I currently have six Intermatic SS7(c) electronic light switch timers
installed in a house. In the years since they were installed, I have
had four failures requiring replacement.

In the troubleshooting information (as well in some topics in here),
this problem is usually connected with cold temperatures. I live in an
area which basically never goes below freezing, and the majority of the
timers are inside the heated home, anyway. The one unheated switch, in
a garage, has yet to fail.

I contacted Intermatic, and they told me this is a known issue, they
are redesigning the SS7's and SS8's, and they're due out in March or
April.

I decided to try someone new, and found Aube Technologies. The prices
are comparable to Intermatics, and while I haven't found a local dealer
yet, I have found an internet supplier (http://www.atlantasupply.com)
which will ship these for free.

Has anyone had experience with Aube switches? Are they reliable? I am
looking at the T1034, which has a solar timetable, but I imagine
feedback on the regular, T1032 timer would be helpful as well.

While I probably won't go back to Intermatic again, I am looking at the
EJ500, which the Intermatic rep told me does not have the flaw of the
SS7/8's. Any experience with these would be nice, too.

Thanks for your input. Any other recommendations are welcome, too.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I currently have six Intermatic SS7(c) electronic light switch timers
installed in a house. In the years since they were installed, I have
had four failures requiring replacement.

In the troubleshooting information (as well in some topics in here),
this problem is usually connected with cold temperatures. I live in an
area which basically never goes below freezing, and the majority of the
timers are inside the heated home, anyway. The one unheated switch, in
a garage, has yet to fail.

I contacted Intermatic, and they told me this is a known issue, they
are redesigning the SS7's and SS8's, and they're due out in March or
April.

Were any of these timers used with compact fluorescents?

No, incandescents only. Why?

wrote in message
oups.com...
No, incandescents only. Why?


Some Intermatic timers specifically say they can't be used with CF bulbs.
Even so, I bought one which was supposed to be compatible, but 3 of them
fried over a period of 6 months. Intermatic said "not ready until...", and
the "until" kept moving from September to December to ......oblivion. Some
of their units also say they must run with a minimum of a 40 watt standard
bulb, or the world will end.

Doug Kanter wrote:

... or the world will end.


Haha

wrote in message
oups.com...

Doug Kanter wrote:

... or the world will end.


Haha


Well anyway...I need to control a compact fluorescent, and now that fishing
season's over and I'm bored, I'm prepared to go through a horror of running
a wire from the first floor porch light switch down into the basement, and
installing one of those mechanical timers in a grey metal box. Those things
don't fail.

"Christian Fox" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
Some Intermatic timers specifically say they can't be used with CF bulbs.
Even so, I bought one which was supposed to be compatible, but 3 of them
fried over a period of 6 months. Intermatic said "not ready until...", and
the "until" kept moving from September to December to ......oblivion.

Hmm... I'm planning on getting one of their SS8 timers to control three
compact
fluorescents. Is this the model you had? If so, did Intermatic at least
offer a
replacement?

Just found the instruction sheet - it *is* the SS8. Keep something in mind,
though: Intermatic did NOT say these failed because of being used with CF
bulbs - they said it was a design problem involving the tiny mechanical
switch inside. (When it switches off & on, you hear a "zzzzt" sort of
noise - not sure of what's really going on inside).

Lowe's replaced the first one at no charge. The second & third time, I
called Intermatic and they explained the situation, finally sending me
another model which is NOT designed for CF bulbs. If I were you, I'd call
them before wasting a trip to the store and the time it takes to install
them. By the way, they were VERY cooperative.

Phone: 815-675-7000

wrote in message
ups.com...
I currently have six Intermatic SS7(c) electronic light switch timers
installed in a house. In the years since they were installed, I have
had four failures requiring replacement.

In the troubleshooting information (as well in some topics in here),
this problem is usually connected with cold temperatures. I live in an
area which basically never goes below freezing, and the majority of the
timers are inside the heated home, anyway. The one unheated switch, in
a garage, has yet to fail.

I contacted Intermatic, and they told me this is a known issue, they
are redesigning the SS7's and SS8's, and they're due out in March or
April.

I decided to try someone new, and found Aube Technologies. The prices
are comparable to Intermatics, and while I haven't found a local dealer
yet, I have found an internet supplier (http://www.atlantasupply.com)
which will ship these for free.

Has anyone had experience with Aube switches? Are they reliable? I am
looking at the T1034, which has a solar timetable, but I imagine
feedback on the regular, T1032 timer would be helpful as well.

While I probably won't go back to Intermatic again, I am looking at the
EJ500, which the Intermatic rep told me does not have the flaw of the
SS7/8's. Any experience with these would be nice, too.

Thanks for your input. Any other recommendations are welcome, too.


Just wondering, do you have any voltage flickering issues in your area?
I have never used these timers so I am in the outfeild with a WAG.
As electronics have progressed, gotten cheaper. The parts are made to
tighter tolerances.
Voltage fluctuations and poor grounding have been the bane of the industry
for a long time.
I lost a garage door opener cause of a voltage flicker issue. I since
installed a surge arrestor at my electrical panel. Nope I am not saying that
this is your problem.
Stray voltages do have an effect on electronics.
I have ordered from Atlanta Supply and was please with the response I got.
Sorry no experience with problems and Atlanta Supply.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I currently have six Intermatic SS7(c) electronic light switch timers
installed in a house. In the years since they were installed, I have
had four failures requiring replacement.

In the troubleshooting information (as well in some topics in here),
this problem is usually connected with cold temperatures. I live in an
area which basically never goes below freezing, and the majority of the
timers are inside the heated home, anyway. The one unheated switch, in
a garage, has yet to fail.

I contacted Intermatic, and they told me this is a known issue, they
are redesigning the SS7's and SS8's, and they're due out in March or
April.

I decided to try someone new, and found Aube Technologies. The prices
are comparable to Intermatics, and while I haven't found a local dealer
yet, I have found an internet supplier (http://www.atlantasupply.com)
which will ship these for free.

Has anyone had experience with Aube switches? Are they reliable? I am
looking at the T1034, which has a solar timetable, but I imagine
feedback on the regular, T1032 timer would be helpful as well.

While I probably won't go back to Intermatic again, I am looking at the
EJ500, which the Intermatic rep told me does not have the flaw of the
SS7/8's. Any experience with these would be nice, too.

Thanks for your input. Any other recommendations are welcome, too.


I have to intermatic ones and I will not replace them with intermatic. They
failed shortly after they were installed for no apparant reason other than
poor design/assembly.

Let the group know if the other brand works.

Rich

"Christian Fox" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
Just found the instruction sheet - it *is* the SS8. Keep something in
mind,
though: Intermatic did NOT say these failed because of being used with CF
bulbs - they said it was a design problem involving the tiny mechanical
switch inside. (When it switches off & on, you hear a "zzzzt" sort of
noise - not sure of what's really going on inside).

Interesting - I managed to dig up a web page talking about this problem:

http://www.fifengr.com/intermatic/

Lowe's replaced the first one at no charge. The second & third time, I
called Intermatic and they explained the situation, finally sending me
another model which is NOT designed for CF bulbs.

Why didn't they send you the same model (one that works, of course)? What
did they tell
you when they explained the problem? ETA for a fix?

If I were you, I'd call
them before wasting a trip to the store and the time it takes to install
them. By the way, they were VERY cooperative.

I'm not sure if calling in advance is going to help - the timers are
designed to work
with CF bulbs, but my concern is whether the timer will be reliable. I
guess it's good
that there's a warranty. How willing was Intermatic to send you a
replacement (did you
have to argue with them, provide a receipt along with a blood sample,
etc.)?

Sorry - I wasn't clear about this. They sent me a total of two identical
units at no charge, and, by the way, they didn't ask me to return the bad
ones. They sent the same ones because I preferred NOT to go back to using an
incandescent bulb, and the person I spoke with figured that popping in new
ones might buy me some time until they figured out their problem. She said
the ones they were sending would very likely die like the earlier ones.

Thinking all this through, it means I went through 4 units. 1 purchased, 1
replaced by Lowe's, 2 replaced by Intermatic. The fiasco began in early
2005. Suggested ETA for a fix was September. But by then, they had sent me a
different model, and I'd gone back to incandescent.

I finally asked for a different unit because my wires were getting shorter
and shorter. The timers come with stranded wire. I will not use wire nuts to
attach stranded to solid - just crimps.

Thanks for the input everyone. That's an interesting URL from
Christian. Maybe if this was my first failure, I'd try that repair
(usually I love that sort of thing), but at this point, I'm so sick of
the whole thing, I don't want to deal with them anymore.

I have always had a replacement provided to me when I took the failed
ones back to the electrical shop where I bought them, and they were
pretty nice about it, once I went through the "Are you sure you're not
doing this wrong, Miss?" battery of questions. On this last one, I am
past the one year warranty, so I'm not sure how they'd handle it.

My experience with Intermatic customer service has been very good, and
they'd probably be happy to give me a new one. But, like I said, I'm
ready to move on. This is in my employer's house, and every time one
of these fails, I have to make a special trip out there to fix it, and
I'm sure he's thinking to himself that there must be a better solution
that I just haven't found....

No experiences with Aube or the IM EJ500? Bummer. Guess I'll have to
be the guinea pig.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the input everyone. That's an interesting URL from
Christian. Maybe if this was my first failure, I'd try that repair
(usually I love that sort of thing), but at this point, I'm so sick of
the whole thing, I don't want to deal with them anymore.

Seriously, if any of the applications are in a place where you can install
an old style mechanical Intermatic timer (grey metal box), perhaps in the
cellar. Do it. Absolutely trouble free, no batteries, no nonsense.

Oh, I guess I should mention there are a couple of other comanies
making similar switches.

I found them in this thread, which brought me to this forum in the
first place.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.h...da96b689931c2d

The links for the switches are

http://www.grasslin.com/pdf/et724.pdf
http://www.smarthomepro.com/1122.html

The Grasslin one appears to be the same as the Aube. The Leviton I've
seen, but I really don't like the interface. Thought someone looking
here might find these useful, though.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Oh, I guess I should mention there are a couple of other comanies
making similar switches.

I found them in this thread, which brought me to this forum in the
first place.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.h...da96b689931c2d

The links for the switches are

http://www.grasslin.com/pdf/et724.pdf
http://www.smarthomepro.com/1122.html

The Grasslin one appears to be the same as the Aube. The Leviton I've
seen, but I really don't like the interface. Thought someone looking
here might find these useful, though.


Gotta be careful, though. Some of these little toys lose their program if
there's a power failure. Some even become stupid if the light bulb burns
out. Unbelievable. You might want to check the web sites for downloadable
instruction manuals before buying.

On 11-Nov-2005, wrote:

No experiences with Aube or the IM EJ500? Bummer.

I have used Aube, but my experience is limited to two
units and only for a relatively short time (I sold the
house I used them in). I had no problems with the units,
FWIW.

Mike

Doug Kanter wrote:

Seriously, if any of the applications are in a place where you can install
an old style mechanical Intermatic timer (grey metal box), perhaps in the
cellar. Do it. Absolutely trouble free, no batteries, no nonsense.

Well, I'm fed up, yes, but I haven't yet reached the point where I'm
willing to tackle the "horror" (as you put it) of wiring a new box.
And in this house, I won't even begin to tell you the horrors that that
would entail.

Doug Kanter wrote:

Gotta be careful, though. Some of these little toys lose their program if
there's a power failure. Some even become stupid if the light bulb burns
out. Unbelievable. You might want to check the web sites for downloadable
instruction manuals before buying.

Yeah, I always check manuals online before buying, now. Best way to
find out what you're gonna get. In fact, I just looked again at the
manual for the Aube unit, and was shocked to find this:

http://houseonhawthorne.com/TI034.jpg

Now, if the world ends, I'll know what probably caused it....

But seriously folks, thanks for the feedback on the switches. I may
try posting this in the alt.home.automation forum, as well. As for my
own experience, I've now decided to do my own testing. I just got the
Aube switch I ordered in the mail, Intermatic is sending me an EJ500 to
replace the failed SS7, and I'm going to try the repair recommended in
Christian's link. I'll install all three, and see how they do.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Doug Kanter wrote:

Seriously, if any of the applications are in a place where you can
install
an old style mechanical Intermatic timer (grey metal box), perhaps in the
cellar. Do it. Absolutely trouble free, no batteries, no nonsense.

Well, I'm fed up, yes, but I haven't yet reached the point where I'm
willing to tackle the "horror" (as you put it) of wiring a new box.
And in this house, I won't even begin to tell you the horrors that that
would entail.


Aw come on....just rip out a wall and get those wires in. You can do it. :-)
We'll all stop by and watch & drink beer, and offer suggestions.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Doug Kanter wrote:

Gotta be careful, though. Some of these little toys lose their program if
there's a power failure. Some even become stupid if the light bulb burns
out. Unbelievable. You might want to check the web sites for downloadable
instruction manuals before buying.

Yeah, I always check manuals online before buying, now. Best way to
find out what you're gonna get. In fact, I just looked again at the
manual for the Aube unit, and was shocked to find this:

http://houseonhawthorne.com/TI034.jpg

Now, if the world ends, I'll know what probably caused it....

I love it! :-)

Doug Kanter wrote:

Aw come on....just rip out a wall and get those wires in. You can do it. :-)
We'll all stop by and watch & drink beer, and offer suggestions.

Aw, come on.... stop treating me like a baby girl. We're talking about
six different walls, in six different locations, spread throughout a
6000sf house (which isn't mine). To top it off, these walls are covered
in a textured Venetian sand/plaster mix that is basically impossible to
patch without looking extremely obvious. This is a place where even
pros fear to tread, and while that doesn't always stop me (I'm prone to
biting off more than I can chew) I know better than to mess with this
one.

Besides all that, a mechanical timer won't solve the problem I have now
of having to reprogram all of the timers every month or two as the
sunset/sunrise changes. Solar timetable all the way for me!

Oh, btw - I emailed Aube to ask if the T1034 is compatible with compact
fluorescents. Got a response today in which the rep (emailing from
Honywell... interesting) said to check with the bulb manufacturer and
ask if their bulbs work with timers (uh...). He/she also recommended
the T1035A (higher max wattage), claiming it was compatible, but
warning that a neutral wire in the box is absolutely necessary. I'm
not posistive this person knew what they were talking about, but I
thought it might be lead for you.

Hmm... didn't mean to sound so grouchy there.... :P

wrote in message
oups.com...
Doug Kanter wrote:

Aw come on....just rip out a wall and get those wires in. You can do it.
:-)
We'll all stop by and watch & drink beer, and offer suggestions.

Aw, come on.... stop treating me like a baby girl. We're talking about
six different walls, in six different locations, spread throughout a
6000sf house (which isn't mine).


To top it off, these walls are covered
in a textured Venetian sand/plaster mix that is basically impossible to
patch without looking extremely obvious. This is a place where even
pros fear to tread, and while that doesn't always stop me (I'm prone to
biting off more than I can chew) I know better than to mess with this
one.

Etch an outline in the plaster very carefully with a tiny Dremel bit, all
the way down to the lath, then have your way with it inside the outline. No
guts, no glory!



Besides all that, a mechanical timer won't solve the problem I have now
of having to reprogram all of the timers every month or two as the
sunset/sunrise changes. Solar timetable all the way for me!

Oh for heaven's sake....put down the remote control and the Bon Bons!



Oh, btw - I emailed Aube to ask if the T1034 is compatible with compact
fluorescents. Got a response today in which the rep (emailing from
Honywell... interesting) said to check with the bulb manufacturer and
ask if their bulbs work with timers (uh...). He/she also recommended
the T1035A (higher max wattage), claiming it was compatible, but
warning that a neutral wire in the box is absolutely necessary. I'm
not posistive this person knew what they were talking about, but I
thought it might be lead for you.


Ask if their bulbs were compatible with timers. Right. There should be a
hall of shame web site for answers like that.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hmm... didn't mean to sound so grouchy there.... :P


Moon phases??? Quick! More ice cream!

On 14-Nov-2005, wrote:

He/she also recommended
the T1035A (higher max wattage), claiming it was compatible, but
warning that a neutral wire in the box is absolutely necessary. I'm
not posistive this person knew what they were talking about, but I
thought it might be lead for you.

That's the one I used. Yes, you have to have all three (hot, neutral
and ground) in the box - it isn't a simple two-contact switch. You
can't get it to work otherwise. I bought it because it could handle
flourescent lights (or motors etc) with high loads. He does know
what he's talking about.

Mike

I assumed the three-wire part was true. The part I'm iffy about is the
"check with the bulb manufacturer" bit, making me wonder what the real
story is on handling *compact* fluorescents. (I already knew about
regular fluorescents, which the T1034 is capable of handling as well.)

However, when I went to install the switch today, I noticed a blurb on
the back of the packaging which refers directly to compact
fluorescents, and answers my question better than the Aube rep:

"Total load must be at least 40W when using compact fluorescent lights.
For loads less than 40W use Aube's T1033 or T1035."

So there you go, Doug, or anyone else looking to use compact
fluorescents with one of these. If you've got 40 watts of CF bulbs
wired (quite a bit, I know), the T1034 (or T1032) will work.
Otherwise, you'll have to go with the T1033/5.

Since I'm using all incandescents, I easily surpass the min load, so
the T1034 is fine. The install today was uneventful. Programming
interface is okay, but I don't really like it as much as Intermatic's.
There are also fewer programming choices than you find with the
Intermatic, such as the "auto random" feature. On the plus side, the
unit is flush with the wall plate, and generally less conspicuous.
Still, I'd say that as a whole, I think I prefer the Intermatic so far,
aside from the whole, break-after-two-months issue.

As for whether the Aube will win out on that front, only time can
tell....

I've also had a lot of problems with these Intermatics. I have gone
through 3 different EJ351C's, an SS7, an SS8, and now I am on my
second SS8 unit. They last anywhere from 6 to 14 months, and then we
get the dreaded "No Op" failure error msg. I am getting really tired
of replacing these $&%#*@& switches.

On the other hand, it's great to know that others have had similar
problems. I was beginning to wonder if I did something wrong in the
installation or if there was something wrong with the building's
wiring.

Please let us know if someone finds a better replacement out there!

Thanks!

writes:
I currently have six Intermatic SS7(c) electronic light switch timers
installed in a house. In the years since they were installed, I have
had four failures requiring replacement.

In the troubleshooting information (as well in some topics in here),
this problem is usually connected with cold temperatures. I live in an
area which basically never goes below freezing, and the majority of the
timers are inside the heated home, anyway. The one unheated switch, in
a garage, has yet to fail.

I contacted Intermatic, and they told me this is a known issue, they
are redesigning the SS7's and SS8's, and they're due out in March or
April.

I decided to try someone new, and found Aube Technologies. The prices
are comparable to Intermatics, and while I haven't found a local dealer
yet, I have found an internet supplier (http://www.atlantasupply.com)
which will ship these for free.

Has anyone had experience with Aube switches? Are they reliable? I am
looking at the T1034, which has a solar timetable, but I imagine
feedback on the regular, T1032 timer would be helpful as well.

While I probably won't go back to Intermatic again, I am looking at the
EJ500, which the Intermatic rep told me does not have the flaw of the
SS7/8's. Any experience with these would be nice, too.

Thanks for your input. Any other recommendations are welcome, too.

I installed about 5 Aube 600W timers in my house.
I like them a lot better than the Intermatic for the following
reasons:
- They sit flush with the switch and look like regular Decora
switches (other than the LCD window) as opposed to the
Intermatics which stand quite proud and have a goofy clear
door and visible buttons

- They have a built-in rechargeable battery to hold time
during a power failure as opposed to the Intermatics which
require you to change the battery every year or so

writes:
Oh, btw - I emailed Aube to ask if the T1034 is compatible with compact
fluorescents. Got a response today in which the rep (emailing from
Honywell... interesting) said to check with the bulb manufacturer and
ask if their bulbs work with timers (uh...). He/she also recommended
the T1035A (higher max wattage), claiming it was compatible, but
warning that a neutral wire in the box is absolutely necessary. I'm
not posistive this person knew what they were talking about, but I
thought it might be lead for you.

I have been using the non-solar version with CF's and it works fine --
I had checked with Aube before to confirm.

I am using the TI035.

Christian Fox writes:
In article , says...
I have been using the non-solar version with CF's and it works fine --
I had checked with Aube before to confirm.

From Aube's FAQ (www.aubetech.com):

"Can compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) be used with Aube switches?
Aube's TI032-3W and TI034-3W have a 40 W minimum load-the total load when using low-watt
bulbs must be at least 40 W. For loads under 40 W, use Aube's TI033 or TI035."

I wasn't going to reply to this originally, because we're veering off
topic, but to explain a bit...

About the plaster wall, you've misunderstood. It's not an old
plaster-and-lathe wall, it's 10-year-old, regular sheet rock. The
problem is, on top of the sheet rock is a Venetian plaster finish--a
layer of colored plaster and sand--no paint. So whatever cuts are made
into the wall, this isn't just a spackle-and-paint job. This wall
texture, basically the real version or what many "faux" finishes are
meant to imitate, is not the easiest thing to apply in the first place,
but it is next to impossible to repair. Most professionals who
specialize in this type of finish won't even consider repairs--they
only redo entire rooms (and to the tune of thousand of dollars).

As for the solar timetable issue, remember this is not my house, and I
don't plan to work for these people forever. Asking them to change the
timers themselves is beyond their preferred level of involvement.

So, sorry for the thread-jack, there, but I couldn't help it. Now, to
finish things off, I'll ask for some off-topic help: if anyone knows of
a good Venetian plasterer in the San Francisco area who will do
repairs, send me a PM!

I wasn't going to reply to this originally, because we're veering off
topic, but to explain a bit...


About the plaster wall, you've misunderstood. It's not an old
plaster-and-lathe wall, it's 10-year-old, regular sheet rock. The
problem is, on top of the sheet rock is a Venetian plaster finish--a
layer of colored plaster and sand--no paint. So whatever cuts are made

into the wall, this isn't just a spackle-and-paint job. This wall
texture, basically the real version or what many "faux" finishes are
meant to imitate, is not the easiest thing to apply in the first place,

but it is next to impossible to repair. Most professionals who
specialize in this type of finish won't even consider repairs--they
only redo entire rooms (and to the tune of thousand of dollars).

As for the solar timetable issue, remember this is not my house, and I
don't plan to work for these people forever. Asking them to change the

timers themselves is beyond their preferred level of involvement.

So, sorry for the thread-jack, there, but I couldn't help myself. Now,
to
finish things off, I'll ask for some off-topic help: if anyone knows of

a good Venetian plasterer in the San Francisco area who will do
repairs, send me a PM!

I like the Aubes for the same reasons. I still like the interface and
the "auto random" feature on the Intermatics, though. After a few
weeks, my Aube is still going strong, but of course, that doesn't mean
much. The real test is for the long haul, and this thread will be
closed by then.

I also installed the Intermatic EJ500 (had them send me that instead of
a new SS7). It's a bigger unit, that doesn't fit so well in the
junction box, but it works. Flush to the wall, internal battery like
the Aube. Interface is not as nice as the SS7, comparable with the
Aube IMO.

So I now have 4 legacy SS7s, 1 Aube 1034, and 1 EJ500. The race is on!
Whichever timer dies last, wins!

On 9-Dec-2005, wrote:

As for the solar timetable issue, remember this is not my house, and I
don't plan to work for these people forever. Asking them to change the
timers themselves is beyond their preferred level of involvement.

Are people getting that stupid or lazy? If they pay me $5,000 per visit
plus transportation, I'll come change the timers for them every time they
want. That will relieve them of this horrible burden.

Sheeesh!

Mike

"Michael Daly" wrote in message
...

On 9-Dec-2005, wrote:

As for the solar timetable issue, remember this is not my house, and I
don't plan to work for these people forever. Asking them to change the
timers themselves is beyond their preferred level of involvement.

Are people getting that stupid or lazy? If they pay me $5,000 per visit
plus transportation, I'll come change the timers for them every time they
want. That will relieve them of this horrible burden.

Sheeesh!

Mike

It's a lotta work, Mike. Hard work. Lotta work. And, if you had to use a
toothpick to push the tiny buttons on those timers, you could poke your eye
out.