Intermatic ST01AC Heavy Duty In-Wall Timer with Astronomic Feature, Almond
by Intermatic
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Our Price: $32.95 Availability: Usually ships in 6-10 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Intermatic ST01AC Heavy Duty In-Wall Timer with Astronomic Feature, Almond
Customer Review: Excellent in-wall timer
Summary: 4 Stars
This timer has all the features I wanted. I use it to control outdoor lighting. Although it has many programming options, I have it set to turn on the lights at dusk and turn them off at dawn. The nice thing is this is an "astronomical" timer, meaning that you can program it for your geographic region and specific dusk/dawn settings for your area. Since it also automatically adjusts for daylight savings time and is controlled completely by a battery, you should never have to re-program it once it is set, unless you want to make changes. Even the programming memory is non-volatile, so if the battery dies, you only have to reset the time and date. The timer programs remain intact.
The other thing I like is the timer does not require a "neutral" wire, which is usually not found in most wall switch boxes. And it is compatible with compact fluorescent lights, motors, etc. It can even be wired as a three-way switch. By simply pressing on the timer's door, you can toggle the switch on and off, so you don't have to open the door.
The only gripe I have is the display is small and hard to see. It would be nice if the display was angled upward a bit. Back lighting the display would also help.
Aside from those minor drawbacks, I am very happy with this timer. It was easy to install and program, and so far works perfectly.
Customer Review: Excellent in-wall timer switch with minor flaws .....
Summary: 5 Stars
I have installed two Intermatic switches (both ST01C - the white version of the product) - one to control the porch light (CFL), and the other to control illumination for something hung over the mantel (LED). One of these installations was single pole, while the other was for a three-way switch.
Both switches have worked extremely well, one for over two years, and the other for about one year. I haven't had to replace the battery in either, and Intermatic has a very good safety record on them - even the original.
The installation is simple for the average DIYer, and the switch is easy to program. The switch can be controlled based on calculated sunrise/sunset times (based on the zone of the country you live in), or preset times. There is a random feature to turn the switch on/off randomly within 15 minutes of the preset times - to give a "lived-in" look when you're away.
There are over twenty individual on or off controls that can be set - this is overkill in both my installations - where I need just a single on-time and a single off-time.
All this is great - here's the one negative. The switches gain about 10-12 minutes every six months, which I fix when we switch to/from daylight savings time. This isn't a big deal for my applications - but it may be for others.
Customer Review: Intermatic Wall Switch Timer Model ST01
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the Intermatic STO1 in wall timer switch to replace older Intermatic timer switches installed in my home and which would not operate if energy efficient CFL lighting is used. I was attracted to the battery backup and astronomic features of the timer which will eliminate resetting the timer after power failures (or momentary spikes), change of seasons (dusk and dawn), and daylight saving time changes. The timer switch came with clear installation instructions and was easy to install and program. After installing the first of six switches that I purchased, I realized that the timer could be programmed after inserting the included CR2 lithium battery and prior to wiring the switch into the wall box which saved time in the installation. Over time (years), the battery for backing up the timer settings will have to be replaced, but this can be accomplished simply through the front access door of the switch without removing A/C power or going into the wall box. The only negative that cause me not to to give this product Five Stars was that the switch makes an annoying (clicking) noise as it turns "On" or as it turns "Off" the circuit which could be a problem if used in bedrooms to control night lights.Customer Review: Intermatic ST01AC
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the absolute best in-wall timer I have ever seen. It has an excellent dusk-on/dawn-off feature that changes with the calendar. The randomization feature is an added bonus.
This is their heavy-duty timer, so it easily works with compact fluorescent lights.
It was easy to install, supports integration with a secondary switch (3-way), and was easy to program. While the display was a little small, and therefore a little difficult to read, it is not something that needs to be read every day.
To date, I have not been able to find its equal.
The three units I have installed are working great, and have been doing so for years.
I noticed another reviewer indicated the unit does not have the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) marking; however, it does have the CSA International marking of "CSA" with a "C" and a "US. This web page has information about this marking: http://www.globalspec.com/reference/3297/Underwriters-Laboratories-UL-Marks
A call to my local electrical code enforcement agency told me that as long as the unit was marked with "CSA" and "US", it was fine.
Customer Review: Product is Recalled due to Shock Hazard
Summary: 2 Stars
I use this switch to turn on the lights on my front porch during winter on weekdays. As far as programming the switch, you can:
1) choose between every day, weekdays or weekend
2) start/end time you can choose a fixed time or use the dusk/dawn time which changes depending on what time of the year it is.
There's also functionality to randomly shift the start/end times a bit. I've had this product for 2 years and works great for me, the only problem is you can't program this switch without looking at the instructions, so don't toss it away.
The reason I give it 2 stars is because this product has been recalled. Do a search on (your favorite search engine) for this product and you'll find that it's been recalled, the problem is when you replace the battery (that powers the clock and programmable features), you could touch the internal metal parts and receive an electric shock. Sounds scary, right? So don't buy this product. Unfortunately the others available on the market sucks as well. I got a GE one from Home depot and it doesn't even have enough instructions on how to install it, so I returned that one.