timers cheap
- Thread starter eagle9252
- Start date
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">Richard you know electrical so I don’t have to splain this to you but for others it is needed. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">** Warning warning**</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">First and foremost this is electrical work so if you have to have a place to hang your sign or don’t have a clue what your doing DO NOT READ past this!!!!</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I have this circuit on a GFIC feeding from another location. I had the lights switched to start with and was going to add digital timers later but in the efforts to reduce the on time now and cost of digital timers and if the power goes out problem this is what I have come up with. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I took 2 computer power supplies apart and got the fans and recessed plug end off. I mounted the recessed plugs on the canopy. This will allow me to unplug and move canopy as needed without wires hanging off. It has 6 wires. I have 2 hots (120vac) and 1 neutral on one plug and 1 ground (120vac) and 1 hot (12vdc) 1 ground(12vdc) on the other. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I took one switch leg and fed the lower receptacle for anything future if I wanted it switched. And the other switch leg feeds the timers. You have to have two receptacles and they have to be one ground up and one ground down to fit the timers in them. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">When looking at the receptacle you will see one blade longer on the right (neutral) and a smaller one on the left (hot) and a round hole in the middle under them (ground). I connected a pigtail to the neutrals to the longer side or called the common side. Then the feed coming from the switch was removed from the line going to the lights and placed on the hot or small blade side. I then took a 2 prong lamp cord repair end and placed the wire going to the light fixture on the prong that goes into the small blade part of the receptacle. You could do both but I chose to only do the hot side. The timer needs the neutral on the receptacle to make the timer work. These timers are indoor timers and have no ground so by wiring them this way I got a cheaper setup and still have all the safety features. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I also have to extra places for power as needed. As for the 12vdc wires currently, I have bought some blue leds that use a 194 base and will add some moon lights to the tank. Each one has 4 leds and I bought 12 for 4.00 this included shipping. I hooked one up last night and it looked good. My intent was to have a soft low light in one end of the tank like a night light, not for me to see but for the fish. At the moment I don’t have the back of the sump covered up so the 100w 6500K bulb if doing well at keeping a light on for the tank. So I left it off last night but the shimmer was better than a thought and they are supper bright. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">** Warning warning**</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">First and foremost this is electrical work so if you have to have a place to hang your sign or don’t have a clue what your doing DO NOT READ past this!!!!</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I have this circuit on a GFIC feeding from another location. I had the lights switched to start with and was going to add digital timers later but in the efforts to reduce the on time now and cost of digital timers and if the power goes out problem this is what I have come up with. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I took 2 computer power supplies apart and got the fans and recessed plug end off. I mounted the recessed plugs on the canopy. This will allow me to unplug and move canopy as needed without wires hanging off. It has 6 wires. I have 2 hots (120vac) and 1 neutral on one plug and 1 ground (120vac) and 1 hot (12vdc) 1 ground(12vdc) on the other. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I took one switch leg and fed the lower receptacle for anything future if I wanted it switched. And the other switch leg feeds the timers. You have to have two receptacles and they have to be one ground up and one ground down to fit the timers in them. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">When looking at the receptacle you will see one blade longer on the right (neutral) and a smaller one on the left (hot) and a round hole in the middle under them (ground). I connected a pigtail to the neutrals to the longer side or called the common side. Then the feed coming from the switch was removed from the line going to the lights and placed on the hot or small blade side. I then took a 2 prong lamp cord repair end and placed the wire going to the light fixture on the prong that goes into the small blade part of the receptacle. You could do both but I chose to only do the hot side. The timer needs the neutral on the receptacle to make the timer work. These timers are indoor timers and have no ground so by wiring them this way I got a cheaper setup and still have all the safety features. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="font-size: 13px">I also have to extra places for power as needed. As for the 12vdc wires currently, I have bought some blue leds that use a 194 base and will add some moon lights to the tank. Each one has 4 leds and I bought 12 for 4.00 this included shipping. I hooked one up last night and it looked good. My intent was to have a soft low light in one end of the tank like a night light, not for me to see but for the fish. At the moment I don’t have the back of the sump covered up so the 100w 6500K bulb if doing well at keeping a light on for the tank. So I left it off last night but the shimmer was better than a thought and they are supper bright. </span></span>
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Ok, here is what I see wrong with this set up (assuming I am following you correctly).
1. You have 120V AC and 12V DC running in the same cord. That is a no-no by code. On top of that, the AC will induce current into your DC wires which are running side by side with the AC. May mess up your LEDs down the road.
2. Not sure what the insulation rating is on the computer cords and outlets is. Your insulation must be rated to the highest voltage present. If both switch legs are fed from the same circuit it is 120V. If the switch legs are fed from two different circuits it is 240V. Standard electrical wiring is rated at 600V but if this was computer stuff, who knows what it is rated at.
3. You have a 120V hot wire (unprotected) running out of each timer. If this were to get cut there is no neutral or ground which would allow the breaker (or GFI) to trip.
While you set up is ingenious, I sure wouldn't want that in my house.
If you decide to leave it, be extremely careful whenever you are back there working or when you put your hands in the tank.
1. You have 120V AC and 12V DC running in the same cord. That is a no-no by code. On top of that, the AC will induce current into your DC wires which are running side by side with the AC. May mess up your LEDs down the road.
2. Not sure what the insulation rating is on the computer cords and outlets is. Your insulation must be rated to the highest voltage present. If both switch legs are fed from the same circuit it is 120V. If the switch legs are fed from two different circuits it is 240V. Standard electrical wiring is rated at 600V but if this was computer stuff, who knows what it is rated at.
3. You have a 120V hot wire (unprotected) running out of each timer. If this were to get cut there is no neutral or ground which would allow the breaker (or GFI) to trip.
While you set up is ingenious, I sure wouldn't want that in my house.
If you decide to leave it, be extremely careful whenever you are back there working or when you put your hands in the tank.nope, you missed it.
Each plug has 3 wires. Top one has 2 hots (120vac) and 1 neutral on one plug and 1 ground (120vac) and 1 hot (12vdc) 1 ground(12vdc) on the other.
The 2 hots are from the same switch and split at the receptacle, so it’s not 240v. And the 12vdc is with the ground.
These are standard computer power supply every computer uses these. Unless you are on a laptop I bet if you LQQK at the back of your desktop unit you will see what I see. It’s 18gauge which on one website it says it's rated at 16amps but I’m old school, 20amps on 12ga and 15amps on 14ga. The light fixture has 2 ballast. 2 bulbs on one and 4 bulbs on another which only pulls 4amps 120vac. I could hook them up as 277v for less but that is another bunch of unneeded wiring.
Don’t forget you have SO and SJ cord which is rated at 300v and 600v respectably. If you notice the RS cover is not screwed in as it’s not finished but the 14ga wire is wire that is pulled inside conduit or laid in wire troughs, which is temporary. It’s the same as single wires used in large control cabinets that are used in the free air environment.
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Each plug has 3 wires. Top one has 2 hots (120vac) and 1 neutral on one plug and 1 ground (120vac) and 1 hot (12vdc) 1 ground(12vdc) on the other.
The 2 hots are from the same switch and split at the receptacle, so it’s not 240v. And the 12vdc is with the ground.
These are standard computer power supply every computer uses these. Unless you are on a laptop I bet if you LQQK at the back of your desktop unit you will see what I see. It’s 18gauge which on one website it says it's rated at 16amps but I’m old school, 20amps on 12ga and 15amps on 14ga. The light fixture has 2 ballast. 2 bulbs on one and 4 bulbs on another which only pulls 4amps 120vac. I could hook them up as 277v for less but that is another bunch of unneeded wiring.
Don’t forget you have SO and SJ cord which is rated at 300v and 600v respectably. If you notice the RS cover is not screwed in as it’s not finished but the 14ga wire is wire that is pulled inside conduit or laid in wire troughs, which is temporary. It’s the same as single wires used in large control cabinets that are used in the free air environment.
That explains it a bit better, however I am still not thrilled with the ground being run in a separate cord from the 120V but that is not a huge deal. Couple of things, 18 ga is rated at 14 Amps (always has been) BUT that is in the 90 degree column. To use that as your allowable ampacity all the terminations MUST be rated at 90 degrees. Almost all terminations are rated at 75 degrees. But, with the small load you are dealing with you should be fine. Code does allow wiring to be run in free air however certain conditions must be met. It must be protected from physical damage and a "Qualified Person" must be available on site at all times. SO (and all other similar cords) are rated for hard usage and the overall jacket provides physical protection. Individual conductors only provide insulation for voltage not physical. But, it appears you know what you are doing and I don't think you will have major problems. Just don't let mamma or the kids near it.
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