Mark Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 What type of light timer do all you guys and gals use to turn your fish tank lights on and off. I am having trouble with the one I am using at the moment. I think I have lost one fish already due to the stress from the lights staying on all night. I work away from home quite a bit and my tank minders my children are having trouble with the light timer. I don’t know the brand name but it is the one that you recess black buttons around the dial edge for the time the light stays on. The other one I have used is the one with the plastic pins that you push in for the time you want the light to turn on or off. Both cheap in price so I guess you get what you pay for. I would like to know what other options are out there that would be more reliable. Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 HPM digital timer hooked up to a relay, never failed me yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I've been using the ones you mentioned Mark for several years with no problems, only running 450 watts of light though. Recently upgraded to 650 watts still seems to work OK although I was advised I should get something better or split the lights to one timer each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 my t5's burnt out 4 cheap timers, I had a electrician install a digital one with a relay(i think thats what its called) and havent had a problem since. My problem was on startup the wattage was too much for the timers and melted the contacts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Sounds like the digital timer with relay may be the go. Even on my freshwater tanks with the fluro lights the cheap timers crap out after a year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Thats the problem I had too Drifty, ballasts drew so much power on startup they blew the timer. So I built a box with relay in it. Has power in from mains and power in from the timer. Timer triggers the relay, relay switches on letting mains power from other feed powering the lights. The box has 4 outlets in it. Three of them feed the 3 halides and the 4th is spare but currently hooked up to a fan blowing over the top of the tank for cooling (obviously comes on when halides turn on). I have another separate timer for the 2 x T5's that comes on an hour before and goes off an hour after the halides. It cost a little bit for the relay but was kinda fun to build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I have killed a few timers. Pretty much wouldn't bother with non-digital timers for lights. The best seem to be the puddney digital, but they cost about $40 each. I spoke to a guy at advanced electrical one day, he said spa pools use an HPM heavy duty timer, but they didn't stock them, and I haven't been able to find any so haven't tried one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Yeah thats the HPM timer I use, but that price is a rip off. You can get them for $15 from Bunnings (last time I was there) or Dick Smith. Don't let moisture get in them or the buttons won't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Thanks for the info all. I like the look of the HPM digital timer has anyone used it without a relay. It’s rated for 2400W MAX so wouldn’t this be more than enough without the relay. I have some experience with relays as my sump had a water level cut off switch for the pump that I burnt out three times until I had a relay installed. I guess this would be a similar thing when the lights turn on the initial power surge could overload the timer. PS I’m not an electrician’s backside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 my t5s are 300w, but on startup were over 2000w that was the problem. I hope the timer is all u need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WEKA Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 My recommendation would be to stay away from any of the timers with the rotating dial as they are mechanical drive and will wear out sooner than later. The electronic (digital) ones are the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 I've tried a number of types since changing lights Mark. I started with the HPM heavy duty ones, manual but rated to 2400W, and within a couple of days they failed and wouldn't turn my lights off. Bought cheapie digital timers, still rated to 1200W, and 1 of these failed and again wouldn't turn the light off. Replaced this one with a simple pin type job I had lying around and all have gone fine for several months. In other words the HPM heavy duty are no better than any other timers, and I've now got 3 that may be buggered and it's a waste of $29.95 each, compared to the $9.95 jobbies I'm using a present. I will definitely be going to a timer tripped relay like Chimera on my next tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WEKA Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Sounds like the inrush current to your MH controllers is welding the contacts together in your timer. A slave relay is the only way to sort this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Sounds like the inrush current to your MH controllers is welding the contacts together in your timer that's exactly it fused! heavy duty relay does the trick for me never failed on me yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Again thankyou all for the info. At this stage my Son has swapped the timer with one of the old plastic pin jobbies and it is working for now. So when i get home in two weeks i will get a digital timer and relay setup up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbles Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 How about something like this? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=70832537 I use $10 digital timers from the supermarket and have had no issues with them. Then again my halides only amount to 650W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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