Jam jars store jam, the
Sun
Jar collects and stores sunshine so that you can use it at
night. The Sun Jar Made is a combination of a
traditional Mason jar with some high
technology energy efficient lighting. Inside the jar are a highly
efficient solar cell, rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps.
When the jar is placed in sunlight the solar cell creates an electrical
current that charges the battery over a few hours. This energy is then
used at night to power the three LED lamps inside the jar.
Store Sunlight in a Jar
The light is diffused by the
frosted jar
and give the appearance of sunlight emitting from the jar (warm
coloured
LED lights are used to give a more natural and warm light). You may
have noticed that there is no switch on the sun jar - in fact there are
no visible controls at all - there is a clever light sensor inside that
automatically activates
the lights when it gets dark or lights are
turned out. (Note: there
is an override switch inside the lid
to turn off the light at night and conserve battery life.)
Mason Jars are
not only beautiful but by their very nature
they are completely water tight - so the Sun Jar can happily be left
outside in any weather conditions. A perfect garden light or
night
light for a kid's bedroom. The Sun Jar is not designed to
illuminate a
room. Rather it is designed to glow and add atmosphere. By this we
mean, don't expect it to be bright enough to read by!
Important
Information about the Sun Jar
- Sun Jars need DIRECT
sunshine to work. Leave the Sun Jar outside or in a
sunny window in DIRECT sunlight for several hours to charge, (electric
light indoors is not bright enough!).
- Bad weather
is bad news for Sun Jars!
You may find that in winter or cloudy weather your Sun Jar illuminates
for less time than normal, or even not at all. This is because your Sun
Jar requires SUN to re-charge! For improved results, leave
the Sun Jar
switched off (switch up) whilst
charging. Simply switch it to the on position (switch down) when you
would like it to glow. This conserves battery life and will leave it to
illuminate when you need it to. If the weather has been particularly
bad, as a last resort you can also charge the batteries in a normal
battery charger.
- Activate
The Battery Before First Use. Open the Sun Jar by lifting
the metal lever. Switch the Sun Jar ON, the
switch is inside the jar next to the solar panel. (The switch is now in
the down position.) Your Sun Jar may need charging before first
use.
- Automatic
Switch On. The Sun Jar switches on and off automatically when it gets
dark or
light. The Sun jar has a built in light sensor, and will only
illuminate in a dark environment. It is not possible to switch the Sun
Jar to illuminates when it is daylight or in a light room - the Sun Jar
MUST be in the dark to light up.
- Manual
Off Switch. There is a manual override switch to stop the Sun Jar
illuminating at
night if desired. The switch is inside the jar next to the solar panel
just under the lid. Use the switch to turn the Sun Jar off at night and
conserve the battery life. (The switch is off in the up position.) In
the off position the Sun Jar will not illuminate at night. In the on
position for the Sun Jar will function normally.
- Charging. Leave the Sun Jar outside or in a sunny window in
DIRECT
sunlight for
several hours to charge. In over-cast situations it is advisable to
charge the Sun Jar for a few days. To do this put the manual switch on
the inside of the jar into the off position, this will prevent it
activating at night. The Sun Jar will charge slowly in very bright
artificial light,
directing a lamp directly over the jar for a couple of hours will speed
the charging process.
- Use
Outdoors. The Sun Jar is
a waterproof sealed unit and can be used indoors and
outdoors.
- The Battery. Rechargeable batteries have a long, but not
indefinite life. After many
charges the battery may lose its ability to store energy. Should you
need to replace the battery open the Sun Jar by lifting the metal
lever, lift out the rubber insert, remove the solar panel, and replace
with
a standard AA rechargeable battery.
