Stupid Question

[Run_Amok]

Fellas, I have a timer on my front porch light. No sensor to detect movement or enable dusk-to-dawn.

What times would you set the on / off, taking into account the variance in exact sunset and sunrise?

[sammm]

It's going to constantly change thru the year...I think you can buy an 'eye' that screws in to the socket that will detect light/dark.

[modernbeat]

Sounds like you want to be lazy. In that case you can set it to come on at 6:15pm and go off at 8:30am CST (not accounting for daylight savings time) you will be good for the entire year. That is the latest sunrise and earliest sunset of the year.

[POS Racing]

These have worked well for me for several years - https://www.amazon.com/Philips-42974...E9MQNE7CK37GZK

No having to read a watch or anything!

[Run_Amok]

It's going to constantly change thru the year...I think you can buy an 'eye' that screws in to the socket that will detect light/dark.

These have worked well for me for several years - https://www.amazon.com/Philips-42974...E9MQNE7CK37GZK

No having to read a watch or anything!

Both are great suggestions. Unfortunately the builder recessed the light in the "ceiling" of the porch - I am no sure if these options will work in this situation. Thoughts?

Sounds like you want to be lazy.

I am intrigued and bewildered by this statement. Care to elaborate?

[Ziggo]

I installed these for the porch/garage lights. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008V...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You set time/date/location into them and it will know when sunset/sunrise is for the next century. Then when you program it you can have it turn on at sunset and stay on till whenever, and/or turn on whenever and then turn off at sunrise.

[Run_Amok]

I installed these for the porch/garage lights. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008V...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You set time/date/location into them and it will know when sunset/sunrise is for the next century. Then when you program it you can have it turn on at sunset and stay on till whenever, and/or turn on whenever and then turn off at sunrise.

Perfect! Thank you Ziggo!

[OZMDD]

Both are great suggestions. Unfortunately the builder recessed the light in the "ceiling" of the porch - I am no sure if these options will work in this situation. Thoughts?


I am intrigued and bewildered by this statement. Care to elaborate?

I suspect he was referring to the idea that the "lazy" approach would be to set it once and forget it.

[Run_Amok]

I suspect he was referring to the idea that the "lazy" approach would be to set it once and forget it.

Maybe. If that's the case, then what is threshold for non-lazy? Resetting daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly?

At the end of the day (no pun), the goal is to have the porch light on when my wife and daughter come home after dark, without wasting electricity.

[POS Racing]

Perfect! Thank you Ziggo!

Make sure you got a neutral wire before ya order up that little gem.

Just recently BTDT on a Fan control switch. My house circuit didn't have a neutral....

[Run_Amok]

Make sure you got a neutral wire before ya order up that little gem.

Just recently BTDT on a Fan control switch. My house circuit didn't have a neutral....

Thanks for the heads-up, much appreciated.

[modernbeat]

Maybe. If that's the case, then what is threshold for non-lazy? Resetting daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly?

At the end of the day (no pun), the goal is to have the porch light on when my wife and daughter come home after dark, without wasting electricity.

Yep, that's pretty much what I meant. Set it and forget it. But, if your wife and daughter come home at a specific time AFTER 6:15, or you don't care about leaving in the dark, then I'd set it for the time they are regularly scheduled to be home, and turn it off slightly after you don't expect to to be out. Something like on at 7pm and off at 11pm.

But if you have a secondary goal of not wasting electricity, there are a variety of night sensors, timers, sensor and timer combos, motion sensors (which I use on the driveway and back yard fence door), and even programmable WiFi linked switches. Just depends on how much energy you want to put into setting it up (the lazy part) and what you want to spend. You might also think about just keeping the timer and change the bulb to an outdoor LED.

[Run_Amok]

Yep, that's pretty much what I meant. Set it and forget it. But, if your wife and daughter come home at a specific time AFTER 6:15, or you don't care about leaving in the dark, then I'd set it for the time they are regularly scheduled to be home, and turn it off slightly after you don't expect to to be out. Something like on at 7pm and off at 11pm.

But if you have a secondary goal of not wasting electricity, there are a variety of night sensors, timers, sensor and timer combos, motion sensors (which I use on the driveway and back yard fence door), and even programmable WiFi linked switches. Just depends on how much energy you want to put into setting it up (the lazy part) and what you want to spend. You might also think about just keeping the timer and change the bulb to an outdoor LED.

Thanks, Modern.