Every serious grow room runs on timing. Get it wrong and you risk contact burnout, inconsistent cycles or a fried timer under heavy load. Get it right and every appliance fires on schedule, every single day. The key to getting it right is a contactor, and Omega builds them in two formats. Here's what a contactor actually does, why your grow room needs one, and how to choose between Metal and MDF.
Let's take a closer look 👇
⚡ What Is a Contactor, and Why Do You Need One?
A contactor is an electrically operated, heavy-duty switch. In a grow room, it sits between your timer and your high-power appliances: the timer sends a low-power signal telling the contactor when to switch, and the contactor does the hard work of handling the heavy electrical load.
Why does that matter? Plug several high-wattage lights straight into a standard timer and you're asking it to carry a load it was never built for. That's exactly what leads to contact burnout, inconsistent cycles and, in the worst case, a fried timer under heavy load. A contactor board takes that strain off the timer, switching all your appliances together, safely and reliably, so everything fires on schedule every single day.
Most contactor boards also include always-on auxiliary (aux) sockets for the equipment that should never switch off, like fans and controllers, so your climate keeps running around the clock while your lights follow their schedule.
🔩 Omega Metal Contactors – Built for the Big Loads
Heavy duty, hardwired, no compromise. The Omega Metal Contactor is the choice for growers running serious inductive loads across multiple appliances. Available in 12 way + 2 aux and 16 way + 2 aux, it's built to run the show and stop your appliances fighting for power.
- Rated to 40 amps and 8800w
- 96 x 15-minute timer segments for precise 24-hour scheduling
- 2 always-on aux sockets for fans and controllers that never switch off
- Synchronise up to 16 appliances on one unit
- Robust metal housing for demanding environments
- Must be hardwired by a qualified electrician
🪵 Omega MDF Contactors – The Full Range, Eight Sizes
The same trusted Omega engineering, built into an MDF board format and available across one of the widest size ranges on the market. With eight sizes from 6 way up to 24 way, there's an Omega MDF Contactor to match whatever the size of your grow.
- Eight sizes, from 6 way up to 24 way
- Agricultural-grade timer for reliable daily scheduling
- Rubber moulded plugs and switchable sockets
- Hanging bracket for easy installation
- Must be hardwired by a qualified electrician
🤔 Metal vs MDF: Which One Do You Need?
Both are Omega power, and both are in stock at Eden. It simply comes down to your setup:
- Choose Metal if you're running a smaller number of high-draw appliances that need serious amperage. The robust metal housing and 40-amp rating are built for demanding, high-load environments.
- Choose MDF if you're scaling across a bigger room with more sockets to manage. With eight sizes up to 24 way, the MDF range gives you the flexibility to match almost any grow room layout.
⚠️ Important: Professional Installation
Both the Metal and MDF Omega contactors must be hardwired by a qualified electrician. This isn't a plug-and-play timer, it's a serious piece of grow room infrastructure, so always have it installed safely and correctly.
🚀 Build Your Perfect Grow Room Setup
Whatever you're running, there's an Omega contactor built to keep it firing on schedule. Explore the full contactor range and, if you'd like help choosing the right board for your setup, the Eden team is here to help.
If you need pricing, product information or support, the Eden team is here to help.
📞 01952 455725
📱 WhatsApp: 07307 336 739
🏆 Track your Eden Plus+ Points
🎙️ Explore The Growers Forum
Thanks for growing with Eden 🌱
