Intermatic PR3C Three-in-One Emergency Power Failure Light
by Intermatic
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List Price: Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Intermatic PR3C Three-in-One Emergency Power Failure Light
Customer Review: If your power goes out a lot
Summary: 3 Stars
I've owned these for a few years and I just purchased another here on Amazon.
Basically, these lights are plugged into an outlet and have a little neon pilot light that lights up. When the power goes out, the flashlight comes on. There is a switch on the bottom to control this behavior, so it can work completely manually.
I find this is useful for lighting area that you need to walk in the dark at night with no power. It's also useful to use as a quick flashlight if you need one in a hurry.
The light lasts perhaps 15-30 minutes at full brightness and it will gradually get dimmer. I can't say how long it takes to go down to something too dim to be useful. However, if you want a flashlight, this is not the best choice.
The neon pilot light always stops working on these after a few years, and they're a little expensive for what you get. But this is the only low-cost emergency lighting choice. They're pretty much no-fuss.
Customer Review: Glad I bought these before the storm of '06!
Summary: 4 Stars
I had one of these for YEARS, when it finally died (no fault of its own, it was old). I LOVED it. Was very handy. So, I was quite excited to find them here on Amazon, so I bought 5 of them. 1 for the powder room, the kids bathroom, and various hallway outlets. I'm glad I got them when I did, because a few weeks later, the 'Blast of 2006' knocked out power all over the PNW. These came in SO handy when the power went out in the middle of the night. By placing them in the hallways and bathrooms, it was easy to find my way for that 'late night run'.
Don't expect the battery to last a LONG time on each charge, as they don't, which is why I give them 4 stars instead of 5. They are a short term convenience, but oh such a nice convenience. The fact that they double as a night night when the power is on is an added bonus.
Make sure you get enough for all the bathrooms and hallways! And, when the power goes out, turn them off to save battery life.
Customer Review: A little behind the times
Summary: 3 Stars
We received one of these from my employer (Earth day giveaway, I believe) back in 2000 or 2001. It is supposed to act as a night light while the rechargeable battery inside ensures that, when the power goes off, the night light stays on. When unplugged, it can be used as an emergency flashlight. Additional convenience is provided by its pass through front power outlet.
Many years later, the rechargeable battery is completely dead but I do remember having used it as a flashlight a couple of times in the past. It's still acting as a night light in one of our bathrooms but the light it produces is no longer bright enough to be used on a staircase.
At this time (2009) this item represents old technology. Current LED-based lights that usually turn themselves off during the day are a lot more power efficient. As for emergency flashlights, a wide variety of inexpensive, usually LED-based crank devices are available - we have a few.
Customer Review: Great idea, but failed when put to the test
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this about a year ago...we needed it because our basement is pitch black, and needed something that would come on when the power went off, otherwise the kids would be scared to death.
Well, our power went off recently, and guess what? It didn't work. Although the nightlight function (the orange glow) was fine with the power on, the automatic bright light did not work when the power went off. I don't know if it is the built in rechargable battery or something else, but when tested it months ago it was fine. Maybe because it was constantly plugged in? But if it can't be plugged in all the time, what good is it in an emergency when you need it?
I'm going to try to get a free replacement because in my opinion, this is exactly what the function of this is supposed to be, but what confidence can I have in a new one if it can fail after a year when it is really needed?
Customer Review: Lasted a year so far
Summary: 4 Stars
Although this is not exactly my idea of the perfect light, it pretty much does the job. The main thing I like about it is that it has the extra outlet, so that even though it covers up both outlets, you still have access to two. That's important when it's placed in a bathroom. The things I don't like are 1) It's bulky--too wide to fit in my hand comfortably 2)the flashlight mode is not very bright, although it's acceptable 3)It doesn't last long enough when the power is out. 4) I would like to have the ability to turn off the night light. 5) I wish it could stand up on its own and act like a lamp.
Even with all those limitations, though, I would still recommend it. It has lasted a year and is still fine. If you read the reviews on other similar lights, they all have limitations and most cover up both outlets.
I just wish they'd improve it a little.