How do you turn the lights on?

[jaizei]

Do you turn everything on manually every morning and then off in the evening? Or is everything on timers/thermostats?

Does anyone use the fancier controllers like these:
http://ecozonevivarium.com/
http://www.digitalaquatics.com/herpetology/


I use timers for all my lights. I don't like turning the lights on abruptly, from complete darkness to bright lights; I prefer to turn them on a bit after sunrise. And I'm usually long gone by the time the sun rises. I really liked the concept of the plug strips with the built in timers but then realized it had too many limitations. So I threw this together a few months ago, I've changed the devices around a little but it's basically the same idea.

 

[Tony the tank]

Wow...that must have taken some time is it all on one circuit?...I have 4 lights on the ceiling of each enclosure... First bulb lights at 6am(60watts) second bulb at 6:20am (300 watt ) third bulb at 6:40(300 watts )and fourth bulb at 7am(300watts) at 7:15 all the UVB bulbs light....

At night the opposite ...

I'm running 4-20amp breakers.

 

[Jacqui]

Since I am home, I do everything manually and no two days are lights and heat turned on at exactly the same time, or for as long, or as hot/cool. Everything changes daily, just as it does outside.

When I was on the road, everything was on timers. Also everything was staggered, too. I would find every time I came home, that due to power interruptions and the like, that anything on timers would then be off the time I had set them for. For instance, some of the lights would be coming on or staying on, during the night hours.

I had the house heat on one of those thermostats where you could program different temps for different days and different times at different temps, too.

 

[jaizei]

Wow...that must have taken some time is it all on one circuit?...I have 4 lights on the ceiling of each enclosure... First bulb lights at 6am(60watts) second bulb at 6:20am (300 watt ) third bulb at 6:40(300 watts )and fourth bulb at 7am(300watts) at 7:15 all the UVB bulbs light....

At night the opposite ...

I'm running 4-20amp breakers.

It's all 1 circuit, at least for now. I only have about 900 watts connected at any one time. I've thought about installing a few dedicated circuits, but they're really unnecessary at the moment and would just be for future use. And the adjacent walls are all exterior, and the thought off trying to fish something down them isn't very appealing.

 

[Tony the tank]

I'm running a lot of wattage... The oil heaters alone get there own dedicated circuits.. At 1500 watts.. Then 6 - 275 watt UVB bulbs... The ambient lighting is the lowest all CFL at 86watts each(equivalent to 300 watts incadesent)

I wish there was a way to lower the electrical use.... I swear I can hear the meter spinning as I walk by

 

[ascott]

Hector, I hear the meter running from here

 

[wellington]

There is a way to lower electric bills, go solar And If you figure out a cheap way to install, let me know, that's what I would like to do for my torts outside future.

 

[Tom]

I use timers for all my lights. Much easier that way. I use thermostats for my ambient heaters like CHEs and oil heaters.

The best way to save electricity is to seal and insulate whatever you've got really well.

 

[dmmj]

I use the clapper.
No seriously since I work from home I use manual, if I was not at home, I would most likely use timers.

 

[cherylim]

Manual. At the moment, it's a simple case of putting it on before I go to work, and off just before bed.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Everything is on automatic timers.

 

[GBtortoises]

The room is two different circuits which are each on their own timers. The one with the general room lights and UVB flourescents in each enclosure comes on about 15 minutes before the basking light circuit. Then the opposite sequence at night with about a half hour difference. Not really high tech but it's worked well for a long time so I've left it alone.

 

[Guggie]

How do I turn the lights on? I wear my sexiest outfit.

Ryan

 

[Maggie Cummings]

All of the lights and heaters and CHE's in Bob's shed are on timers but here in the house I use manual. That way I get to see every tortoise or turtle and how they look and I pick out poop and I talk to each one and make sure all the lights and heaters are working...

 

[Yvonne G]

All of mine are outside, and since I have to open doors and check them then close doors, etc. I turn them on and off manually.

 

[tyler0912]

Manually,