Light Switch Timer by Switched On Products

One of the biggest pitfalls of frequent travelling is leaving your home empty for long periods of time. In the past we have used a plug-in timer, where you set the time by sliding little digits around a clock dial – and I could never tell if I’d set it up correctly as it was so complicated and fiddly. The idea of the timer is that, while away, a key light in the house would come on/go off according to the settings on the timer. However, the analogue timer worked on a 24 hr clock and the lights came on and went off at the same time every night – there was no randomness. And then this wonderful gadget came along, by Switched On Products!

As a non-techie person, when I first saw the item I thought it looked complicated. However, I read the little booklet inside the packaging, and within 10 mins I’d installed it on a light in our hallway. In very simple terms, all I did was loosen the screws holding the lightswitch in place, and I slid the cradle behind it, tightening the screws back up. I put 2 x AA batteries in the removable control box, made sure that the wheel that pushed the lightswitch on/off was lined up correctly (as the light switch timer can work on up to a 3-gang switch) and I switched it on.

Programming was incredibly easy using the large LCD panel. What’s really good is that is has a 7 day timer – each day you can set times totally independent of other days, so you can set the light to come on at different times.

Having set the time and day, I decided to opt for Programme 0. This is a special programme that suggests to would-be intruders that your home is inhabited, by turning on your lights for 3 minutes at randomly selected times between 1:00am and 5:00am automatically. The times are random and different each day of the week. Perfect!

It works a treat. On nights when I’m home, I occasionally hear the ‘whirr’ of the wheels turning as the switch is flicked from off to on. And then a little while later the same sound signifies the switch being turned off again. I can over-ride it manually, or, if I wanted to, I can remove the control panel from the cradle entirely.

You can set up your light switch timer to do so much more than just the ‘random’ programme, but I’m not very technically minded so cannot comment on that, but you really can set it so that the lights go on/off and very specific times on specific days.

The Light Switch Timer by Switched On Products is 130mm tall x 95mm wide x 53mm deep. It was designed in the UK and is a great ‘peace of mind’ gadget to help deter would-be intruders by thinking someone is at home.

If you travel regularly, leaving your home empty, I strongly encourage you to consider purchasing a Light Switch Timer. It’s so easy to install, I managed it all on my own in around 10 minutes from start to finish.