GrOwThMoNgeR
Well-Known Member
I've noticed the same thing but it doesn't mess up the light cycle and the plant still sleeps. No probs.
LED Lights Staying Slightly Lit When Timer Switches Off!!!
- Thread starter yaunch77
- Start date
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Another thing that causes this: live and neutral being the wrong way around on your ac side. If the relay is cutting the neutral side instead of the live side then sometimes you can have this current bleeding. Depending where youre from and what your pluggs look like it could be as easy as just rotating your timer 180°. This to the best of my knowledge.
Whenever you have this low power glow wiith leds the problem is always going to be on the ac side.
SmokeyBear77
Member
I can't speak for the others, but I have a power sytip with a built in mechanical timer so you cannot reverse anything. I have this one:
Brinks 42-1076 8 Outlet Power Strip with Analog Timer - - Amazon.com
Brinks 42-1076 8 Outlet Power Strip with Analog Timer - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
That's not gonna help if your wall outlet is wired backwards.
The current doesn't bleed from one side to the other, air and plastic are insulators.
SmokeyBear77
Member
Uts not the wall outlet. If I plug it in the wall it works fine. I will keep you guys posted once I buy a single outlet timer. The problem is power is still running through the power strip and it should be disabled.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
You don't know it's not the wall outlet until you test the outlet with a simple $5 outlet tester. If it's wired backwards it will function fine, until you add a single pole switch (ie: your timer) between the wall and the fixture.
GBAUTO
Well-Known Member
Or...
You COULD turn off the breaker for that outlet, remove the cover plate and mounting screws for the outlet, disconnect the reversed neutral and line wires and attach them to the CORRECT terminals on the outlet.
Done.
SmokeyBear77
Member
I bought a $5 single receptacle timer and plugged my LED lights in and set the timer. The light turned off and no more glowing LEDs. Problem solved. Now I have to return the timer power strip back to Amazon.
Henchman2one
Active Member
@SmokeyBear77
Was the new timer 2 prong or 3?
Pretty sure your light is partially shorting through ground.
The timer cut juice @ L:
Sometimes there is a small voltage between N & Gnd. This is due to high currents within the branch and/or a long return path to the breaker. In this instance, if the Live pole was cut, you can still get low voltage AC between N & Gnd. The only way the light would "glow" in this case (Live pole cut), is if there was conduction between N & Gnd (device shorting out), or if the timer switch was leaking.
This is the least likely case for the glow though, because at low V (N might be 1-2V max compared to ground, most times it's only 10s or 100s of mV's, ie not even 1V) your short would have to be fairly substantial to flow enough power to "glow" the LEDs, and when the device were on and given this low resistance short, the resulting current would most likely trip your breaker when L was (-Vmax).
The timer cut juice @ N:
If your light is still glowing but the timer switch cut power to N, then the only way for the current to complete a circuit is from L to Gnd, and that only happens if your light is shorting to Gnd. If your timer switch was leaking, then you'd also see a glow.
Test it:
Easy way to tell if its your light shorting, or the timer ON/OFF switch leaking, is to throw a 2 prong to 3 prong adapter between your timer strip and your light, or between the timer strip and the wall. With the adapter being used there's literally no way the device could short to Gnd because it's been physically removed by the adapter. If your light still glows with the adapter being used then, yes, it is your timer strip, but if your light stops glowing with the adapter, then its your light that is partially shorting to Gnd, and the timer strip is in fact good.
Was the new timer 2 prong or 3?
Pretty sure your light is partially shorting through ground.
The timer cut juice @ L:
Sometimes there is a small voltage between N & Gnd. This is due to high currents within the branch and/or a long return path to the breaker. In this instance, if the Live pole was cut, you can still get low voltage AC between N & Gnd. The only way the light would "glow" in this case (Live pole cut), is if there was conduction between N & Gnd (device shorting out), or if the timer switch was leaking.
This is the least likely case for the glow though, because at low V (N might be 1-2V max compared to ground, most times it's only 10s or 100s of mV's, ie not even 1V) your short would have to be fairly substantial to flow enough power to "glow" the LEDs, and when the device were on and given this low resistance short, the resulting current would most likely trip your breaker when L was (-Vmax).
The timer cut juice @ N:
If your light is still glowing but the timer switch cut power to N, then the only way for the current to complete a circuit is from L to Gnd, and that only happens if your light is shorting to Gnd. If your timer switch was leaking, then you'd also see a glow.
Test it:
Easy way to tell if its your light shorting, or the timer ON/OFF switch leaking, is to throw a 2 prong to 3 prong adapter between your timer strip and your light, or between the timer strip and the wall. With the adapter being used there's literally no way the device could short to Gnd because it's been physically removed by the adapter. If your light still glows with the adapter being used then, yes, it is your timer strip, but if your light stops glowing with the adapter, then its your light that is partially shorting to Gnd, and the timer strip is in fact good.
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Henchman2one
Active Member
Pretty sure your light is shorting through Gnd.
I just tried to edit my comment and lost it somehow, but long story short is that I only see 3 ways the light can glow when timer is off.
- Shorting from L to Gnd when power at N is cut
- Shorting from N to Gnd when power at L is cut (unlikely)
- Timer switch is leaky or shorting
Use a 2 prong to 3 prong adapter between your timer strip and light, or between your timer strip and wall. If your light still glows when you're using the adapter, then its the timer strip. If the light stops glowing with the adapter then your light is partially shorting through Gnd.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
How would this be possible?
Henchman2one
Active Member
Generic schem showing partial short to Gnd
Current pathway when Vn>Vgnd, causing glow (coulda shown it coming through the xfmr too, but you get the point)
In this example, only when Vn > Vgnd, or when Live is +, will current flow in the path that will cause the LEDs to "glow," if L is -, then Gnd becomes positive to N and the current takes a different pathway, one that results in no "glow."
Current pathway when Vgnd > Vn, shorting but not causing glow
If it's a low enough Ω short to power the load with a glow at minimal input V, then when L is closed and the device is presented with full mains V, the short will probably blow a breaker. This is why I was saying its unlikely. Its probably either a higher Ω short, or at least not a full blown short, or could be a low Ω timer switch too. That's my take. Who knows lol
Edit-
That's just 1 scenario, he could be shorting from the body to a different part of the circuit too, like on the top rail, then you'd have slightly different operation ect
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LEDGROWSHOP.CO.UK
Member
Dangerous wiring as said.
Neutral must be bonded to Earth so that its always at ground / "zero" potential.
If you switch neutral, the neutral can become live/hot
Had a customer try to return an old light that was absolutely fine.
Neutral must be bonded to Earth so that its always at ground / "zero" potential.
If you switch neutral, the neutral can become live/hot
Had a customer try to return an old light that was absolutely fine.
Buy one of these and stop guessing! ^^^^Something like this will find the issue.
Klein Tools Receptacle Tester RT110 - The Home Depot
Klein Tools RT110 Receptacle Tester detects the most common wiring problems in standard receptacles. Conditions indicated: wiring correct, open ground, reverse electrical outlet, open hot, open neutral,www.homedepot.com
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
This happens when live and neutral are switched somewhere in the installation: the relay that stops current is on the neutral side and not the live side which means some current creeps thru and powers the driver very softly. The solution mentioned above lets you reverse your plug which solves the issue, but it looks like youre going to lose ground connection.
This is easier to do with a euro plug, they have completely reversible
This is easier to do with a euro plug, they have completely reversible
strainguy
Well-Known Member
I had this problem some time ago when i was using cheap led fixture bought from amazon. After a really long time of research, I was convinced that it was not because of the ground or any similar thing, it was just because of cheap components used to make LEDs. Later on I noticed the same thing on stationary led lights that i use in construction sites, it was cheap and did the same. Last 2 rounds in growing i use nokatech 660w led and no such problem. I really recommend growers who think that buying cheap leds from Alibaba and elsewhere better change to good quality ones, now there are many companies that sell good leds for decent prices. And yes, all of them making leds in same china, but undert the brand names they use better quality materials so you get better product for little bit higher price. Thats really worth it.
strainguy
Well-Known Member
Basically you can find all the shelves the same of many brands, but there is one but, what leds use and what drivers use. Factories from china when they put their own brand on alibaba they put the cheapest components inside, so you might think its the same, but its not, because those companies invest big amounts for orders they are let to change the inside as you wish. So thats what I wanted to say. I did big research on this and spend quite amount of time and believe me, its not the same if you think you will order from alibaba and get the same product. Many things goes behind the curtains. I will never go back buying little bit cheaper from alibaba when buying from company where i atleast can go back with warranty.That company your boasting about gets their lights from Alibaba. Like the kettle calling the pot black here.
Simplex PRO-FIT
The Simplex PRO-FIT is a high-performance, high-efficiency full-spectrum LED grow light designed for any scale of indoor cultivation.nokatechs.co.uk
Same same.
Have fun...
Cheers.