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Seth
Member
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2017 01:14pm
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Hey all, I'm looking to set up my outdoor porch light to turn on for a few hours each night. Does anyone have good experience with a particular programmable light timer? Seems like with all the ones I see, they have to be used with a lamp that plugs into a two-prong outlet. Are there any that I can wire my light right into?
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Eddy G
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jun 2017 07:01am
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You can get inserts with auto photo cells on them or little timer buttons. You screw them directly in to the light socket and then screw the bulb in to that. I think they run about $8 to $12..
I use them on the front porch of a rental property and they work find. Keeps the walk way lit a few hours after dark.
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Seth
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jun 2017 07:42am
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It would have to be something that can be programmed and left alone for weeks at a time - do you have an example I could look at?
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beachman
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jun 2017 12:26pm
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I have had a programmable light switch inside the house that you can use as a switch, or to program the outside lights to turn on at dusk and off at a set time. It was installed about 25 yrs ago and always works well. You have to know your time, latitude, time zone, and day of the year, and you can adjust it for daylight savings. It does the rest automatically. It must have a small battery because if the power goes out, it will keep track of the settings.
It is the size of a normal light switch and costs around $20 CAD. It works so well that when I have to change the time, I have to refer to the manual. I don't even think about it and when the days get shorter, it turns the lights on earlier.
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Tyndra
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jun 2017 05:44pm
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What Eddy is referring to is called a "programmable screw-in light" control or sensor. This would be would probable be the most reasonable option. It screws into the light socket and the bulb then screws into it. Comes on automatically at dusk and can be programmed to stay on for various lengths. The only problem is they make the whole thing quite long. They are good for floodlights or open style porch lights but they don't usually work with enclosed ones.
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Eddy G
Member
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# Posted: 19 Jun 2017 07:51am
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Thank's Tyndra, that's exactly what I was talking about...you just articulated it much much better.
Our lights hang upside down in an open porch light... I hadn't thought about the length of them.
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