Mechanical outlet timers are devices that help us in many situations like ensuring our living spaces are illuminated when we arrive home, our coffee is ready when we wake, and our garden plants receive their scheduled water or light.
I can’t possibly enlist all the possible scenarios, but you get the idea. A mechanical timer allows you to control the power to an electrical outlet based on a predetermined schedule.
They are simple and easy to use.
The only problem is, that there are so many timers out there, and it might confuse you what to select.
Well, ..
In this blog, I’ll dive deep into some of the best mechanical outlet timers. Whether you’re a seasoned user or someone just discovering this nifty tool, we explore its features, benefits, and some clever ways to incorporate it into your daily life.
Let’s get started.
Choosing the best mechanical outlet timer
Outlet timers come in many forms and all of them work. So choosing the right one for yourself boils down to who can do the job accurately and properly.
After extensive research, reading a lot of reviews, and making comparisons, I have concluded that the general electric mechanical timer plug is the best mechanical outlet timer in terms of brand recognition and affordability.
Below are the parameters based on which we selected this product; it is also something you need to keep in mind.
a. Load capacity
Load capacity in planes and simple terminology means how much load or wattage a device can handle before it burns or malfunctions. Generally speaking, high load capacity is always better.
1800 watts or 15 amps is the ideal load capacity of any outlet timer, anything below this is not ideal for most indoor appliances and outdoor as well.
b. Number of ports
You have to be aware that this factor will determine how many devices you would be able to hook to it. But there is an alternative way to get more ports.
If you need more ports then I would suggest you just attach a normal power strip to it. Make sure you do that in case of indoor use. It’s not recommended for outdoor activities.
c. Manual override
Having a manual override switch in the mechanical timer is very handy. Often we don’t need the device so unplugging and replugging the timer can become annoying after a while.
Go for an outlet timer that has an override button because this will allow you to seamlessly change between different modes without unplugging the timer.
d. Control
It’s an old-school timer with mechanical wheels and dials which would allow you to control the timer and set it to whatever time frame your heart desires and the situation requires.
Most mechanical outlet timers come with pins that you push and pull to set up. Depending on the timer each pin consists of either 15 min or 30 min. I would recommend you go for a device with the smallest period per pin.
e. Design
The design of a timer outlet plays a key role in the usability of the device. They are usually used in Indoor situations so it should not be an eyesore to look at.
Look for an outlet timer that is up to date when it comes to the style and it should look seamless in the wall with other outlet boards without catching much attention.
The design should be stylish and thoughtful. It should not render the deep below outlet post useless at this early time or is plugged in
f. Home Safety
Home safety is always important to consider when buying a timer outlet of any kind because this is the feature that protects your house.
The home safety feature will turn on and off the lights in your home at random intervals to give an illusion as if someone is living in the house to keep the bed guys out.
List of the top mechanical outlet timer
Below is the list of products that we have selected after keeping the above parameters in mind.
1. Our Selected: GE Mechanical timer plug
General Electric was founded in 1892. It’s a company that has a repetition of presenting innovative solutions to everyday problems. With more than 100 years of experience, they have mastered the art of solving problems.
Their GE mechanical timer plug (Amazon link) is a one-of-a-kind product with excellent functionality and robust reliability along with ease of use and affordable price tags making it the best mechanical outlet timer on the market.
The Good
Here are some of the good aspects of this device.
It has a higher load capacity: High load capacity means you can use it on a variety of appliances such as coffee machines, microwaves, air conditioning, and lights.
Lights such as lamps, LEDs, and even fluorescent lights can be controlled easily with the help of this mechanical outlet timer
It gives you two outlet ports: Two sports are more than enough. But if you need more quotes then you can simply attach a normal power strip to one of its outlets.
I like having two ports because that way if one port decides not to work then it would not render the whole timer outlet useless. You would still be able to use it.
It has a manual overwrite button at the top: Although it is such a simple thing to think about, trust me it makes a world of a difference.
It gets annoying when you don’t need the outlet timer and you have to plug and unplug it to use the normal outlet. The override button simply makes the whole process very seamless.
The pin action is easy to use and provides excellent control: If you want to set the timer then you just have to push some pain up and down and you are also good to go. It’s that simple.
The design is beautiful and thoughtful: It is designed for Indoor activities so the design is very stylish and complements the Indoor interior. It’s not too flashy but it’s not too bland as well.
It’s just a perfect balance between flash and elegance. You wouldn’t even notice it when you plug it into the wall. It just blends with the wall as if it was always there.
This mechanical timer comes with a home safety feature: One of the things that I like about this timer outlet is that this outlet timer gives you the feature of home safety.
This mechanical timer plug would turn off and on the lights in your house at random intervals to give a sense that the home is occupied. Keeping the bad guys out for good.
The Bad
Here are some of the bad aspects of this mechanical timer plug.
- It creates a ticking sound. So I would not recommend you use it near the bed.
- The push pins are flimsy.
Other than these two bad apples this is a solid mechanical plug timer.
The Downright Ugly
There is only one fault that is just simply downright ugly. That is the minimum time interval for each pin is 30 minutes. 30 minutes is too long for indoor activities such as cooking or making coffee.
2. Also Great: BN-Link mechanical timer
Bn-Link specializes in home automation. This company promises to make your home as automated and convenient as possible. That is why they are dominating the market.
Their mechanical timer is simply unbeatable when it comes to functionality and reliability. This timer is in a head-to-head competition with some of the best mechanical timer plugs that are competing in the same space.
Important features:
- It comes with a load capacity of 1875 watts. Which is plenty enough for endor appliances such as coffee machines, air conditioning, and lights.
- There is only one outlet port on this timer outlet. In case you need more quotes then you can just simply attach a normal power strip to it.
- The red overwrite button on the side of this plug timer should allow you to use it as a normal outlet in case you don’t need it.
- It is a mechanical outlet timer so it has a wheel and pin action to control the outlet time.
- It is a very stylish timer which looks good in Indoor interiors. It blends in with the interior seamlessly.
- This timer does not have any home security features but you can set it to random times to make your version of home security.
In short, the BN-Link mechanical timer (Amazon link) is a great mechanical outlet timer. It offers a plethora of features at a very affordable price.
Other than the fact there is only one outlet port. It has a high load capacity, two ports, manual override, a good design, and home security features. It also makes it a great option to consider.
3. Also Great: NSi RHB32RC
This company was founded in 1975. It specializes in industrial products and produces some of the highest quality products that dominate the market.
The RHB32RC offers an abundance of quality, functionality, and reliability without sacrificing anything. It is a robust device designed for outdoor appliances.
Important features:
- It has a high load capacity of 1800 watts. That means it is perfect for outdoor appliances such as pumps, sprinklers, irrigation, and even air conditioning.
- It has two outlet ports which is enough for most outdoor activities.
- This outdoor mechanical outlet timer does not have an override switch.
- You can easily control it with the pen and dial system which allows you to set it to the time setting for your desired settings.
- This outdoor timer outlet is not designed for indoor use so that is why it is not pretty to look at but it’s very capable.
- It does not come with a home safety feature but you can program it yourself to make your version of insecurity.
In summary, the RHB32RC (Amazon link) is also a great mechanical outlet timer when it comes to functionality reliability in capability.
It offers a load capacity of 1800 watts, it also gives you two outlet ports and an easy-to-program dial and pins system along with robust build quality. It’s a very good option to consider.
Conclusion
Having a mechanical outlet timer is like having a personal assistant. It keeps a check on things when you are not around and makes sure they are turned off when they are not needed.
It’s a very affordable way to automate the most repetitive tasks around the house like feeding the fish in aquariums or the lights for indoor plants. You can also use it to control the lights in the living room and much more.
It keeps the home safe and saves you a lot of money in electricity bills in the long run. But how do you buy one you might ask?
Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind before buying a mechanical timer plug.
- Load Capacity
- Number of ports
- Override switch
- Control
- Design
- Home Safety
To cut it short. The GE mechanical timer plug (Amazon link) is the best mechanical outlet timer on the market. It is from a very reputable brand and it also offers the best when it comes to functionality.
This timer outlet has a higher load capacity, two ports, an override switch, and an easy-to-control dial and pin action along with an excellent design and home safety feature with a very affordable price tag.
Questions
To clear any further doubts, here are the most frequently asked questions about mechanical plug timers.
Q1. Do mechanical timers make noise?
Yes, they make noise. Not load enough but they do indeed.
They use analog systems with a lot of moving parts. It is quiet but I would not recommend you use it near where you sleep. It is noticeably loud at night time when there is silence everywhere.
Q2. Why do mechanical timers stop working
These timer plugs use analog mechanisms which consist of a lot of gears and springs. With time those wheels, gears, and springs develop rust due to corrosion.
Sometimes the gear breaks and that can lead to its malfunctioning. Power surges are also a big cause of malfunction in these timer plugs.
Q3. How much power does a mechanical timer use?
A typical device would consume about 1 watt per hour. If you are talking about how much power it consumes in a whole day then it is 24 watts which is pretty low.
Q4. Do mechanical timers need batteries?
No, it does not require batteries to operate.
The mechanical analog system allows it to run without batteries and utilize the electricity from the wall to work. But that is also a big issue. You have to reprogram it in case of an electricity outage.
Q5. Does a mechanical timer outlet save electricity?
Yes, it does.
Mechanical outlet timer takes care of the appliances for you and automates tasks that require human presence. By automating everything around your house you eliminate the room for error.
This results in efficient energy use which results in low energy waste.
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