A large number of electricity consumers that are used today in every home forces the use of special devices that help manage their work without human intervention. The simplest, and at the same time, the most effective such devices include an outlet with a timer.
Purpose
Currently, such devices are widely used, they are mainly used for:
- Controls the operation of heaters and fans.
- Timely turning on and off devices that ensure the vital activity of aquariums or terrariums.
- Control of individual lighting fixtures or their groups.
- Creating the effect of the presence of people in the apartment by arbitrarily turning on or off the light in the room. This little trick can often help protect your home from scammers or burglars.
- Turning on and off powerful electrical appliances such as boilers or washing machines at night. This allows not only to significantly reduce the load on the network, but also makes it possible to save electricity when installing multi-tariff meters.
- Electronic Models programmable sockets are often fitted with an indicator clock so that they can be used as a small room clock.
Timed outlet device
The design of these devices is not too complicated. Regardless of the type, each of them consists of the following main parts:
- Power electrical contacts that serve to connect the consumer to the outlet.
- The built-in switch mounted on a phase wire. This device serves to supply or disconnect power to the socket contacts.
- A control scheme by which the operating mode of the device can be set.
Classification
Since the most complex element in the design of such sockets is the control circuit of its switch, then the main feature by which such devices can be classified is the type of such a circuit.
Today, the domestic and foreign electrical equipment market offers the buyer two main types of sockets with a timer.
Products with a mechanical timer
The timer in such devices is represented by a clock mechanism with a tuning disk, on which the current time is set. In addition, the mechanical timer is equipped with buttons that can be used to set from 16 to 96 programs, according to which the power will be turned on or off. Pressing each button of the tuning mechanism allows you to set the time for switching on and operating the outlet.
Each specific model of this device comes with an instruction manual that explains in detail how to set the power on and off time. If there is no such instruction, then the seller should be required to explain in detail the principle of controlling the timers of the purchased model.
The main advantages of mechanical sockets with a timer are their simplicity, reliability and relatively low price. In many cases, the installation of such devices is sufficient to control the operation of household electrical appliances. It should be noted that the vast majority of sockets with a mechanical timer allow you to program the switching on and off of electrical appliances for a period not exceeding 24 hours. This is not very convenient if the daily routine of people and, as a result, the mode of operation of electricity consumers in the apartment can change during the week.
Products with an electronic timer
As the name implies, the operation of such devices is controlled by an electronic timer.It is quite natural that an electronic programmable socket has much more opportunities in terms of choosing the operating mode of electrical appliances connected to it. In addition, most electronic timers are equipped with backup power sources (usually two or three AA batteries), which allows them not to lose their settings for a long time.
The socket with a timer can be additionally equipped with light or motion sensors, which provide additional control over the inclusion of electrical appliances.
According to their functionality, products with electronic timers can be divided into daily or weekly ones. The choice of each model depends on the mode of operation of consumers. At the moment, the weekly outlet is more popular.
As for the design, devices with a timer can be made in the form of ordinary built-in or overhead. In this case, their installation is no different from connecting an ordinary electrical outlet with grounding contacts.
Another option is a design in which the weekly socket with a timer resembles an ordinary tee (and sometimes performs its functions if it is equipped with more than one plug connector) inserted into a standard electrical outlet.
There are devices designed for indoor or outdoor use. At the same time, they meet all the requirements for electrical safety, as well as dust and moisture protection. The type of such a device must correspond to the conditions of its operation. In this case, you can guarantee its long and trouble-free operation.
