Intermatic EJ500C Indoor Digital Wall Switch Timer
by Intermatic
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Intermatic EJ500C Indoor Digital Wall Switch Timer
Customer Review: Replaced a vintage 1990 3-way switch
Summary: 4 Stars
I had to replace a 1990 Intermatic 3-way switch that died in 2011. This replacement switch was easy to install to replace the dead one. The only negative is that the old one included a dimmer capability. I couldn't find such a replacement. So I'm happy with what I got. The programming is a little complex, so save the instructions. On the other hand, if the device works as stated with daylight savings time and sunset automatic adjustments, you'll never have to program the sucker again. It is also a little deeper than what it replaced so I had to be careful as I moved the house wiring around in the 3 switch box this beast was installed in. Again, a little more work for a replacement, but I couldn't find anything else on the market that was better. When you replace 20 year old electronics there is always some pain. I didn't need an aspirin for this job and didn't emit any four letter words!Customer Review: batteries run flat
Summary: 3 Stars
I use this item to turn a pond pump on and off according to a schedule. It works well. The only problem is the little batteries that make it tick run flat and I have to buy them. I'd estimate they last no more than 4-6 months and they cost quite a bit.
Besides that, it only holds 4.4 amps. Presently, I'm looking for the same thing on a circuit with an 8.4 amp load -- an electronic ballast. I tried a GE unit that indicates 15A rating. It won't hold the load and shuts itself off after 5 seconds. Nearly all the units I see won't handle electronic ballasts at all or won't handle more than 5 amp loads if the load is an electronic ballast. At least GE unit appears to have internal batteries that apparently last forever.
I might go with the Honeywell which has at least one unit that looks like it can handle 12 amp electronic ballasts, but it's nearly $50!
Customer Review: Nice idea, but ...
Summary: 1 Stars
It would be a great product if it actually worked. After countless hours (yes, hours) of trying to program and making it work, I have decided to replace it with the old wall switch again. The only way this product worked (at least for me) was by manually turning the lights on and off. I can do that with my old, $1.50 wall switch! Possibly the problem was that the item I had purchased was a "Lowes" return but I didn't notice that it was a previous customer return until I was at home and didn't feel like driving 60 miles back to Lowes. Instead I installed it, which was easy enough but that's where the ease stoppped. Set-up instructions are horrible and like I said earlier, none of the programming worked. Neither auto, random, or custom. Without a backlit display, this thing is rather difficult to see in a garage. Very disappointing for $25.Customer Review: Problems with small base bulbs
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this timer and within the first day it kept losing the time and turning the lights on. I was controlling only one overhead fixture on my front porch with incandescent bulbs (3 x 60w). I called Intermatic customer service and the technician (Bob) asked me about the type of lights. I explained what I had, but the minute I said that the bulbs were candelabra-base he stopped me and said, "Those small base bulbs will drive the timer crazy.". I didn't get all the technical stuff (something about a different kind of filament). I even asked if I'd missed something in the instructions. I made sure my wattage and type of bulb (incandescent) were covered. He admitted that the instructions were not complete. He said I should return the EJ500C and buy the ST01C, which would be fine with these type of bulbs. I'll give that a try.Customer Review: Good timer
Summary: 4 Stars
We purchased one of these four years ago to control our entry lights. That was the last time we touched it. The unit asks you to set the turn on - off times, and set the time and date when you install it, then you really don't have to do much else. With the auto adjust feature, it resets for daylight savings time, and one setting will automatically turn the lights on when it's getting close to dusk, then off at your preselected time - nice if you don't want to install a photocell or manually change start times throughout the year.
My only complaint is that the LCD screen is very small, particularly showing day of week, which means when you do decide to change times you'll have to really squint to see what you're doing. But fortunately, for most, this won't be a regular event.