DIY/Cheap retractable pendant hangers?

[kwirky]

I'm getting a PFO pendant light, probably, and I'm wondering who out there made their own retractable hangers, or found one for a great price not meant for the aquarium hobby? I would like the ability to quickly raise and lower my lights, as I've heard it's a great feature of pendant lights, from tank maintenance, to raising it to prevent bleaching new corals.

Any ideas?

 

[Anonymous]

I used an IKEA light setup a few years ago. I guess you can use one of those garage gadget that let you lower and raise a bicycle, and attach it to your light hood instead of a bike? :?

 

[kwirky]

hmm good idea on the bicycle hoist. googled it and found it's a simple pulley system. I could build my own, as a bicycle hoist would be overkill for a little 150/175 watt pendant. i forgot I took grade 9 science haha

 

[kwirky]

here's a design for the pulley system. Now to find out where to get pulleys in Canada. Probably don't need very strong ones.

 

[Anonymous]

Most hardware store have it here in the USA.

For a single rope system, you need to consider where to anchor the pulleys on the hood. Otherwise, the pendant may not be hortizontal as you pull or let go of the rope. Some designs go for a two rope arrangement to make sure the pendant stays flat.

 

[Anonymous]

Your system loores fine. You could probably skip one sheave and put the dead end on the fixture instead of the ceiling.

Have you considered how this will look. It will be functional, but it may not look nice. You could put the fixture on a chain and when you need to lift it just pict it up and temp secure the chain out the way.

 

[Meloco14]

I also have PFO pendants. My design was quick and easy, not nearly as elaborate and fancy as yours, as I am a very lazy person by nature . I bought some of that thin picture frame hanging wire and attached one end to the pendant. I took the other end and ran it up through a series of eye-screws and back down the wall. Along the wall I have a series of nails sticking out. I put a loop in the end of the wire and put the loop over the head of the nail that corresponds to the height of the pendant. When I want to move it, I take the loop off, raise or lower the pendant, and put the loop on the closest nail. Now this isn't very attractive, but honestly with the thin wire you barely notice it. I'm sure you can take this same idea and make it a little nicer using pulleys or a reel or something. If you want it to look a little nicer you could also run the wire through some stick on conduit or moulding of some sort.

 

[SnowManSnow]

geez.. i just bout small link chain.. and move the pendant up or down a few links haha.

b

 

[Anonymous]

Me too SMS ! Small link chain and s-hooks. I can move my light up and down in half-inch increments from almost touching the water to about three feet over the tank.

lol!