Light Timers?

[bobbi-j]

For those of you who provide supplemental light to your chickens and have them on timers - I have a question. In the past, in my old chicken coop, I had a light on at all times over the water dish to keep it thawed. It was plugged into an extension cord that ran to another building and was on 24/7. Well, DH built me a new coop this year, wired it with a light socket and outlet. I have a heated water dish plugged into the outlet, and wanted to put a timer on the light. The only timers I could fine are the kind you plug into an outlet, then plug a lamp into. Do they not make timers to screw into the light socket? If they do, where might I find one? Thanks for any info.

 

[briteday]

I don't know of any timers that screw into a light socket. But instead there are adapters that have one end that screws into the light socket and the other end allows a plug in...therefore you can access the electricity from the socket into something with a plug. They are common enough that I found my last one at Walmart for a buck or two...certainly could be found at any hardware store.

 

[woodmort]

I've seen timers that can be wired in and timers that can be plugged in but never one that screw into a socket. I suspect what you're looking for is a timer/light bulb combination that would screw into a socket which would be a great idea but one that I've never seen. As above, the only solution would be a screw in outlet then a timer with a light fixture attached. Or there are outlet extenders that allow you to double or triple an outlet's capacity that you could plug a timer into.

 

[Schroeder]

You didn't say if a light switch controls your socket, but I installed a timer on the switch. There is an overide button that allows me to easily turn on and off the overhead light at any other time.

 

[midget_farms]

I wired a switched outlet & then plug my timer into that outlet & the lights into the timer.

This way - I can have power to the rest of the coop. When there is enough natural light I just unplug the timer & plug in the lights to the outlet & the control them with the switch.

 

[midget_farms]

Its really easy to wire.

Just take the two wires coming off the switch going to the light & instead of going to a light they go to an outlet. simple.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks for the input. I think we've got it figured out. We're going to wire in another outlet, disconnect the wire from the switch, put an end on the wire, then plug that into the timer.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

You can replace the light switch with a timer like this...

 

[bobbi-j]

Oh! Thank you! I'll have to look for one of those. I live out in the boonies and haven't gotten any further than our little local hardware store, so my options were limited.

 

[Brandi Leigh]

That looks perfect thank you!!!