Quantum board led still on with timer off

Laux

Member
Hi guys,
Here's the problem: I got a brand new qb 120w working really fine, but when the timer switches off, it still makes a very small light.
When I pull the plug, the light turns off immediately. The problem appears anyway with 3 different timers, 2 analogs and 1 digital.
It's so impercettible light that the light meter can't even misure it, but I don't know how the plant would react, so I need to solve this.
Does anyone know what to do? I tried 2 timer in series and the problem still shows. It shows with a power strip in the middle either.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Let me ask you this, does a power strip kill the light completely if you flip the switch off?
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
All of this assumes north american wiring.

If flipping the power strip off doesn't turn off the light 100% then I think you have voltage coming off the neutral, with potential to ground. This commonly happens with a loaded circuit, in the neighborhood of 2 - 3 volts. If you have a meter, go to the wall receptacle and measure with one probe in the ground and the other in the neutral side (bigger slot). The small slot should read 120 ish, the bigger slot should measure 0, but sometimes you can have voltage on the neutral, especially with older houses, loaded circuits and shitty wiring.

A band aid solution would be a DPST mechanical timer and switching both the neutral and the hot side.
 

Laux

Member
All of this assumes north american wiring.

If flipping the power strip off doesn't turn off the light 100% then I think you have voltage coming off the neutral, with potential to ground. This commonly happens with a loaded circuit, in the neighborhood of 2 - 3 volts. If you have a meter, go to the wall receptacle and measure with one probe in the ground and the other in the neutral side (bigger slot). The small slot should read 120 ish, the bigger slot should measure 0, but sometimes you can have voltage on the neutral, especially with older houses, loaded circuits and shitty wiring.

A band aid solution would be a DPST mechanical timer and switching both the neutral and the hot side.
Thank you for your answer!!
I think I solved the problem. My plug is a EU plug and I solved the problem just flipping the timer upside down. I don't really know why, but changing the poles of the plug worked for me. I'm still wondering why this happens, and it works with all the 3 timers.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your answer!!
I think I solved the problem. My plug is a EU plug and I solved the problem just flipping the timer upside down. I don't really know why, but changing the poles of the plug worked for me. I'm still wondering why this happens, and it works with all the 3 timers.
Well I am not very familiar with EU wiring but it could be that the neutral and hot are reversed in your homes wiring. Not a good thing, something to be looked into. Here we have cheap little receptacle testers that will verify if the receptacle is wired correctly. I think this is a UK equivalent.

 

Gorillaglue4u

Well-Known Member
Mine do that as well im on 220v they told me it was because i needed a dual pole timer not the cheap 20 dollar one i use.
 
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