Introducing Timed Lights at the Andy Andy Residence

Living alone certainly has its perks, but one of the most challenging (and frightening?) notions can be safety and security.  You may recall one of my blog posts about a security webcam I installed to help me monitor my home while I was away.  While this is effective when I'm on it, I can't be on it all the time, especially when on vacation.

Usually when I leave for trips, I like to leave the lights on in the house to give the illusion that there is someone home.  However, it's obvious to anyone paying attention that I actually turn these lights off at night when I'm home and asleep.  Any proficient burglar could recognize these patterns if they just stake out my home for a week.

Thus, I was recently recommended to install timed lighting at my home.  I ordered a couple timers off Amazon.  The first was a timer for a wall switch by Honeywell for the dining room area in my house.  This is the light that stays on most of the time in my house, as it lights up just enough of the kitchen and the great room, ensuring maximum light protection.

The programmable switch seems like a lot to learn at first, but it's actually quite simple.  Once you have it set up, it's easy to enable and disable.  The most challenging part was the installation, since the box is fairly large and you really have to squish all the wires in to fit everything inside the hole in the wall.

The second timer is one by GE that you can attach any electrical device with a plug.   I use this for a lamp in my bedroom, since I am often in there at night as well.  It's got similar functionality as the wall switch in the dining area, the only problem is that I have it under a nightstand which makes it a little difficult to access.

Regardless, both get the job done and I have increased my peace of mind ever so slightly for whenever I go leave town.  Definitely worth the $30 investment.  As for now, I think I am good with just these two timers and won't be installing additional ones anytime soon.

And so, the challenge of living alone goes on.  Now I just have to figure out what to do if I ever get severely hurt or knocked out at home accidentally...since there could be no one around to find me for days... *GASP*