Indoor Timers and Contactors talk to me ....

[budzilla1989]

Yo how we doing people ..

So i have a heavy duty contactor timer for my light I understand it's a must have .

now I need timers for my extractor fan , do I need to use a heavy duty one from the grow shop ? Or is a normal one from my DIY store ok?

Same question again regarding an oil heater in my grow room it's 500w will that need a heavy duty timer ?

Also any advice on quieting down intake and exhaust fans ? They are wolfnadoes and a tad noisy

thanks happy growing

 

[A4]

The short answer is probably not but there is a real easy conversion for that. You need to make sure the timer is rated for the equipment. So if you have a piece of equipment, it will normally say the maximum current it draws or the FLA(full load amperage) of it. Make sure your timer is rated for the maximum amount of current or amperage(amps).

If you are not sure what the FLA is, then use this conversion. amps = watts / volts

So if you know the watts, like your heater, and the volts then. amps = 500 / 120(I assume you are using 120VAC, if you are in Europe you are probably using 230V)

So 500W divided by 120V is 4.16A. So you will need to make sure your timer is rated for at least 5 amps. More won't hurt but less will burn up the contacts and possibly cause a fire.

 

[budzilla1989]

Thanks for your swift reply I'm Europe 230v so as fort heater do I do 500w divided by 230v ??

 

[A4]

Exactly! So around 2.1A is your FLA.

 

[budzilla1989]

360923541348
A4 here is the item number for the timer I'm looking at on eBay obviously a fire is a must avoid situation, it says it's rated to 13a should I go for it ? Or would I be better of going for heavy duty option from the grow shop it's paramount to have no fires and to get the grow timed perfectly as the weather is getting cold and heaters and fans must stop and start at the correct time otherwise I'm gonna lose my plants

13a seems pretty good though so to recap I'm in the uk 230v my heater is 500w and unsure of the wolfnadoes

 

[A4]

360923541348
A4 here is the item number for the timer I'm looking at on eBay obviously a fire is a must avoid situation, it says it's rated to 13a should I go for it ? Or would I be better of going for heavy duty option from the grow shop it's paramount to have no fires and to get the grow timed perfectly as the weather is getting cold and heaters and fans must stop and start at the correct time otherwise I'm gonna lose my plants

13a seems pretty good though so to recap I'm in the uk 230v my heater is 500w and unsure of the wolfnadoes

Man that one is overkill also but will work perfectly fine. That is basically the same designed timer I use for my 600W ballast with no problems for years.

One thing you may want to consider, if money isn't a big issue, is a thermostat. I use a programmable thermostat in my tent that will cycle the heater on when it drops below a set point and back off when it warms up in the tent. It costs a little more up front to purchase but saves money in the long run in electricity costs and keeps the temps from fluctuating wildly by running the heater on a timer. The exact one I have it linked below but I am sure you can find something like it on your side of the pond.

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draf...1nEcnJr3p5iKUViV8ZMXX5QWFA-EYKVe97xoCntvw_wcB