LED failure

[Driver3599]

@Stephen @stacey.grobo

For the second ( now third since i started writing this) time that I’m aware of today my LED has just cut out completely. Currently out right now. Changed the light settings as this has apparently become the permanent solution to a “temporary problem”. This did not work. I was actually tending to the plant when the light went out. What the hell is going on? This is just one failure after another with this thing. Now the light decided to come back on. What happens when I’m at work and this happens?

To sum up: initial purchase of grobo premium. Immediately had over flow and water sensor problems. Water all over my floor. Apparently this problem was not fixed as the exact same thing happened again. Bought grobo start. out of the box the LEDs didn’t work. Still waiting on a shipment noice for that one. I won’t even go into the details of the other problems I had in the Grobo.

With all the money you have to spend on this product, you would think that you’d get out of beta testing before start selling it—and sure as hell before you start claiming the grobo is a “conveyor belt for weed.”

Utterly disgusted. For the third time.

[Stephen]

Hey @Driver3599,

Please email the team at support@grobo.io and we can best assist you. This sounds like you are experiencing an overheat event. This is a safety measure we’ve included in the unit that forces the LED to shut down if it reads too hot. Once it’s cool enough, it will turn back on. We can offer some troubleshooting steps through support.

Kindly,
Stephen

[Driver3599]

Well if that is true—my temp inside unit is currently 79.2 F—maybe that’s the kind of information you want to make clear to the user; instead of the unit just shutting down, this would be the perfect place for an error code. Error logging makes troubleshooting much easier.

[Stephen]

It’s not actually the temp in the grow chamber that we are concerned with, this is a component level heat check that is done and shuts off at 200 F. It’s the LED board and the heatsink on top. If you are 79 F in your chamber, you may be running a bit warm in that room.

Chatting with the support team the replacement Grobo Start order is complete and you should see tracking info on that tomorrow. @Dani can walk you through the steps we cover when troubleshooting this error. It’s usually related to the ambient temp in the room or a slowing down cross flow fan.

I 100% agree with you on error logging and we’ve been working on updates to our notifications and the implementation of a unit health check. Both are in the works and I’m super excited about them. Can’t share much yet, but look for a new Beta Test group when they are ready.

Cheers,
Stephen

[Driver3599]

So exactly what temp do i need to keep my room? 75? 70? This is ridiculous. If the grobo cant be in a 75F room, where do i keep it? Grobo loves to talk about how seamlessly the look of the grobo fits into the living room. A work of art. Sure. As long as you never turn it on its great. Its like i went out to dinner and paid the restaurant in advance. Then before the meal comes I’m told that i need to buy the pan, dishes, stove, and refrigerator otherwise the meal will be ruined. This is after prepaying for my meal.

So here we are:

$2,500 for grobo “Premium”
$250 for a decent aquarium chiller
$200 smell abatement mod ( odorless?)
$50 humidifier
$50 air stone and water pump
$50 CO2 this was my fault as i was told it would help
$450 air purifiers ( again, odorless?)
$250 rack, mini fans, USB batteries, thrermo/hygro
$150 grobo start and new lid (DOA)
Why am I paying for a new lid if the old system was causing root rot?

After the last customer experience i had with you guys i was shocked. That didn’t seem to bother you guys at all though. And you can keep the replacement start. Too many problems involving me replacing too many things from your poorly designed device.

Now constantly shutting down the LED because it was 80F in the chamber? With the lights on? This is not a feature. If your product must be catered to in order for it to work IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS SUITABLE FOR HUMANS, then you have a problem. Especially if that product is supposed to sit in your living room as advertised.

Several months ago you offered me a refund from my unit because I was having so many problems. I trusted you and felt you would do the right thing if I continued to have problems. I continue to have problems and then was told that the refund or return option was no longer available. So to be clear you were willing to refund the product, in good faith I gave you another chance, the product continues to fail and now you decide you’re not going to accept a return. Check your logic. With even more problems you should be even more willing to stand behind your product.

[Stephen]

Hey @Driver3599,

I’m a bit confused by your post my friend. We responded last year to these exact questions before you purchased your unit.

All of your extra purchases are optional, and not required for a successful grow, although several can help if your environment is too warm, like the chiller for example. We did not change the lid system to fight root rot, but to enable a transfer from the Grobo Start to the Premium/Solid model.

Chatting with our support team and reviewing the 60+ support tickets we’ve had I discovered that after our call in September of 2020, we enrolled you in the growers support program and touched base with you 2-3 times a week for your entire grow which was successful in getting to harvest in early Feb. It was discovered over the course of this escalated support that you had placed a humidifier inside your unit, causing your electronics to become damaged. Even though this voids your warranty, we replaced this part at our cost.

Our motto is ‘We are here for you’ and it certainly appears that we have been. While I can appreciate your frustration, a refund is not an option for you at this point. I was unaware you had a humidifier in the unit when we spoke on the phone, or maybe you added it at a later date. This event may have also affected your cross flow fan or other electronics in the unit.

Your replacement Grobo Start is already on it’s way to you and we would love to help troubleshoot and solve your overheat issue. Let us know how you’d like to proceed. We just want you growing eh?

Cheers,
Stephen

[Driver3599]

Well you’ve managed to miss the point which makes my frustration even worse. I am not looking for my money back. You are raising he number of times ive had to call for support as some sort of honor. And yes. You have provided support. Missing however is that I shouldn’t have to be making these calls for service. It is mind boggling that I have to explain this to you. Sure the questions about the smell were answered. Those answers directly contradict what you have on your website and you still can’t see the problem. If i hadn’t specifically asked those questions, as the vast majority i would bet don’t, this would be a much different issue. It is flat out fraud.

And I’m not the first, or last, to raise this issue. The level of service has never been an issue. everyone there is very nice. Being nice, however, is not enough. and no amount of customer service will change that.

I wish you well.