Have you ever had a conversation with your children or spouse about leaving lights on in the house? Okay maybe “conversation” isn’t the correct word but I think we have all been there and probably on both sides of it. While we might not be able to help in all rooms, the bathroom is definitely one that has an easy solution – a timer switch. A timer switch is an excellent and usually very easy upgrade to a bathroom that allows you to control as little or as much as you want.
Because bathrooms are used for a limited amount of time, timer switches make a lot of sense. Switches come in all forms and functions, from the traditional dials to programmable electronic ones. When choosing a timer switch, you want to consider a few things.
- Can the switch handle the power requirements needed. If you are using a timer switch to control a heater function (and we highly, highly recommend you do) you want to make sure the switch is rated for it. Switches will have a rating on them with the maximum amount of watts or amps it can handle. Simply match that to what you are controlling with the switch. For instance if you have an Air King AK55L Combination Ceramic Heater that uses 1350 watts – makes sure the switch is rated for at least that amount.
- What type of features do you want on the switch. When using with a combination fan and light, a useful function is a timer switch that turns the light off but allows the fan to run for an additional amount of time. This allows the fan to complete the ventilation process without having to have the light on during the entire time.
- Make sure the switch can accommodate the amount of time you typically spend in the bathroom. If it takes you 40 minutes, a 15-minute timer is probably going to be more of a hassle for you than help.
October 18, 2016
