Hey All, Is there anything special we need to know about lighting timers to be used for metal halides? Will regular ol' outdoor timers such as those used for outdoor Christmas lighting do the trick? Thanks in advance!
The only thing you need to do is get a grounded timer, one with three holes instead of merely two. Chirstmas lights are usually lower voltage and often times are not grounded. So instead of a $5 timer, you'll pay $10. I've used mechanical and digital timers. The reason I prefer digital is that usually those come with a battery inside to keep the time accurate even if a power outage occurs. With mechanicals, you have to turn the dial to get them back on time if they were off for a small duration, since they will otherwise run your light period later because of the lost time / lag. Hope that makes sense.
More pictures. This one has a date on the front of the timer to remind me when I installed the metal halide (or VHO) bulb.
Thanks Marc, That's just what I needed to know. Are there any articles that you can remember on what to do to ensure your electrical outlet strips remain dry that you could recommend? Just received a new light fixture and while working on the tank just a little water landed on one of the MH ballasts... fryed it suprisingly fast! Next project... rearrange the electrical to provide for more water safety. ???
Blog Categories
Mark as Read
