Guide to Automatic Timers for Christmas Lights

With winter approaching, holiday decorating becomes a priority for most families. Specifically, decorating for Christmas is just around the corner. In preparation for holiday decorating, automatic light timers are an essential item that should be on the top of everyone's list.

Automatic timers control your holiday lights. They turn on the lights when the sun goes down and they turn off the lights when the sun comes up. Why are automatic timers so important? First, they assure you that your lights that you worked so hard to install come on each and every night for all of the neighbors to see. Second, by automatically turning off, they save you energy that you might have used throughout the day if you forgot to turn you lights off. Finally, timers are automatic saving you the hassle of plugging and unplugging your lights on a daily basis.

What is an automatic timer? An automatic timer is a device that allows you to set a predetermined on/off time for anything that is directly plugged into the timer. You can set a timer to come on at dusk and turn off at dawn. Timers are useful for lights inside your home and lights outside of your home.

Are all timers alike? No. There are several different types of automatic timers that will be briefly discussed below. Each has certain advantages and will be useful for different circumstances.

There are several types of automatic timers starting with the single device or single time timer. This unit will automatically turn on and off anything that is plugged into it at a set time. Only one time can be set and it is typically set with green and red pins inserted into the timer. Both indoor and outdoor units are available.

The next type is a dual control timer. This type of automatic timer is similar to the one listed above, but it offers two distinct on time and two distinct off times. For example, one item plugged into the timer could turn on at 6 p.m. and another device plugged into the timer could turn on at 8 p.m. The times can be independently set.

Next we move on the the digital timer. The digital timer is set by digital controls rather than pins and can control several units at varying times. This timer is relatively expensive but some digital units have the advantages of multiple set points.

Finally we move on to the photo sensitive timer. This timer works by sensing outdoor light and automatically turns on anything plugged into it when the outdoor sky becomes dark and turns off when the outdoor sky lights up again. This type of unit requires no programming or setting and is truly automatic. The downside to this unit is its high cost.

The use of an automatic timer to control your Christmas lights should be considered necessary. The ease of use and energy saving attributes alone make automatic timers a great investment.