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Discussion Forum

Timer not tripping correctly

WillieWonka | Posted in General Discussion on January 12, 2006 08:59am

I”m SURE I did not do anything wrong. But….famous last words.

Few months ago I installed an electric timer, 120v version, to turn on a string of receptacles at a certain time and then turn them off. Presently those times are: ON at 5pm, and OFF at 3am.

The timer has “quit” working a number of times. I would go over and look at it and it woiuld have some weird obnoxious time on it as far as the current time of day. It would be hours off. No, there have not been power outages during these times, that would mean an outage of hours when usually power here is out a few mins for some kind of maint or something.

I checked it yet again yesterday and it had the right time of day, but the switch didnt’ trip inside. I barely tapped the MANUAL/AUTO arm and it kicked  on as if it were stuck and needed a nudge. The person called again tonight to say it did not come on at 5pm again.

Is the unit defective, did I do something wrong, what can I check (and how do I repair it if I find something wrong)?

If at first you don’t succeed, try using a hammer next time…everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time.  -ME
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Replies

  1. User avater
    PaulBinCT | Jan 12, 2006 04:25pm | #1

    My old business used tonsssssss of those.  Some were just garbage but in some cases if the "flippers" weren't set just right they would bind up on the switch lever instead of passing by it cleanly...

  2. User avater
    BillHartmann | Jan 12, 2006 04:41pm | #2

    "I checked it yet again yesterday and it had the right time of day, but the switch didnt' trip inside. I barely tapped the MANUAL/AUTO arm and it kicked on as if it were stuck and needed a nudge."

    Mechanical or electronic?

    1. WillieWonka | Jan 12, 2006 06:43pm | #3

      As far as I know it's all mechanical. No electronics on board it that I see. Looks like the standard old timer used since way back when.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time.  -ME

      1. PhillGiles | Jan 12, 2006 07:01pm | #4

        So this just one of those 'turning dials with slide switches on it' devices ? I guess you already checked it for mechanical binding, gave it a shot of Jig-A-Loo, etc. Now if it was electronic, I'd suspect it's one of those devices that has to have a load on it to work, i.e. something pluged in, usually a lightbulb, that can pass a mini-current and keep the timer lit.But as previously suggested; anoyingly, sometimes these timers stop working (new enough for warranty ?).
        Phill Giles
        The Unionville Woodwright
        Unionville, Ontario

  3. User avater
    CapnMac | Jan 12, 2006 08:58pm | #5

    My thought was similar to Phil's.

    Is there a possibility that the circuit the timer is plugged into is a GFCI?  That would stay "tripped" until someone reset it, which would give odd values to the "present time" setting.

    Ahh, what sort of place is this?  In some factory/shop settings, the help flips the breakers, not the switches to power things like lights, ventilation, etc.  If they are doing that, the circuit would deenergize and give odd results.  Could get similar if the in-house electrical folk are correctly flipping a breaker off before working on the circuit--a circumstance which would turn of fthe timer, and not be obvious to the party complaining that the switch does not trip on time.

    But, even odds, the timer just isn't good enough, and needs replacing.  Any chance the timer "took" a/any odd or out-of-spec electrical loads?  As simple as the mechanical, dial-type, timers are, they really don't like overloads and the like.

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
  4. WayneL5 | Jan 13, 2006 01:49am | #6

    Could be cheap.

    Could be someone turned the time set knob backwards and broke it.

    Could be it is installed on a circuit with a wall switch that turns the timer off.

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