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Timers for lighting

BarryH

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2017
Messages
608
Location
Derbyshire
Is it possible to use some kind of timer to turn the lighting on and off over a tank?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Yes, done here all the time. However buy quality products, as most people have had the "cheapy 3 for £10" packs of timers fail.

I have been through so many timers in my fish keeping career with common failures being
- Just die no display, nothing.
- Forget all their setting after a power cut.
- Randomly resetting to 00:00:00, especially if switching inductive loads eg air pumps.
- No longer switch on (or off) despite what the display indicates.
- Worse one was, timer locking up with output on and overdosing fertiliser into my tank !!!.

Best one I have is one of these, many many years old, never failed. But would have cost a fortune to the 7 switched outputs I required. Now relegated to Xmas light.
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SMETU17.html

I then moved to wireless controls.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/anyone-used-byron-home-easy-remote-timeswitches.21210/

Very convenient, get loads under your fish tank, but wireless is not 100% reliable, as I found out.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/smart-home-kit.48733/#post-479475

There are also quite a few "internet connected" sockets (£40 a go) that have timer functionality.

I now have this...
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-to-use-a-plc-to-control-your-fish-tank.42993/

100% switching reliability, not missed a time period in last 6050 hours (250 days). :)
 
I used to use these, except UK 13A socket, as they can be placed 4 (or 6) to extension lead.

I have had a couple of these fail as well, after 5-6 years, just blank display. Took apart and there was a burnt out resistor near the on board rechargeable battery...clearly never been EU certified as the EU are very hot on batteries and charging circuits. I assume they had a simple charging circuit that killed the battery when being on for 24/7 and this ended up killing the whole timer.

Still available to buy or take back for refund like I did.
http://www.diy.com/departments/diall-7-day-electronic-timer/800809_BQ.prd
 
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