I’m curious about what might be causing this electrical issue and what I can do to rectify it. For the record, I’m not in any way, shape or form knowlegable about electrical matters, so apologies that these descriptions are hopelessly layman-esque.
In a three switch plate that controls one inside and two outside lights, I’ve installed identical timers for the outsides. This looks very much like the item. If not exact, it’s real close. There’s another couple still on a separate switch too. Of the three other timers, they all work perfectly and have for years. They stay set and keep perfect time. No problems whatsoever and they’ve never needed replacement.
For one particular timer in the 3 switch plate though, it constantly comes on and then goes off at a time earlier than when it’s set. I want it to come on at dusk and off at dawn and set it correctly but after some period of time, usually from a day to a week after setting it, it’ll start coming on earlier in the afternoon and will have turned itself off well before daylight. This has been going on for a couple of years now.
Figuring it was a defective switch, I replaced it. It started happening with the replacement, so I replaced it again. It’s happening with that replacement as well. If I change to another kind of timer I’ll have to replace them all to keep a consistent look. Even then there’s no guarantee the same thing wouldn’t happen.
So, in short, a timer model that works perfectly everywhere else in the house continually speeds up in one particular switch box. Could this be due to some kind of a surge or fluctuation? If so, is there a way to measure such? Is it possible to prevent this from happening?
Sounds like that circuit is being controlled by another switch, and the timer is being shut off periodically, which makes it lose time. If it was shut off for just under 24 hours, it would cause the lights to come on too early.
You’re right, there is another switch to that light but it’s out in the garage and I’ve put a piece of tape over it to insure it’s never used. That tape has been there uninterrupted for quite some time, since back before the issue developed.
What is it controlling? Is it under a significant load when it is ‘on’ ? If it is under too much load (beyond its design), maybe its performance is boosted by too much current??? Maybe it requires a minimum draw?
I tried to find a matching photovoltaic fixture but to no avail. There’s not a great deal of room within the fixture, not enough to insert a photocell and still have the bulb fit. It’s a 40 watt bulb. It is a compact, twisted low energy bulb and, come to think of it, I wonder if the problems didn’t start around the same time I switched from conventional to low energy. Do timers have a problem with the new bulbs?
Here’s the exact one. It says it does have a Triac switch. Good call.
I believe I’ll try a conventional bulb and see if it then works as instructed. All the other lights the timers were regulating were conventional bulbs. Many thanks as there were additional things about the plate that made replacing these timers a real pain. Gracias!
