Need reliable outdoor light timer switch
I’ve been through about 4 of these in maybe 4 years. Had two timers with dials from Intermatic, they eventually just stopped working, then two with a digital display, also from Intermatic. What is the deal with these things, they either just die completely, or are very erratic (and then die). I’ve changed batteries, etc. I’ve got all new wiring and lights, etc.
What do you guys install in your own or customer’s homes?
TIA, PJ
Replies
those digital ones from Intermatic are junk..I put two on the same circuit within six months , the second one conked out and just stayed on...I went back to using a P/E on the fixtures...
either that or mount a mechanical type somewhere
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, wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
What kind of Intermatic timers have you been using.
There are many different models.
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=26328&qsProductNo=ITST101P
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=26319&qsProductNo=ITSET100C
And they have timers under the timer and the energy control sections.
http://www.intermatic.com/
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
These were the first to fail me and were erratic before dying
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=26320&qsProductNo=ITSEJ351C
The newer ones looked like these, though a little different
http://www.foxelectricsupply.com/content/products/ProductDetail.asp?qsCatID=26320&qsProductNo=ITSEJ500C
Both were similarly priced at the local supply house from what I remember - $25ish
PJ
Yeah, those are made to be two-terminal devices, and will always result in a "trickle" on the load side. They're not really intended to control more than a room light.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
yep, mine were similar , in fact one style not shown has been discontinued..what you might check is the tightness of the grounds from that switch location back to the panel.......some of these things operate between hot and ground.
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., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Yeah, that style of timer has been used for probably most of 100 years now, to control stuff like commercial sign lighting. I have to believe that they're pretty reliable.The primary point of failure would probably be the clock motor -- the old-fashioned electric clock motor lasts 10-50 years, depending on the size and load. I'm guessing these should be good for 30 or so.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I think I found my problem. It came to me one day - I have been using compact floursescents in the lights - to save on energy since I leave them on all night. I originally started with incandescents.
After talking the electrical supply house about this, they were able to verify with Intermatic a model that will work with CF. I believe the model is ST101 Series.
$25 later I have a switch that will hopefully work for some time. It's a better switch too, since you program the date/time, general part of the country you're in and whether you observer DST and it knows the exact time of dawn and dusk, so no having to reprogam every few months for extended daylight, etc.
PJ
Alas, Intermatic seems to own the US clock timer market. Even worse, they're better than most of their competition here!
First- a word for the folks at Intermatic: There ARE quality European manufacturers, who will kick your butt if they ever decide to cross the Atlantic.
Now, for the Intermatic timers:
The digital ones that replace an ordinary light switch are junk. Nice idea, poorly executed.
In contrast, the Intermatic digital timers that come in a steel box, maybe 4" wide by 7" tall and 2" deep .... have worked quite well for me, in a number of applications.