itzjustinn
Member
something strange i found, anyone have any idea why my leds are flickering when i turn my main pump on and off?
everything is plugged in the same outlet.
everything is plugged in the same outlet.
Steve's LEDs
- Thread starter goma
- Start date
Try moving the plug to the power supply to another outlet.
I had mine up higher but found corals seem to like them better lower. I have my whites at 56% and my blues at 61% from 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM with a two hour fade in and 2 hour fade out.
Newjack
Member
are they flickering on and off completely or just like a dim flicker?
Any drastic increase (And going from Fluorescent to LED is drastic) can have dramatic effect on many coral and Euphyllia is one that often don't tolerate the abrupt change well. On the flip side other than Brown Jelly Disease they tend to be very resilient and bounce back more often than not.
When I add LED to a tank I start VERY low (possibly too low but I've lost SPS and LPS by NOT starting low so I err on the side of caution). I start around 10% and increase by 5% per week until I feel like the tank looks similar to how it did before the upgrade (in terms of Polyp Extension and over all coral appearance). My home tank is sitting between 70% and 80% and my office tank is sitting around 60% and I doubt either will be going any higher.
itzjustinn
Member
Newjack
Member
ok if its only doing that when the pump is running then something is overloaded weather its a surf protector or splitter or extention cord or hopefully not but could be the breaker. Can you list everything that is comming out of the plug from power strips to splitters pump lights and how many please. Even a pic of the wires would help and I could tell you exacly what is causing it.
itzjustinn
Member
i probably have too much stuff on the outlet now that i think about it. tank and entertainment center are on the same outlet 
for the tank, i have steves led kit w/ controller, one return pump, heater.
on the entertainment center i have a flatscreen tv, dvr box, ps4, xbox 360, an audio stereo, also a modem and router.
never have all this stuff on at once though.
when i noticed the problem, the only things on were the modem/router, dvr box, and tank components.
for the tank, i have steves led kit w/ controller, one return pump, heater.
on the entertainment center i have a flatscreen tv, dvr box, ps4, xbox 360, an audio stereo, also a modem and router.
never have all this stuff on at once though.
when i noticed the problem, the only things on were the modem/router, dvr box, and tank components.
Newjack
Member
i probably have too much stuff on the outlet now that i think about it. tank and entertainment center are on the same outlet
for the tank, i have steves led kit w/ controller, one return pump, heater.
on the entertainment center i have a flatscreen tv, dvr box, ps4, xbox 360, an audio stereo, also a modem and router.
never have all this stuff on at once though.
when i noticed the problem, the only things on were the modem/router, dvr box, and tank components.
ok try taking an extention cord an plug it in to an outlit from a diff room furthest as possible. then plug the lights into it and see if it still pulses
itzjustinn
Member
i couldnt get an outlet from a different room,
but i did manage to get one from a different wall,
did some testing, and this is what i found:
i unplugged the entertainment center completely, still flickers
i moved the led plugs to the extension cord, still flickers
the flicker only happens when the lights are completely off too,
when they are on, i dont notice any flicker when i toggle the pump.
but i did manage to get one from a different wall,
did some testing, and this is what i found:
i unplugged the entertainment center completely, still flickers
i moved the led plugs to the extension cord, still flickers
the flicker only happens when the lights are completely off too,
when they are on, i dont notice any flicker when i toggle the pump.
Newjack
Member
ok so the reason why I asked to do a different room is because most of the time home circuits are dedicated to rooms. IE.. living room is 1 kitchen is 2 master bed is 3 bathrooms are always separate. Depending how your house is wired its possible that the lights are on the same circuit as the receptacles. If the "plug" for the LEDs is a power pack witch will be larger than an average plug or perhaps there is a rectangle power pack inline with the cord, can you look at it and see if it tell you how many amps it draws. If it is a straight cord with a standard plug then it should say it somewhere in the box or on the ballast. Also what type of pump do you have? Most home breakers are only 15-20 amp breakers and with lights, LEDs and a pump on the same circuit may exceed that rating.
Most of the time, apartments, condos, duplexes and mobile homes are wired with lights and receptacles on the same circuit.
Also to be safe every once in a while touch the wires to the LEDs or place the back of your hand on the face of the receptacle and see if its warm or hot to the touch. That would indicate overloading. Also depending when your home was built it could be wired with 14 AWG wire witch can not handle much if it is older. Newer homes are wired with 12 AWG witch can take twice as much heat. There has been a few times someone has hired me to come to there house and wire a dedicated receptacle for there tank(s) because of the age and old code for residential electrical.
Most of the time, apartments, condos, duplexes and mobile homes are wired with lights and receptacles on the same circuit.
Also to be safe every once in a while touch the wires to the LEDs or place the back of your hand on the face of the receptacle and see if its warm or hot to the touch. That would indicate overloading. Also depending when your home was built it could be wired with 14 AWG wire witch can not handle much if it is older. Newer homes are wired with 12 AWG witch can take twice as much heat. There has been a few times someone has hired me to come to there house and wire a dedicated receptacle for there tank(s) because of the age and old code for residential electrical.
Newjack
Member
It seems like they don't have one listed. I think you have to just email them TechSupport@StevesLEDs.com
It should be 4% easier!!
To most folks, the hardest is part is getting the hood apart and gutting it. I'm sure it will go fine, plus we'll be here if you need any help.
