Pro Handyman Blog

If you are tired of people leaving the lights on in a room, you can call your handyman for some help. You can replace your standard wall switch with a timer switch or a motion switch. These are easy to install and should only take a few minutes to do.

A timer switch will activate the light when someone turns the timer on. This style switch works just like an egg timer. Turn it on and the light comes on. It will count down from wherever you turned it, from an hour to a few minutes. When it reaches zero, the light turns off.

A motion switch works similarly except that the switch must sense motion for it to turn on. I like these switches for energy savings, but occasionally the light will turn off prematurely. In that event you have to wave your hand in front of the switch or move in front of it for the light to turn back on.

Wiring them is the same. Turn the power off and connect the wires in the same manner they were connected to the old wall switch. Typically, the black wires get connected to the terminals (although some switches have small wires that you will need to connect with wire nuts), and connect the ground. Turn the power back on and test the switch.