Timer woes

[down&dirty]

Just wanted to post to save someone else the heartache that I have now. I just put a new timer on my metal halides when I was forced out of town by work. When I came home, the timer hadn't turned the lights off and my tank was basically a boiling pot for a seafood gumbo. So hopefully someone can learn by my mistake, ALWAYS TEST THE TIMER! I won't make the same mistake again. I lost 6 finger leathers, a green leather, all my mushrooms and riccordia, most of the livestock, and the rest of the corals are pretty bad off. After only 28 hours with the metal halides on and me not watching the tank had gone from 80 to 92 degrees. Please don't let this happen to you.

 

[WannaBeReefer]

thats to bad! I also had a timer quit on me after about 4 months. Can anyone recommend a good multi outlet timer that will last?

 

[Anonymous]

What brand did you fellow used?

 

[WannaBeReefer]

Mine was from Coralife

 

[hdtran]

I am using a timer which I got from Costco. Comes w/ 3 prongs (unlike most regular timers). A bit tricky to program, as it's electronic, and not mechanical. 6 months so far, and no problems.

Previous timer was a hardware store timer; used for several years with no problems (but did not have a grounding prong).

What I do, is I actually plug a powerstrip into the outlet of the timer, rather than purchase a multi-outlet timer. Cost: Timer is on the order of $10; powerstrip is $1.00 ($8.00 or so from OfficeMax, with a mail-in rebate, so you wind up paying only for postage and taxes).

Shelter your electricals from salt creep, and you should be ok.

Sorry to hear about your temperature problems, and hope things work out!

 

[Anonymous]

IMO, multi-outlet timer is overpriced. hdtran's approach is what I do, just watch the total wattage.

I use Intermatics timer. Cheap and work well. I have an old Intermatics timer that is more than 20 yrs old (got it from an estate sale for $1), and I used it for about 4 years already.

 

[down&dirty]

Mine was also a intermatic timer. One of the digital versions for switching up to 15 Amps. I replaced it and the new one works, but what is the point. The only things I had survive are a scopus tang, a black percula, some polyps and some zoos. At this point I lost over 70% of the livestock and I am debating even trying again. Just when I finally got the tank looking good and the lighting right this happens.

 

[shawnz28]

Stay away from the Corallife timer/powerstrip for what we have seen they have a high failure rate. I used one on my personal tank and it worked for about a month. I like the intermatic heavy duty dial type. I have never had one go bad