Will a cheap timer do

[anthony6969]

just ordered my 250 watt hps and was wondering if a normall timer would work with this or would i have to get a special light timer for grow lamps to deal with the 250 watts, would it be a fire hazard to use a cheap 1 or are they ok

 

[Shaggy]

almost any timer will work with a 250... they don't draw much power

 

[moggggys]

for a 250w a mechanical timers ok

if in the future you go bigger ( bet you will ) then get yourself a contactor timer , when the timer turns to on a large surge of power shoots through the system , with higher wattage lights then a mechanical timer can and will weld itself together making a potential fire hazzard and making moggggys shout bollocks very loudly indeed , had a mechanical fry itself just this week at a friends house running just a 400w !

 

[happyherb]

ive used cheap times for years with higher wattage with no probs ....other than buying them over and over again cause there cheap and die....lol in the last 5 or 6 years ive bought maybe 20 or more .....will have to just buy some good ones and save a lot of cash in the end.HH. =]-~

 

[Dogstar]

Search ebay for "ENVIROLITE 22amp Grow Lamp/Light TIMER / CONTACTOR IP44" - £12.95 and it will run up to 1 x 600w HPS Mechanical Ballast.

I have just got one...the cost is not much more than a standard cheapie timer.

 

[Devilsharvest]

Grasslin is the most reliable 1. plus its Swiss or german:D

 

[hailstone]

A cheap timer won't do. I have a 250W HPS and thought that with such low power consumption a cheap timer should be good enough. It broke two cheap timers, made by different manufacturers, within one week. Neither was digital.

Now I use a timer by a company called Omnirex and it's fine. While it cost like 3-4 times what the cheap timers did, it paid back for itself within two weeks with that track record so I'd say it's a good investment. :D

 

[jah_hoover]

You can buy digital timer for cheap at Wilkinsons and they also have good manual timers and they work perfect. I bought sum timers from Focus diy and they all popped and fucked up and then i went to the hydroshop and saw they are exspensiv and my wife mentioned Wilkinsons sell the exact same timers the hydroshop sell for cheap so i popped into town and got myself sum timers and they have been working perfectly and i run 400watt & 600watts on them:) just makesure you have a good contractor relay

 

[foreverherb]

Get a timer that can handle twice as much as you want to put through it to be safe, had a few timers melt even though it was under what it says it could handle.

 

[ukcheesehead]

i use digi timers from argos . also a contractor relay.

neva had a timer stick b4 .

 

[DR. nick]

for a 250 you should be fine, but dont skimp on the timer or anything electrical.... had a neighbors garage burn to the ground because they skimped on the timer in the past.

 

[RansacktheElder]

mmmmmmm I use a torx industrial 120v timer and a lighting contactor. But I'm an electrician and that's just stuff I got off the job.<chuckle> If you use the cheaper timer, you run the risk of a fire. If you want to chance it, it's your call. I'd advise spending $26 at wally world for a decent grounded timer. DO NOT use an ungrounded one and cut off your ground prongs. You'd automatically enter yourself into the Darwin Awards if you did. Had to bring a friend of mine up on his "awareness" when I caught him doing that. I also keep a smoke detector above my boxes and a 10 pound fire extinguisher at the bottom of the steps in the basement. Safety first!

 

[jadins_journey]

I also keep a smoke detector above my boxes and a 10 pound fire extinguisher at the bottom of the steps in the basement. Safety first!

Great advice there Ransack! :rock I added the same 2 pieces to my grow room as soon as it was up and running, helps ya to sleep better at night.

jj