Timer for LED's wont work.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Redoog

Redoog

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
313
1
46
59
Boon, MI
OK I diy'd my own lights, 400 white led xmas lights for day and 100 blue led xams lights for night.

I got tierd of turning them off and on so i bought 2 brinks 7 day digital timers, that replace the light switches.

Well they will not turn the xmas lights off. The 400 string will dim, but never go out.

The 100 string, dims only a very slight amount.

I have a small powerhead, I addded that to the 400 string, and it will get dimmer, but never go out.

I tried the heater from my 10g tank, same thing.

Plugged in ONE 40watt incandesant bulb BY ITSELF, they work WTF?
 
Posted in frustration. A little research shows that these things are not CFL compact floresent light compatible, so probably not led either.

Unless anyone has tried one that works, I will try a cfl compatible timer and see if it will work. They are supposed to use a relay for positive on/off funtion.

well will see.

Any odeas let me know.
 
The cheapy old-school pin timers work great for my CFL's. I run a digital timer on my display tank, but it has T5's & I never notice if the LED moonlights are on during the day...
 
the $7 lamp timers from HD work like a champ... even when they are leftoutside for over a year with no cover...
 
Are you both talking about the boxes witht the dial and little red and green arrows you manually move to the times?

If so, dont they plug in where you plug in your accsy?

Also if so, I dont have room because my lights are very close to tank, so i was trying to time it at the switch itself.

Good info, I may MAKE that work if it comes down to it.
 
Alot of times, cheap LEDs use sketchy power supplies that hang on to residual voltage and take awhile to completely discharge, making the lights remain dimly lit for awhile after you unplug them. The timer you use shouldn't have anything to do with it. They only say that they're not CFL compatible because they can have a big starting surge. Your LEDs are a small load and should be able to be used with any timer.
 
Have not made it to Home depot yet. Will go tonight and see if their timers will work. Brinks never answered my email as to why theirs will not work.

If any has had any luck with a in wall timer and leds, please chime in.
 
bob965;3945721; said:
Alot of times, cheap LEDs use sketchy power supplies that hang on to residual voltage and take awhile to completely discharge, making the lights remain dimly lit for awhile after you unplug them. The timer you use shouldn't have anything to do with it. They only say that they're not CFL compatible because they can have a big starting surge. Your LEDs are a small load and should be able to be used with any timer.
Click to expand...


This is certainly possible... However, it could just as easily be the opposite. LED's run on low-voltage DC, not AC, so those "sketchy" power supplies are usually just a few cheap resistors to drop the power & maybe a capacitor to keep them from flickering due to the AC current running them. This means that any residual or inductive voltage in the tank (heaters, filters, tanklights, etc) could be causing them to glow a bit. As you said, the LED's are a very small load & it doesn't take much to get them glowing.
 
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