Mechanical outlet timers can save you a lot of money in the long run and can also save your home. Ensure your lawn stays green and your meal stays warm when you return home from work.
It’s a truly remarkable and convenient tool to have but that does not mean it does not have any issues associated with it. For instance, they are not the most accurate and people often ask do mechanical outlet timers make noise when they are operating.
The answer is yes, they do make subtle noise because they use analog technology with lots of gears and components. The noise is much more noticeable at night. That is why it’s not recommended to use mechanical outlet timers near where you sleep.
In this article, we will discuss why mechanical outlet timers make noise and get you a better and bigger picture of what happens behind the scenes of mechanical outlet timers and also why they are so notorious for making ticking sounds.
Do Mechanical Outlet Timers Make Noise?
The main reason why mechanical outlet timers make noise is simple. They use analog technology which was once the pinnacle of what science could offer but we have come a long way since then.
The modern problem requires a modern solution. Those wheels and gear that are used in mechanical outlet timers produce subtle noise which can be pretty noticeable at night making mechanical outlet timers not suitable to be used near where you sleep.
Here are the things that cause mechanical outlet timers to make subtle noises.
1. Gears
Analog mechanisms can’t be complete without having gears. They play an essential role in the internal workings of mechanical outlet timers. They are everywhere in an outlet timer.
Even the interval clock of the outlet timers consists of tiny gears when working in sync with electromagnets to make the device work. When a lot of gears are turning at the same time there are bound to be some subtle noise.
Sometimes the teeth on those gear get damaged which makes the problem worse and makes the mechanical outlet timer even noisier.
2. Internal clock/ electromagnets
Electromagnets are magnets that turn on when you pass current through them. Combine these electromagnets with some clever engineering and you got yourself a motor that spins a wheel that closely follows the time on the clock.
This electromagnetic motor then acts as the internal clock of the mechanical outlet timer. It’s the same mechanism in the clock that hangs on the walls of our homes.
Now the noise mainly comes when the internal clock is active with wheels spinning. The internal clock is directly attached to the gears and when all of the clocks and gears turn simultaneously, they make constant but subtle ticking noises.
3. Springs
Some of the very old mechanical outlet timers used springs to store the energy and even the modern mechanical outlet timers still uses spring in some form.
In modern mechanical outlet timers, the springs are mainly used when a circuit opens and closes. In the world of electronics, open circuits mean the current through the circuit is not flowing, and closed means the current is flowing.
By using a spring the opening and closing times of the mechanical timer are greatly improved and it also improves their accuracy but that also means when they operate they would make a ticking sound every time they open or close a circuit.
4. Contact points
Contact points where the circuit either opens or closes can also produce small sparking sounds because of the high voltage of the current. It’s very rare and makes a consistent ticking noise.
It is barely noticeable because it happens only when the appliance is turned on or off. Current can pass through air when the contact points are close enough and the voltage is high enough.
5. Material of the outlet timer.
Using the right material in the construction of an outlet timer can have a huge impact on how much noise it creates. Outlet timers are made from plastic and the right type of plastic can greatly reduce the ticking sound created by mechanical outlet timers.
Using normal plastic makes the product a lot more affordable and possibly durable but they are not very soundproof and using soundproof plastic in outlet timers makes the timer expensive.
Some of the noise does seep out when the device is running. So having an outlet timer with less soundproof plastic is also the reason why they are noisy.
Why Do Mechanical Outlet Timers Make Noise?
Mechanical outlet timers are a complicated combination of gears, wheels, and springs along with electronic magnets. These components all work in harmony with each other to make sure the device is working properly.
If any one of those components stops working it would render the timer useless and when they do work in harmony all the gears and wheels are moving creating subtle ticking noises.
Here are some of the things that might be happening if your outlet timer is making exceptionally loud noises.
1. Broken gears
If your mechanical outlet timer is making exceptionally loud noises then it’s highly likely that the gears that are used in the outlet timer are broken or out of place. In this case, you need to replace it.
The gears grind over each other making a cracking noise which can be a bit worrying if you are someone like me and don’t like the unusual sounds when they are coming out of appliances.
2. Malfunction
The mechanical outlet timer has a lot going on under the hood and every part of the system is deeply connected so if one part breaks it would heavily affect the performance of the other.
Having a defect of any sort is not good. It would create noise in the outlet timer. Sometimes even brand new mechanical outlet timers can have factory defects.
3. Defective clock
Every outlet timer comes with an internal clock which keeps everything on schedule. Sometimes the gears used in that clock get damaged or eroded due to friction over a long period.
The electrogenic used in these devices that rotate the wheels can also get damaged or out of place causing the wheel to spin abnormally which can cause additional noise.
Conclusion
To wrap the article let’s talk about what we discussed above. Mechanical outlet timers make noise because they use analog technology with various gears and wheels working together.
Several factors make mechanical outlet timers noisy. Some of those factors are the gears, the internal clock or the electromagnetic motor, the springs used inside, contact points, and also not using soundproof material.
The gear and internal clock of the outlet timer work in harmony along with the springs and contact point. When all the gears along with the internal clock rotate they create subtle ticking sounds.
When the voltage is high enough and the contact points are close enough they create small electronic arcs which can make clicking noises. Combine those sounds with a less soundproof material you get a noisy mechanical outlet timer.
Make sure you don’t use it near where you sleep. Some of the customers do complain about it because they used it on their lamps. The subtle noise becomes pretty noticeable at night when there is no background noise to mask the noise of the outlet timer.
And that is why mechanical outlet timers are noisy. I hope you enjoyed the article and make sure you stick around for more helpful full content like this.
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