How To Set Up A 24 Hour Mechanical Timer

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A plug timer is a great way to command your lights, lamps, fans, vacation decorations, and more without having to worry about turning them on and off manually. Want your fans on during the day and off at night? Possibly y'all want your holiday lights on the reverse schedule? Using either a mechanical or digital plug timer, you can encompass all of these bases with minimal effort!

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Find the outlet closest to your device. For the best results, use your mechanical plug timer with an outlet as shut every bit possible to the device you desire to control. For example, if you want to command the lights, identify the light timer close to the lights. But make certain to plug information technology directly into the outlet without whatever intermediate devices.
- Don't use your plug timer with an extension cord or other types of electrical adapters. You likewise tin can't apply them outside since the weather can mess with the circuit.^[ane]
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Flip the manual switch button to "Timer On" and insert the timer into the outlet. Although the switch colour and location varies past product, they are often greyness and located on superlative of the unit. After flipping the switch, double-bank check that your plug is dry and connect it to the outlet. For outdoor use, be certain to plug your timer to a basis-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet to prevent stupor.
- Well-nigh products are set up to "Outlet On" past default, which is the other option aside from "Timer On."
- When using your plug timer outdoors, let the switch hang down at least five feet (1.five m) above the footing.
- E'er store your plug timer indoors when yous're not using it.
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Turn the dial clockwise to the current time. To fix the plug timer to the electric current time, locate the bold arrowhead on the front of the timer. After locating it, turn information technology clockwise until it reaches the current time and leave it in this position.
- The bold arrowhead is typically black in color across all models.
- AM markings are typically in white, while PM marking are usually in gray.
- Retrieve that each interval—divided by small lines under the numbers—represents 30 minutes.
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Pull or push button the timer pins upwardly or downwards effectually the dial to set the device time. The small gray slices on the punch are the timer pins—when they're upwards, the device is off, and when they're down, the device is on. Button downwardly the pins during the time frame y'all desire the device to be on and pull upwards the pins during the time frame you want the device to be off.
- For case, if you want your device to turn off at 5 AM and plough on at 5 PM, pull up each pin between v AM and five PM and go out the residue of them downwardly.
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Connect your electrical device to your plug timer. Plug in your device to the timer and remember that your device'due south power button must be fix to "ON" for the plug timer to work—fifty-fifty during periods when your plug turns information technology off. Exist sure to never use devices that exceed the plug timer's maximum rating.
- To avoid fires, don't connect your timer to appliances like irons, heaters, and cooking appliances.
- Switch the "ON/TIMER" button to "ON" to override the timer. To turn the timer dorsum on, flip the switch dorsum to the "TIMER" position. On some models, the ii options are "Always On" and "Timer."
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Printing the reset push button to erase the previous programming. The reset button is typically located on the right side of the plug timer's face. Use a sparse pointed object like a toothpick to striking it.
- Although many products come up gear up to be programmed, always hit the reset button to be safe.
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Gear up the clock with the "Clock," "Hour," "Min," and "Week" buttons. Start by pressing the "Clock" button and belongings it down. While holding information technology, printing the "60 minutes" button consecutively until you reach the current hour. Now, while again belongings the "Clock" button, press the "Min" push consecutively until the minute is correct. Finally, hold the "Clock" button and go on pressing the "Week" button until the timer reads the correct day of the week.^[2]
- Take note of AM and PM hours when setting your clock.
- On some models, in that location is only a "Clock" button, which is used in conjunction with arrow buttons to select—using the "Set" button— the hour, min, and calendar week on the LCD display.
- If your model has an "On/Off" push button and arrows, using the sometime to ready the time after selecting the hr, min, and day with the latter buttons.
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Set your timer for unlike events using the "Plan/Prog" button. Each product has different capabilities, but tin can typically gear up to 8 or so events. The default "Program" display is "1 ON." Equally you press the "Program" button, the display cycles through each event: "ane ON," "1 OFF, "ii ON, "2 OFF," all the mode until the maximum number of events. For each consequence, gear up the calendar week (solar day of the event), hour, and infinitesimal, followed past the get-go time—which is "# ON"—for the appliance as well equally the stop time, which is "# OFF."
- Press the "Calendar week" button to wheel through each day or combination of days of the calendar week. For case, "MoTuWeThFrSaSu" is every day of the week, while "Mo," "Tu," "We," "Th," "Fr," "Sa," and "Su" each represent individual days. The other possibilities are combinations such equally "SaSu" and "ThuFriSa."
- Utilize the "Hour" and "Min" push button to select the specific timing for the upshot, taking intendance to note AM and PM hours.
- If your model has arrow buttons, utilise them to wheel through the various options and select them with the "Prepare" push button. If your model doesn't have this push, you likely have to use the "On/Off" push button.
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Use the "On/Off/Auto" button to brand the timer automatically operate your device. Each press of the button cycles the device through "On, "Off," "Car On," and "Auto Off" settings. Ready the plug to "On" to provide power to your device at all times and "Auto On" to provide it power until the next "Off" time. Conversely, set the plug to "Off" to cut power to the device at all times and "Auto Off" to remove power until the next "On" fourth dimension.^[3]
- Test your schedule with a fan or light so that you lot can easily meet the changes.
- The "On" option is the same as plugging your device direct into the outlet, and the "Off" setting is the aforementioned turning off its power bespeak.
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Press "Hour" and "Min" simultaneously to activate daylight savings fashion. Afterward hit "Hour" and "Min" at the same time, all of your settings will be delayed past one hr. Typically, this mode is shown as a clock to a higher place the black dot located in the lower correct-hand corner of the screen.
- To remove daylight savings mode, press "Hour" and "Min" simultaneously.
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Hold down "Week" and "60 minutes" simultaneously for random mode to power your device randomly. After hit these buttons at the same fourth dimension, an "O" will announced to a higher place the clock symbol that flashes when the timer is operation. Random mode means that the plug's on and off timing is randomly delayed by a fourth dimension that falls within a specific interval, such every bit 2 to 32 minutes.
- Use random mode for lights to fool burglars into thinking you're habitation.
- Press "Week" and "Hour" simultaneously to remove random style.
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Plug the timer into an outlet, then plug your device into the timer. Always connect your digital plug timer to the closest outlet to the device you want to control. Be sure to avoid using it with devices like extension cords and electric adapters.
- Always use a GFCI outlet when using your plug timer outdoors.
- Allow the plug timer switch hang downwardly to the ground at least 5 feet (1.5 g) from the outlet.
- Remember that your device needs to be plugged into the timer to work.
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Add New Question

Question

How do outlet timers work?

Ricardo Mitchell
Electrician & Construction Professional person, CN Coterie

Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Atomic number 82 EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Certified construction company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full home renovation, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, furniture restoration, Oath/ECB (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings/Ecology Command Board) violations removal, and DOB (Department of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over 10 years of electrical and construction experience and his partners have over 30 years of relevant experience.

Electrician & Construction Professional, CN Coterie

Proficient Answer

They accept a built-in machinery that lets you lot set up the outlet to work for a predetermined period of time. They're a swell way to save on utility bills and cut dorsum on the amount of power yous're using.
Question

Are plug timers safe?

Ricardo Mitchell
Electrician & Structure Professional, CN Coterie

Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Atomic number 82 EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Certified construction company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full dwelling house renovation, electric, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, piece of furniture restoration, OATH/ECB (Part of Administrative Trials and Hearings/Environmental Control Board) violations removal, and DOB (Department of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over x years of electrical and construction experience and his partners have over 30 years of relevant feel.

Electrician & Structure Professional, CN Coterie

Skilful Respond

The safest style to set a plug timer upwards is to requite information technology a dedicated circuit. Mechanical timers are also going to be much safer than those outlet timers equally well. You also take to brand sure that you lot don't utilise plug timers outside, since the atmospheric condition and temperature shifts tin mess with the wiring.
Question

What are better, the built-in timers or the outlet timers?

Ricardo Mitchell
Electrician & Construction Professional person, CN Coterie

Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Lead EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Certified construction company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full home renovation, electric, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, furniture restoration, OATH/ECB (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings/Environmental Control Board) violations removal, and DOB (Department of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over 10 years of electric and structure feel and his partners have over 30 years of relevant experience.

Electrician & Structure Professional person, CN Coterie

Expert Answer

The mechanical timers with an individual circuit are hands-down the best options when it comes to safe and efficiently.
Question

Tin can you use a timer on a lamp that has a three-mode seedling?

Yeah, y'all tin. However, the timer won't be able to change the bulb's brightness, so y'all will accept to utilise the knob on the light fixture in guild to change the bulb's brightness.
Question

When yous set the timer and so plug the lamp in do you turn the lamp on or off?

The timer cannot control the switch on the lamp, so yous demand to turn it on.
Question

Tin I use my timer for turning on my coffee maker?

Peradventure. Some coffee makers offset making java as soon equally they receive power. In this case, a timer will work. Besides, y'all can purchase coffee makers that have congenital-in timers that you can utilize.

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E'er follow manufacturer's directions, as product instructions and design varies.

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Warning

Never clean your plug timer when it'due south connected.

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Article Summary Ten

Using a plug timer is a groovy way to have your lights or appliances go on and off at specific times of the day. Start, plug your plug timer into the wall, plough it on, and plug your apparatus into it. If the plug timer's mechanical, plow the dial then the pointer lines up with the current time. And so, push the pins down for the times you want your appliance to be on. If your plug timer's digital, use the buttons to set the current time. And so, fix a program for the times and days y'all want your apparatus to be on. Many digital plug timers allow you to set multiple programs for dissimilar appliances or different needs. For more tips, including how to reset old programs on a digital plug timer, read on!

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