View Full Version : aquarium light -- how to setup timer?
hi,
anyone know how to setup an aquarium light on a timer?
The lamp I have is one of those fluorescent tubes. everytime it shuts off, the ON button needs to be held for a few seconds to turn it back on.
The rotary timer I have that attaches to the plug, won't turn it back on.
Hopefully you have some suggestions so that i don't have to purchase a different aquarium light
tx in advance!
doug z
02-12-2009, 05:45 AM
Uh-oh..
No, if the timer's mechanism for turning on the light doesn't work for the light in question, there's nothing you can do..
Sorry.. :(
That's the first time I've heard about this kind of problem..
What kind of light fixture (brand, etc)?
I would take it back (hope you kept the receipt, and it's a recent purchase..
Welcome to the forum, btw!
PUNISHER VETTE
02-12-2009, 05:56 AM
Can you take a picture? I'm having a hard time figuring out why a timer wouldn't turn something back on...
It's either user error, faulty timer, or isn't really made to do what we think it should be doing.
thx.
It says that its a 24" fluorescent aquarium reflector FH-20F-DX (w/ a 15W Sunglo fluorescent tube).
no receipt any longer. =(
thanks for the reply.
doug z
02-12-2009, 06:01 AM
It's the delay that's the problem..
The timer apparently won't keep activating until the light goes on/off..
Nothing you can do about that, unless you're an electrician.. :)
Can you take a picture? I'm having a hard time figuring out why a timer wouldn't turn something back on...
It's either user error, faulty timer, or isn't really made to do what we think it should be doing.
It looks a regular aquarium light / hood. The lamp works like some of those old desk lamps with the fluorescent tubes. You sorta need to "preheat" the tube before the light turns on.
doug z
02-12-2009, 06:07 AM
You'll have to try a different brand of timer, and hope that it's set up so that it will keep activating the switch until the light turns off or on..
You have the receipt for the timer, though, right?
You'll have to try a different brand of timer, and hope that it's set up so that it will keep activating the switch until the light turns off or on..
You have the receipt for the timer, though, right?
the timer seems to be working fine since i've tested it with a basic lamp.
think of the aquarium light behaving like a tv set. if you unplug a tv while its ON, it'll shut off (obviously). however, when you plug it back in, it won't turn back ON. You have to press the ON/OFF switch again.
doug z
02-12-2009, 06:22 AM
I'm not saying the timer doesn't work, I'm saying it doesn't work for this light..
If you can't get a new light, get a new timer..
DragonWatch
02-12-2009, 07:47 AM
the timer seems to be working fine since i've tested it with a basic lamp.
think of the aquarium light behaving like a tv set. if you unplug a tv while its ON, it'll shut off (obviously). however, when you plug it back in, it won't turn back ON. You have to press the ON/OFF switch again.
The way this sounds, no matter what timer you use, it's not going to switch the light on, but only make the fitting go into this "standby" mode. If I understand you correctly, it sounds like the switch on the light fitting is a type of 3-way switch, where the switch goes to :
0 - Off
1 - Fires the 'starter' to get the bulb lit, but then pops back to
2 - Where the bulb is lit and stays lit, but then the 'starter' is not active.
So the only two positions the switch can be stuck in are 0 or 2. So when the timer goes off, the fitting is still on 2, and when it goes on again, this is still the case...but the 'starter' hasn't fired again, so the bulb won't light up?
The only safe and effective way would be to buy a new light fitting. The only other way would be to mod the switch to a 2 way, and that's going to mean the 'starter' is constantly firing, using a lot more power, and burning itself and the lamp out at a much increased rate.
terrapin24h
02-25-2009, 08:04 PM
I think to do what you want to do is going to require a "self-starting" ballast for the light. You would have to pull the current ballast and switch out of your hood and replace with same current level models. I may be wrong, but with the "self starter" models, the ballast is always "hot", and a "trip" wire is interrupted by the switch. When the switch closes it energizes a pole on a relay inside the ballast that passes current to the bulb. These lights tend not to "blink" when turned on, they just light(until the ballast or bulb goes, that is). There is also another kind where everything is self contained and the switch literally powers the ballast, iirc. My flouro lighting is far from encyclopedic. It may just be both easier and cheaper to just replace the hood.
--chris
osomxl
02-26-2009, 07:52 AM
This type of fixture uses a starter to light the bulb. It will never work with a timer and if you try to wire up the starter to continually light, it will overheat and start a fire. You can replace the ballast inside the fixture with an instant start and you will no longer have flicker or have to hold down the start button. This setup will work with the timer. You can go to Home Depot or Lowes and purchase a new ballast for 12-25 dollars. It depends on the number of lamps being used, type of tube(t5,t8,t12), maximum watts. There is a wiring diagram on the label on the ballast and any electrician can walk you through the process. HTH-Eric
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.