Customer Reviews for Defiant 20-Amp 7-Day 7-Event In-Wall Digital Timer

This product does what it is supposed to do with no problems. I have 3 of these to control outdoor light timing. For programming I use the DST, DAWN (off) DUSK (on) CENT zone settings. I never have to touch the timer again. Easy to install by the directions provided.

I installed this over the weekend "before" daylight savings (DST) kicked in and so far so good. Time adjusted properly overnight from CST to CDT. I'm only using the P1 (program one) of the seven to turn on an outside light at dusk and off at dawn. Some things to consider before you purchase and install. 1. Documentation does not indicate what happens to the setup/programming after a power outage. I simulated one and it retained the Setup (e.g. time of day, etc.) but not the programming. I had to reprogram my P1 settings. See other reviews for additional observations on how long it retained its info during an outage. 2. I did not see a way to easily change a setting in the Setup without having to redo the entire setup. E.g. I wanted to just change my Zone setting but when I entered the Setup dialog it forced me to set everything all over again -- date, time, etc. 3. The cutout in the faceplate to view the screen could be a little taller at the top. Meaning, when trying to view the top line of the display (which has days of the week for when setting up the programs) it's partially covered causing you to have bend down to read it. And the further you increase your viewing angle the display characters fade; less contrast, making it even harder to read. 4. This is more of a general note to these type of switches that have a large/deep housing. You shouldn't have a problem installing this if it is the only switch (assuming there are not a lot wires passing through / tied off in the electrical box) but if there is another switch that also has a large/deep housing component (e.g. a dimmer), you may not have enough room in the box to install this digital timer and all its wires. Remember, unlike conventional single pole switches which do NOT require a neutral wire this switch does (presumably to have constant power for the display and the software programming). Hopefully you have a deep electrical box which I didn't. It took a lot of mashing to get my dimmer and new digital timer switch back into the box.

Reliable and easy to install. I purchase one 6 months ago and it worked so well I have added one more. If you use this plan ahead as it requires a lot of space in the switch box. I have an older house so i added a box extension

Bought this product to control outside Christmas lights via an outside outlet. This timer replaced a manual switch that was already wired. Unit was easy to install with good diagrams on how to wire the unit. The ease of programming the unit is great for something you don't change that often. You can change the programming for each day of the week. You can set the on/off times for 7 different programs. The on/off include the time, dusk to dawn and a couple more. The unit also has a manual mode to turn the unit on/off by just pressing the door that you see in the picture.

Easy to install for any DIY'er. Programming is not too difficult. So far it works perfectly!

I purchased this timer to control my porch light. I often leave the house before dark and return after dark. In order to avoid leaving a light on all day and to make the house appear more "lived in" I added timers to some of my light switches. This timer was easy to install, (I'm a mid-sixty year old grandma with little electrical experience) and the timer is easy to program as long as you have the instructions in front of you. The timer has been functioning properly and I really like that I can have multiple programs for different days of the week and different times of the day. Over-riding the timer is easy and you have the option to either override all the timer functions so that it becomes a manual switch or you can do a 'short term' over-rider and the timers will resume the scheduled programing. As with all in wall timers I've encountered, this is a large device and you'll want to make sure you have enough room in your box for all the wires and the timer to properly fit back into the wall box. The only complaint I have with this timer is the programing buttons on the inside of the panel are so incredibly small that it is VERY difficult to read the print on them when i want to add or change a program.

This was fairly easy to install because it was a replacement for one that only lasted 2 months. These work great and are really nice when your away for a couple of days. Hopefully this one lasts longer.

Excellent timer. easy to install and works great. Turns on and off at dusk and dawn, when I want lights on and off automatically. One downside,backside size is a bit big, so if you want to fit it into an old wall outlet, it might be a bit tricky, however when installed, works great. Light is an added extra, thought not very necessary.

After an easy install, I pushed the face plate to switch the lights on and the minuscule pin holding the plate on broke. Functionality is one thing, but the timer without the face plate looks horrible.

This product is the exactly same one with the GE Sunsmart Switch. GE product is $9 cheaper than Defiant. From when Defiant became more expensive than GE? Installation was easy but you need enough space in the switch box. If not, it's difficult to fit it into the box. I had to replace the box from 3 gang to 4 gang box. Pros: Work as expected. LCD backlight look beautiful. Cons: Expensive(than GE). Too big to fit into a small box. Neutral: Programming. Manual.

With a little knowledge of how electricity and wiring works, this is very easy to hook up. I did have some difficulty getting the timer to fit in my box, and there is NO WAY I could fit another one beside it (like I originally wanted to). It does require the use of the white neutral wire, but in newer construction that shouldn't be a big issue. It fits nicely and looks good next to the other switches. Programming is a breeze too. The only thing that I would change is make the little cover door a bit more robust. While "man handling" mine to make it fit, one of the little nubs broke off the hinge part. Everything still works fine, I just have to "work" with it to get the little door back on after it's opened. Not a huge deal since once it's set, you really don't need to open it again. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase. I got it to turn on/off the up lights outside our house so that there is some kind of light out front at night. Does what it's supposed to do, so I'm happy.

I installed this switch several weeks ago and have had no problems. I would suggest you have a basic understanding of wiring if you want to install this yourself. The directions could be a little clearer. Once installed it was easy to set up and use. I have not had a problem with the switch losing its programming when the power goes out. I've turned the circuit breaker off to this switch several times and the programming stays. The little door seems strong enough for me. It's not like you're going to be opening it all the time. It's a set it and forget it type of thing. This has been the perfect solution for turning my outside lights on and off at dusk and dawn. A great security addition.

I was looking for a timer that would turn my outdoor lights on automatically since I go to bed before it gets dark. I've never replaced any of my switches before but the electrician (Chibuzor) was very helpful and walked me through the whole process of installing the timers. Very easy to install thanks to Chibuzor expert advice. Timers work perfectly, I really like the daylight saving feature on this model, it adjust the time automatically which saves me the hassle of changing the time every week. The timers were easy to program. Only had them installed about a week now but I haven't had any problem with them so far.

Simple to install, and turns the lights on and off as described. Good value for the money.

I previously had purchased a similar timer made by Utilitech. But, they no longer make it. I needed one so I bought this one. It works perfectly. It was very easy to program. I had a wiring question so I called their tech support and quickly had it wired and working.

Somewhat difficult to get setup but works as expected to control exterior lighting.

I used one of these to replace a similar GE model (damned near identical but for the brand!) that had failed. The only trouble installing this was the fact that it went into a 3-gang box which made for a lot of crowding. The instructions might have been a little clearer--but I knew from looking at the diagram that the blue wire was intended to connect to the "load" and the black one to the "line." (If you don't know this elementary difference between load and line you should not be playing around with electrical wires!). Got the thing installed okay but found that after programming my outside lights did not turn on at dusk and off at dawn. Called the help line and learned my mistake: After programing the "Initial Setup" I never went on to the next step (which is clearly stated in the instructions) "Programming ON/OFF Events." Duh. The very nice electrician from Home Depot's help line was kind enough not to point out what a dork I was. Now that I have followed ALL the instructions the device works perfectly. Just like the one before it. And another we have had running for 3 years. My only problem was RTFI: Read the frigging instructions--even if you think you know it all! It may not keep time quite as accurately as my iPhone but it does a great job turning on at dusk and off at dawn, which is what I want. THe other features sound interesting but I have not tried them.

The product is well-designed with easy setup features. However, the installation instructions could be more in-depth with possible situations. Fortunately, the Customer Help line provided me with an immediate technician who explained how to circumvent my difficulty...very impressive service. I was replacing an older digital/mechanical timer which only required 2 wires to function. This new In-wall timer had 4 wires which included the ground. He explained that the third white wire must be buried in the box. Sure enough after taking out the other switches to access the entire box, a set of white wires were taped together along with some extra drywall mud. Once I was able to get to these wires, connect the new timer switch, I had a great product. The timer works great with a nice large display and illumination.

The timer was easy to install and works perfect! There are no hassles or cons to get it work. It is a perfect choice for having an on the wall timer.

It was programmed for my location, dusk and dawn times, and turns my lights on at dusk and off at a time I programmed. Handled the daylight savings time change, and also has a security feature to vary the times. Fit in a standard box.

I use for my outside lights. Wiring is slightly more complicated given it was for a 2-way switch. Only downside is when the power goes out, you have to reprogram the entire thing (which isn't hard). Product is able to have multiple settings. Its nice to have lights on when I leave in the morning and when I get home at night with no effort from me. The random setting allows lights to adjust every day slightly.

The two good things about this dimmer is that it's supposed to adjust automatically to daylight hours and it appears to be heavy duty. I say that's it's heavy duty because of its 20 amp service and 10 gauge wires that are permanently attached for the hot & ground wires. The problem is these 10 gauge wires are very stiff and hard to work with. They come straight out of the back of this dimmer, so you will need a deep box. Worse is the size of this dimmer, it's bigger than a GFI switch, so you will need a wide box too. Ultimately, this was just too tight of a fit for my double work box which had another switch beside it. I ended up purchasing a separate double gang box and using this dimmer on a different light. After all the connections were made. This dimmer and wires took up all the space of a Double (32 cubic inch) work box. The back-light of this unit stays on 24/7 too

I just recently installed this timer switch as a replacement for an analog timer that broke. The only real concern was that this new digital timer had five (5) wires (blue, black, red, white and green) and the previous one had two (2) black wires. After speaking to a couple of electricians and reviewed the wiring I was able to install the switch here is the wiring I used for the new timer: (The instructions basically had the same layout for a single pole switch) * Black - terminated to the bunch of black lines that were tided together * Blue - terminated it to the other black line that ran to the lights (I think) * Green - terminated it to the copper ground wire * White - connected it to the bunch of white neutral that were tied together * Red - capped it did not need to use it It was tight to the get the everything back into the box the number of additional wires and the box itself for the timer is a little big so space will be at a premium. The setup of the timer was pretty straight forward just follow the directions. The manual button worked fine and timer executed just as expected. Make sure you sync up your zone where you live. *** Oh do not forget to buy a new face plate to support the new switch...I had to run out and get one after installation. *** Best wishes to all.

I have been using this timer for a little more than a week, and so far, I think it is a fantastic product. I have it controlling my front porch CFL-bulbed light. I had to use some guesswork on the installation, (2 of the wires provided weren't used) but then, I don't like to read directions, and the ones provided had very small print, almost too small for my 68-year old eyes. I did have to try a couple times to get the switch into the wall and share the space in a 4x4 box with an existing plain 3-way switch. Programming was involved, but not difficult. Once installed, I think it looks pretty classy and modern. I'm going to get a second one for the back porch.

Wanted a simple, compact, in-the-switchbox light timer for my front carriage/porch and garage/driveway lights and one for the back yard/shed area. I specifically wanted the dusk/dawn on feature for security lighting around my house. Chose this timer, bought two of them. Installed a few days ago. The instructions were OK mostly. Set the time/date etc and the Dawn/Dusk/zone times/location. Instructions weren't real clear how to get the timer to actually turn on/off the lights. Went through the instructions a few times and figured them out and got the simple sequence I wanted. It wasn't clear in the instructions that once the date/time and dawn/dusk times are set, you then have to go into the Programming mode by the prog button and set a daily time for the dusk turn on and dawn turn off to work. I was able to get the daily on and off times to say not a time but the previously set Dawn and Dusk by using the up down scroll buttons to display the words in the time set on/off mode and pressing the set button apparently set the timer to turn on tonight at dusk which it did and I assume it will go off at the dawn preset time. I'm now hoping that as the specs say it will compensate for the shortening daylight times this fall and I won't have to continually adjust on/off times of dusk/dawn. I simply used the local sunrise and sunset times but it's not that dark at sunset and fairly light at dawn so I may back the times up a bit so they're on a bit later and off a bit earlier. I'm satisfied with the units. I'm somewhat geeky and handy with electrical/mechanical stuff, for years, so install was a simple careful connection job and programming worked out.

This timer is definitely a pain in the neck to program. Glad I've always kept the instructions in a nearby drawer. However, I haven't had a problem with it working to do its job -- for 18 months. Today, after 1-1/2 years of use, it's dead. These timers only come with a 1-year warranty, so I suppose I should be happy to have gotten 6 more months out of it. But, seriously, should we have to replace these so often?

I use several of these timers on a local campus. They control outside lighting. They drive relays so the current through the timer itself is minimal. There have been two failures over a 1-2 year period, both due to power outages. Symptoms: the display was blank and the relay didn't respond to the front button toggle. Digging into one of the dead units it's apparent that nothing had smoked. The power board (with the relay) was still supplying the 3VDC to the logic (CPU and display board). The power board appears to lack much, if anything, in the way of transient protection circuitry. There appears to be some diode protection circuitry on the logic board but obviously the loss and reapplication of power was not good for the logic board. I wish these timers were more robust.

Terrible instructions come with this timer. I would not recommend it. Plus, it should be easier to find the instructional video.

This product is a nightmare to program. Extremely overengineered.

Installed this timer as a replacement for an older timer that did not adjust automatically for changes in "dawn and dusk" timing. I have it set to go on at dusk and off at 11 PM. Seems to be working just fine. Very pleased!