our hands and could be easily repaired. It was a very frustrating time-delay bug that at first affected only a small number of units, but gradually affected more as the springs sat in the warehouse and failed in their packaging. The failure was all the more unusual in that this was a well-established, very reputable switch company selling a time-tested legacy product.

Fortunately, the parts that matter and are critical for safety- the excimer bulb, ballast, and filter- all work perfectly, and the switch can be easily bypassed if you would like to have an extra Lantern for a few minutes of tinkering.

WARNING: Do not plug in the Lantern while the enclosure is open. The input is only 12 volts DC, but it is converted to high voltage by the ballast- an internal transformer. Plug it in to test it only after the case has been resealed.

You will need a spudger- a thin plastic prying tool. We use a thin plastic spatula. 

Do not use a metal prying tool or a screw driver or you will damage the enclosure. You can get the right tool here:

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Triangular-Plastic-Suitable-Desktop/dp/B0C4DTLPLV/

You can solder the two wires that need to be connected if you like and cover them with heat shrink, or an insulated crimp and crimping tool, but we’ve found these little lever nuts make for a fast, easy repair:

You can get them here:
https://www.amazon.com/WAGO-222-412-Lever-Nuts-2-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B07W6RXYLP/

Slide your spudger down the side of the enclosure until the front and back part slightly.

Do the same for the other side. Once both sides are detached from their catches, you will see a button with two wires going into it. Your button may look slightly different. Our goal is to connect those two wires going to the button to each other instead, bypassing the failed button.

Cut the wires flush with the button to ensure you have enough length to work with:

Strip about 5mm of insulation from the end of each wire and twist the conductors as you remove the insulation.

With the levers of the lever nut up and fully open, insert one wire at a time into either hole, pushing the corresponding lever down after each insertion. There is no polarity; they will be connected inside the lever nut.

Place the lever nut next to the disconnected button. Ensure that none of the wires rub against the fan, then push the two halves of the enclosure back together.

Plug the Lantern in to test it only after the case has been sealed— the ballast is high voltage.

 Then, connect the wired remote and use it in either motion-sensing or simple on/off mode.

We sincerely apologize for not catching this problem at the factory and promise to do better in the future. Thank you for your understanding.