Automation starting with lights

[Carolineep]

hi there

Looking for ideas on automating lighting.
My goal is a safe, simple, organized looking way to turn lights on and off s

 

[mchambers]

I'd say you have three relatively easy choices.

First, you can use lights have timers built in, like the Finnex 24/7 Planted Plus. Gets expensive, if you have many tanks.

Second, you can use a timer for each light, like this:

https://www.amazon.com/WenTop-Socke...=1501460713&sr=1-3-spons&keywords=timer&psc=1

Of course, if you've got a lot of tanks, you're going to have to buy a lot of timers.

Third, you can use power strips with timers, like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Westek-TE08W...=1501460777&sr=1-1&keywords=power+strip+timer

or this

https://www.amazon.com/Westek-TM08D...=1501460777&sr=1-6&keywords=power+strip+timer

The last one immediately above, with a mechanical switch, has one key advantage: it won't lose the programming when you lose power. The ones with digital programming often lose the programming when you lose power, so you've got the reprogram the doggone thing.

 

[jonclark96]

Matt provided a good recap of the low cost options available. Short of rewiring outlets in your fish room that are all on a single switch and circuit, timers on power strips would be the easiest thing to do.

But if you are going to start spending cash on the fish room, I'd start with automating water changes. It is by far the most labor and time consuming part of the hobby. I'd much rather turn on lights one by one than do water changes!

Keep us posted on progress.

 

[CichlidAddict]

All my light are automated with timer. Don't get the fancy-digital ones, which have more programming options that you won't need. It's a pain to locate and read the programming instruction each time you need to reprogram due to day light saving, battery out or other reasons. Get the simple mechanical timers in which programming is intuitive. Mechanical will lose or gain time slightly or big shift due to day light saving or power outage, but there is no need to reprogram, simply turn the wheel forward to re match the actual light on or off time. I prefer the old fashion style with green and red stickers that it is easy to see the set intervals, and the manual override on and off button that will resume programming without the need for unbuttoning.

 

[Carolineep]

Thank you Matt Great information, just what i needed, For my situation i think option c will be just what i need.


Jon, due to a lot of mitigating factors we are unsure if we will be staying in this house.
So i am reluctant to build an auto water changer until i know if we are staying here.

 

[dogofwar]

Another - very simple - option is to use overhead lights when you're not around. The (overhead) lights in my fishroom are on timers. I manually turn the rest on when I'm actually in the room. Saves energy

 

[JLW]

You can also get really fancy built in timers that do things like ramp up the lights and slowly dim them, though they're LED only.

Or, if you're crazy (like me), you can get ZWave enabled outlets, and control your lights from your phone. MUWAHAHAHAH

 

[Carolineep]

i would be pretty dang cool with that app.

 

[JLW]

I use Wink.... they were pretty cool and innovative, but they've failed to stay that way. The app works with everything, though.

 

[Marz]

I use a bunch of these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant...ur-Indoor-Plug-In-Timer-White-26378/205517336

 

[chriscoli]

Yep, I use those same ones as well as these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant...ther-Outdoor-Mechanical-Timer-49813/203687958

 

[Frank Cowherd]

I use only grounded plugs on the timers I use. And the circuits, they are on are ground faults circuit interrupters (GFCI).

I do not have any lights on individual tanks in my fish room. When designing my fish room, I had the electrician put sets of 4 plug outlets in the ceiling. One set of 12 plugs is controlled by a light switch at the door to the fish room. I installed a timer in place of the switch which is capable of being programed for on and off. I usually have it timed to turn the lights on at 7AM and off at 9PM. The thing I really like about this timer is that it does not have to be reset when the electricity goes off even for like 4 hours. It has an internal battery. I have not had to reset the timer in years. It costs about $60, but well worth it.

The other set of 12 outlets in the ceiling are used for heaters or pumps. There is never a concern that water will run uphill and get into the outlets and with them being on a circuit with GFCI protection if a heater breaks, the circuit goes off.