How To Set Outside Light Timer

Download Article

Light timers are a convenient way to command your lights when yous aren't around or when yous don't want to forget well-nigh turning lights on and off at certain times. One of the most common ways to use a lite timer is to make information technology announced that someone is abode when yous're out of boondocks. Nonetheless, y'all tin can also use calorie-free timers for things similar grow lights or to turn lights on in the morning to assist wake you lot up. At that place are two main types of light timers: mechanical and digital. Both work but too, just a digital timer allows you to plan more than than one schedule for the same lite.

1
Turn the timer's dial clockwise to the current time. Mechanical low-cal timers are normally square or rectangular and have a numbered punch on the front. Grab the outer ring of this dial between your index finger and pollex. Plough the dial clockwise until the arrow on the inner circle of the timer is pointing at the current time.^[ane]
- Depending on your make and model of timer, there might exist lines that indicate intervals of 15 or xxx minutes, or the ring might merely exist marked with hours. Try to get every bit close as you can to the electric current time.
- Most mechanical light timers take instructions for how to set up them on the dorsum, then refer to these instructions if you demand any additional assist.
- The majority of mechanical light timers function the same way. All the same, refer to the instructions for your specific model if it seems to work differently.
Tip: It might exist easiest to set up your mechanical light timer at exactly an even hour and then you can be more than precise almost the time. For instance, it's easier to set the dial to exactly 4:00 PM than it is to set it to 3:57 PM.
two
Press down a push button on the dial for when you want the light to plough on. The numbers on the timer'south dial are surrounded past little buttons or pins that stand for 15- or xxx-minute intervals. Press down a button on this outer band that is adjacent to the 60 minutes and fraction of the 60 minutes at which you want a light to turn on.^[2]
- For case, if you desire to schedule your light to turn on at 5:00 PM, press the button down that is right next to the v:00 PM arrow on the ring. If you want information technology to turn on at 5:thirty PM, printing down the button that is halfway between the 5:00 PM and vi:00 PM arrows.
Advertizing
3
Button in all the subsequent buttons upwardly to the time you desire the light to plow off. All the pushed-in buttons represent the elapsing of time the lite will remain on. Press in the buttons up until the hr that y'all want the light to plow back off.^[3]
- For example, if you want your lite to turn on at 7:00 PM and turn off at v:00 AM, printing in all the buttons between the 7:00 PM pointer on the punch and the five:00 AM arrow on the dial. This will make it and so the light turns off at 4:59 AM.
- If you make a mistake or want to change the scheduled on and off times, you can only pull the buttons up.
iv
Switch the timer on and plug it into an electric outlet. Locate the power switch on the side of your timer and move it to the ON or AUTO position, which might also exist marked with a picture show of a clock. Plug the timer into a gratis wall socket where you desire to connect a light.^[4]
- Some mechanical timers might accept a third setting that makes it so the timer is always on, meaning y'all can turn your lite on and off as normal. In this case, gear up the switch to the Car position or the position labelled with a picture of a clock.
five
Plug the ability cable of a calorie-free fixture into the timer and turn on the light. Connect a lamp or other light that you want to turn on and off at the scheduled times to the electrical outlet on the timer. Switch on the lite source's power switch and so that it will really light up when the light timer supplies information technology with ability.^[five]
- Plug the light directly into the timer without anything like an extension string or power strip in betwixt.
Advertizement

1
Gear up the day and time past holding down "CLOCK" and using the timer'due south buttons. Digital light timers are usually foursquare or rectangular and have 6-8 labelled buttons and a digital brandish on the front. Press and hold the push button labelled "CLOCK," and so printing the "HOUR," "MIN," and "WEEK" buttons to alter the current day and time on the digital brandish. Release the "clock" button when you lot are finished.
- The exact buttons and process for irresolute the settings on your digital light timer may vary depending on the make and model. Bank check the owner'due south manual for your specific timer if it has unlike buttons than the ones listed in these instructions.
- The majority of digital lite timers work similarly and accept the same kinds of buttons, though the buttons might be labelled differently. Refer to the instructions for your specific model if it looks different.
two
Press the "PROG" push button and employ the timer'southward buttons to fix a turn-on fourth dimension. Hit "PROG" once and press the "HOUR" and "MIN" buttons to set the fourth dimension at which yous desire your light to turn on. Printing the "Calendar week" push to choose which day or days of the week you desire the light to turn on at the designated time.
- Yous can go along pressing the "Calendar week" push button to schedule the on and off times for different combinations of days, which are displayed at the top of the screen. For case, yous could set up the timer to turn your light on and off every twenty-four hours of the calendar week, one specific day of the week, Monday through Fri, or only on the weekends.
3
Press "PROG" again and use the timer's buttons to set a turn-off time. Set up the turn-off time using the "Hour" and "MIN" buttons and choose the day or days of the week with the "Week" push. Click the "CLOCK" push button when you're done to render to the main brandish.
- For example, if you gear up the light to turn on at 9:00 PM on Fri and Saturday nights, yous could schedule it to plow off at 6:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Tip: Digital light timers typically allow you program more than one set of on/off times. You can go along pressing "PROG" to bike through the different programmed schedules. That manner, you tin can make the light plow on and off at different times on dissimilar days of the week or at multiple times throughout the same day.
four
Clear any programmed schedule past holding down the "R" button. Printing "PROG" until you go to the timer schedule that yous want to clear. Click and hold the "R" button until the display screen goes blank to start over on that programmed schedule.
- There is also usually an inset round button only below the "R" button that you can press and concur with a skinny object, such as a newspaper prune, to reset the whole timer to manufactory settings.
5
Click the "ON/Motorcar/OFF" button until the display shows "AUTO." The display will show that the timer is "OFF" by default, which means that no power will be supplied through the timer's outlets to your light. Press the "ON/Automobile/OFF" push button until the brandish shows "AUTO," which ways that the timer will switch your light on and off equally scheduled.
- The "ON" setting volition make information technology so the timer supplies constant power through it'south outlets, significant that you can plow lights plugged into it on and off as normal and the timer won't turn them on and off according to the scheduled times.
6
Plug the timer into an electrical outlet and connect your light. Put the programmed timer into any free electrical socket. Plug the power cord from a lamp or other light fixture into an outlet on the timer and turn the light'southward ability switch on so the timer will plough it on and off at the times you programmed.
- Your digital low-cal timer might have ii power outlets, so you can connect more than 1 light to it. Keep in heed that the timer supplies power to both of its outlets at the same fourth dimension, and then both lights will turn on and off at the scheduled times.
Advertisement

ane
Ready calorie-free timers for when you go out of town to brand your home look occupied. Connect light timers to lamps and other calorie-free fixtures that tin be seen through the windows of your dwelling house. This will make it less obvious that nobody is home, as opposed to leaving lights on or off 24/7 while you are away.^{[half dozen]}
- This is just 1 way of deterring burglars while you lot are out of town and should be used along with other security measures like alarm systems, cameras, and letting your neighbors know yous're out of boondocks or having a friend stop past periodically.
ii
Try to mimic natural behavior with multiple timers and different schedules. Connect light timers to lights in dissimilar rooms and plan them to turn on and off at different times. This volition make it look similar someone is moving around your abode if anyone is watching your domicile.^[seven]
- For instance, you could have the light turn on in your kitchen around seven:00 PM and off around nine:00 PM, then have the upstairs sleeping accommodation low-cal plough on at 9:fifteen PM and off around 11:00 PM to make it look similar someone was doing things in the kitchen downstairs, then went upstairs to become to bed.
Tip: Digital calorie-free timers are particularly useful for this considering you can make the same light turn on and off at different times on different days.
3
Hold downwardly the "Calendar week" and "HOUR" buttons to randomize a digital timer. Press both buttons downward simultaneously and hold them until a little chimera appears in the top correct-hand corner of the display. This will make information technology so your programmed on and off times are randomized by anywhere from 2-32 minutes.
- You lot can use this for security when you're gone on an extended vacation, for example, and then your lights plow on and off less predictably, making information technology await similar someone is home.
iv
Connect a light timer to a TV or radio to make information technology sound like someone'south habitation. Plough your Television or radio onto a favorite channel or station and turn the book up then someone could hear it through a window. Plan a calorie-free timer and connect the Television set or radio to the timer while you're gone.^[viii]
- If you lot do this, make sure that you let any close neighbors know that you have set up your TV or radio to turn on and off at certain times while yous're gone. That manner, they won't call up that an intruder is watching Goggle box or listening to music in your home and telephone call the cops.
- With modern smart TVs, you don't fifty-fifty need a light timer. You can use the TV's built-in timer part to schedule information technology to plow on and off at certain times.
five
Use a wall switch timer if you desire to turn on overhead lights. Mount a light switch timer on top of whatsoever calorie-free switch for an overhead low-cal. Set the toggle-on and toggle-off times using the buttons as you would for a digital light timer.^[9]
- Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the specific model of switch timer for unique instructions almost programming. Many work like a regular digital low-cal timer, only there are a wide range of makes and models.
Advertizement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your electronic mail address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Cheers for submitting a tip for review!

About This Commodity

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 35,949 times.

Did this article assistance y'all?