It will start getting darker later in the evenings as we approach spring and daylight savings time begins. For homeowners with a low-voltage landscape lighting system, it's a good time of the year to adjust your outdoor lighting timer. Photocell or astronomical timers often adjust themselves, whereas analog timers need to be manually adjusted to reflect the change in seasons.
If you are trying to figure out how to adjust an analog landscape lighting timer for spring, you can watch our short 2-minute video or follow along with our step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Locate Your Transformer
Transformers are often installed outside of the house (usually around other utility boxes) or inside the garage. After you find your transformer, unlock the latch to open the door and find the timer.
If you're McKay Lighting client and can't find your transformer or timer, please feel free to contact us for help locating your transformer.
Step 2: Find the Current Time of Day
Next, you'll want to find the current “TIME OF DAY.” Most of the time, you can find it in the center of the timer. We used yellow to highlight its location in the photo above. The location of the "TIME OF DAY" may vary depending on the brand.
Step 3: Turn the Dial to the Current Time or Ahead One Hour
After you have located the "TIME OF DAY", turn the dial to the current time or ahead 1-hour. The light portion of the dial represents the AM hours and the dark portion indicates the PM hours. Verify the time is set in the correct AM/PM portion of the dial. If it's in the wrong spot, you may notice your lights turn on a 7 AM instead of 7 PM.
Some timers tend to lose time with age. You can check your timer periodically – once or twice a year around daylight saving time should suffice.
You don't need to move the red and green pins unless you want to change when your lights turn on or off. The green pin indicates when your lights will turn on and the red pin indicates when they will turn off. Most people have one red and green pin. If they have more, their lights are set to come on and off at different times throughout the night. But, again, you shouldn't have to move these pins.
Step 4: Test it Out (optional)
If you want to make sure your timer is correct, you could look outside to see if your lights are on. If they are on and shouldn’t be, you might have it set for the wrong time of day. If that is not the case, you can always contact us with any additional questions.
After the cold winter months, we suggest having your lighting system thoroughly checked to help maintain its beauty and functionality. Nebraska's extreme weather conditions can be harsh on a lighting system and bulbs.
A comprehensive performance check should include replacing burnt-out bulbs, resetting timers, adjusting fixtures, and repairing any damage to ensure your system continues to perform its best year after year. That's all included (and more) with our Service Membership Programs. We also share tips for doing it yourself in our Spring Maintenance Checklist.
Looking to Enhance Your Property?
Our dedicated team at McKay Landscape Lighting works with you to create a custom landscape lighting design that's unique to your property. From design to installation to service, you can count on our team of experts to make sure you are happy with your lighting system for years to come.
