need timer for tennis lights

[bob]

Our club's tennis lights have 60 minute wind up timers to turn on the lights. When you want to turn the lights on you wind the timer to say 60 minutes & then the lights will come on & be bright enough in around 5 minutes. If you want to play more than 60 minutes you have rewind the timer before the time expires. If the timer expires it will take around 20 minutes to re-light them because of the light ballast.

The timer is in a metal box attached to the light pole. The power goes into the bottom of the box and out the top to the lights.

Some of our players continually over wind the timer & the spring in the timer gets screwed up & the timer performs unpredictably. Please note we live in a senior community which may explain the inability to use a simple timer without breaking it.

Can anyone recommend a digital timer with led readouts that would work with tennis lights? I saw a timer at a club years ago that had a large red light that would flash when only five minutes were lest on the timer. Something like this would be perfect.

If I can't find a workable digital timer I may to replace the 60 minute timer with a 2 hour wind up one like this one:

http://www.grainger.com/product/INTERMATIC-Timer-3FXC4?nls=1&searchQuery=3FXC4

With a 2 hour timer maybe most players will just wind it once & not over wind it.

Please note that our courts are locked & only members have the combo. Also, they don't get used that heavily at night.

Thanks!

 

[TorontoTennis]

As far as I know, 3 parameters define what timer switch can be used with a light. The type of light being controlled, ie incandescent, LED, CFL, Halogen etc., the input voltage and the electrical load. LED's do require a timer switch that can handle an LED load. Not all timer switches can.

I would assume the input load is 115-125V but you want to make sure. You also need to determine the total load. I know they are LEDs which are are low wattage but they are illuminating a tennis court and therefore they might be high wattage even for LEDs and there are probably many of them. All you have to do is determine the bulb wattage and count the bulbs. Also, club management should have maintenance people that know. That, of course, begs the question why you aren't having club management handle all of this or are you part of club management?

As for that timer you posted the link to, it can control, at 125V, an inductive load of 10 amps and a resistive load of 7 amps. An LED is an inductive load while traditional light bulbs are resistive loads, but you really want to make sure that timer can indeed control LEDs as such switches (called LED drivers) typically specifically state that they can control LED lights.

I would just call the Intermatic's tech or pre-sale support line and ask what digital timer switches they have that control LED lights for 2 hrs + and if they have any with a user selectable time left warning light option.

But, here's what I found by simply googling 'digital led countdown timer switch'. It specifically mentions that LED light bulbs can be controlled. It also has convenient push buttons for different time delays, including one for 2 hours. Much better than a rotary knob that you might not turn far enough or too far. Its only 6 amp which translates into 6 x 120 = 720 watt load that can be controlled (and one should always apply a 20% safety factor so maybe 580 watts. I am sure if you research more you could find one that controls a higher load. Again, just call GE. Leviton is another switch manufacturer.

http://www.amazon.com/GE-Button-Digital-In-Wall-Countdown/dp/B007BJULYS

 

[bob]

Toronto Tennis,

Since my original post I have been searching the web for timer info & found the Intermatic site. I will try to call them tomorrow.

I think a digital device where you could see the time remaining (and an easy way to add more time) would be good enough.

Thanks!

 

[colowhisper]

This may be irrelevant for your set up, but our club is setup with a timer to the electrical box,and then the lights are operated by manual switch. So players can turn on/off the lights as they wish, but if the lights are left on, then the timer will cut power to the box at 10 pm. The timer box is locked so you can't turn on the lights past the neighborhood "curfew" (for better or worse).

 

[bob]

"Also, club management should have maintenance people that know. That, of course, begs the question why you aren't having club management handle all of this or are you part of club management?"

I'm an owner living in a 55+ community that has 4 tennis courts. We have a contracted company that does the maintenance. I asked them a couple of times to replace or fix the switch. Their response was to "reset" the spring somehow & it broke again in a couple of days.

The quickest way to get it fixed would be to find a switch that works, buy it and then ask the maintenance guy to install it. We have a bunch of retired electricians living here that could ensure that we got the right switch and even install it if required.

If you left it up to the maintenance company to select a switch they would get the cheapest wind up switch possible. I'm leading the effort find the "right" switch.

Once we find a switch the home owners association (club management) will pay for it, or the Tennis Club members will pay for it, or our USTA team will pay for it.

 

[bob]

This may be irrelevant for your set up, but our club is setup with a timer to the electrical box,and then the lights are operated by manual switch. So players can turn on/off the lights as they wish, but if the lights are left on, then the timer will cut power to the box at 10 pm. The timer box is locked so you can't turn on the lights past the neighborhood "curfew" (for better or worse).

Something like this might work. However, we could probably save some electric use by using a timer instead of an on off switch.

 

[TorontoTennis]

Something like this might work. However, we could probably save some electric use by using a timer instead of an on off switch.

I agree, the timer is a better option as it will result in lower electrity usage.

I am curious though, these must be some honkin' large and high wattage LED bulbs to be able to light a tennis court or you must have a lot of them.

 

[bob]

I agree, the timer is a better option as it will result in lower electrity usage.

I am curious though, these must be some honkin' large and high wattage LED bulbs to be able to light a tennis court or you must have a lot of them.

I think you misunderstood me. The lights are "regular" tennis court lights not LED.

I was hoping to find a timer that would have a LED like display so you could see how much time was left.

BTW, I just checked & the existing wind up timers are made by Intermatic.

 

[TorontoTennis]

I think you misunderstood me. The lights are "regular" tennis court lights not LED.

I was hoping to find a timer that would have a LED like display so you could see how much time was left.

BTW, I just checked & the existing wind up timers are made by Intermatic.

Yes I did. My bad.

I am curious the wattage you need to control. That would be huge load for a tennis court if on a single timer switch.

 

[bob]

Yes I did. My bad.

I am curious the wattage you need to control. That would be huge load for a tennis court if on a single timer switch.

We have 4 courts... one timer for courts 1-2 & one timer for 3-4

 

[TorontoTennis]

We have 4 courts... one timer for courts 1-2 & one timer for 3-4

Yes but what is the wattage per timer?

 

[bob]

Yes but what is the wattage per timer?

I don't know. I'm getting an electrician to look at it.