Aube by Honeywell TI035/U Solar Time Table, Programmable Timer Switch, White
by Aube by Honeywell
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Product Details
Manufacturer: Aube by HoneywellModel: TI035/U
Product features:
- Sleek design mounts flush with standard decorative wall plate (not included)
- Two-operating modes: manual (conventional on and off switch), automatic
- Sunrise(off) and sunset(on) programming: no need to re-set on and off times, sets on and off times based on the location of your city, on and off optional settings, i.e. turn lights off at midnight and on by sunrise, easy daylight savings time adjustment
- Connection: 3-wire (line, load, neutral and 2400-Watt maximum; 1-HP at 120-Volt)
- Dimensions (height by width by depth): 2.7-Inch by 1.8-Inch by 1.6-Inch
Description of Aube by Honeywell TI035/U Solar Time Table, Programmable Timer Switch, White
With the Smarthome Aube 2400w Solar Timer Switch you don't have to spend hours adjusting the programmed on and off times on a light switch timer as the seasons change. You can Smarthome Aube 2400w Solar Timer Switch program your lights or appliances to turn on at sunset based specifically on your area with the Aube Solar Timer Switch 2400W, an attractive timer switch that can control incandescent, halogen or fluorescent lighting or even a 1-HP motor.Tools and Hardware Reviews of Aube by Honeywell TI035/U Solar Time Table, Programmable Timer Switch, White
Customer Review: High Quality Product. Note: 3 Way not same as 3 Wire
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought this to correct an error we made during new house construction. We have eight outdoor lights on the front of the house that are divided into two circuits. One circuit, by the driveway, is wired to a day/night motion sensor. Don't know what we were thinking at the time, but the other circuit is not. The driveway lights come on automatically at dusk. The other side does not. We've simply been leaving those lights on all the time. Now that the house is finished, it would be too hard to install a day/night motion sensor for those lights.
As a work around, an electrician mentioned that The Home Depot sold a timer switch with a micro controller / clock in it that would turn the lights on / off at sunset / sunrise. That's the first I'd ever heard about such a thing. But before going to the store, I decided to see what you all had to say about these. Glad I did.
Apparently, the stores sell the Levitron brand, which most of you say fail early. So, based on the reviews, I bought this Aube unit instead.
It looks to be a high quality product. The instructions are thorough. This particular unit has a relay in it - more on that later. Presumably Honeywell has tested the relay thoroughly because the unit has a 5 year warranty and that relay has to switch on and off at least two times a day, 365 days, for at least 5 years. (Actually, that's not very many cycles for a relay, so 5 years should be no problem.)
Now, don't make the same mistake I did. Aube sells two flavors of this box. This one, for a 3 wire connection, and this one Aube by Honeywell TI034-3W/U Solar Programmable Timer Switch, White for 3 WAY or two wire connections. But this isn't specific enough, and that's were I goofed. (But a happy ending.)
See, our electrician wired our lights as a 3 way. Now, right on the Aube package, so you can see it before you open it, Aube warns you that you must have 3 wires going to your existing switch to use this particular unit. (If you don't, they refer you to their other flavor, above.) So I dutifully checked our switch before opening the package.
There were indeed 3 wires going to our existing switch. That's because 3 WAY switches use 3 wires too! BUT that's not the same as what this unit expects. As another reviewer found, and as the product description says, this unit requires line, neutral and load. Fortunately for me, I'm an Electrical Engineer and also fortunately, our electrician had brought neutral down to the junction box. So I was able to figure this out and make this unit play in our situation despite the confusion. (I also bypassed the other 3 way switch. Once this timer is installed, there's no need to control the lights from another location.) It turns out I'd rather have this switch anyway, so maybe this was fortuitous.
See, this unit uses a relay. The other flavor Aube by Honeywell TI034-3W/U Solar Programmable Timer Switch, White uses a solid state device, a DIAC, instead of a relay. One implication of a relay is that, unlike DIAC's, there is no problem powering fluorescent bulbs (CFL's included) nor any worries about electronic ballasts. No minimum current required to keep the circuit "pulled in" as we say. You see a lot of concerns about this with motion sensors that use DIAC technology. See the 1 star reviews here Heath Zenith SL-6105-WH Motion Activated Wall Switch for example.
Also, DIAC's aren't as "short" tolerant as relays. We have a Hunter ceiling fan that uses a DIAC to control the light kit. I've had to replace the unit twice now. Every time an incandescent bulb blows out, the current spike (flash!) burns out the DIAC. I'm not saying this will happen with the Aube, but I've had trouble before. I know it's "old school," but I prefer relay based units. (Unless you use H-MOS.) This unit can handle 2400 Watts, a lot more than its solid state counterpart can handle.
So, a little confusion over the package warning about 3 wires, but once past that, I'm happy. The unit has only been installed for a few days now so I can't report on its longevity at this time. But I'm happy so far.
[Like the way I write? Maybe you'll hire me? Leave a comment.]
More Aube by Honeywell TI035/U Solar Time Table, Programmable Timer Switch, White Customer Reviews:
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