Honeywell PLS750C1000 Timer Switch with Sunrise Sunset Single or 3 Way

I have installed three single way smart switches in my home and a fourth one that is a different model for 3 Way operation. The 3 Way version is this model that this review is about. This is a superior switch when compared to the Intermatic smart switch for several reasons. This switch contains a high quality relay to turn the load off and on. The relay allows the unit to control resistive loads, inductive loads and capacitive loads with no problems. Some cheaper smart switches use electronic switches to turn on the load and they do not work with compact fluorescent bulbs, led bulbs and motors. This Honeywell unit has no problems and is actually rated to handle twice the rated current in the relay. That is good to handle the initial current surges when starting up some types of devices. This Honeywell unit also does not require a battery to operate which I like. That is why I got rid of the Intermatic switches as I got tired of changing the batteries. The Honeywell switches were easy to wire and program. I only use one program on my units to turn on and off security lights on my home. I programmed the switch to turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. Once I set up the time zone and the compensation setting which is in the manual it was completed. Fast and easy. The unit contains an electrolytic capacitor that holds a charge and helps the unit remember your programming if you lose power. The switch is powered by the same AC power that it is controlling. If power is off for too long a time you will have to reprogram the time but that is easy. This is an excellent product and I rated it at 5 stars. I have installed these and they all are working fine. They control our outside security lights and I love the features of these switches. These switches are great. They work well and I love the backlit display that helps you to see the screen when you are programming them. This switch has performed perfectly and I really like the ease of the set up for the product.

After doing a bunch of research, I settled on this Honeywell timer to automatically turn on my outdoor house lights at dusk and then turn them back off at 11:00 each evening. It will let you do much more programming than that, for sure. It is actually pretty impressive overall. I installed it in place of a three way light switch, and it works perfectly—And the other three way switch still works perfectly as well. I am amazed at how confusing this arrangement is for some people. If you have a working three way switch setup with an available neutral wire, this programmable timer should work just fine for you. Yes, you can install this switch at either existing three way switch location. Yes, you need a neutral wire for this switch to work. Yes, it works on LED lights if you have more than a 10.5 watt load. And yes, if you use either switch to manually turn the circuit on or off, the timer continues along with its program and will turn the lights on/off at the next scheduled time just as it should—So you don’t have to “undo” your manual override in any way. Your three way system remains totally intact. If for some reason your wiring isn’t up to code or straightforward, or if you are not comfortable with a three way wiring arrangement, then please by all means call an electrician to put this in for you. I have found it works perfectly, it is easy to install, it is easy to program, and it is smart enough to roll with the constantly changing times for sunrise and sunset, as well as daylight savings time changes. I am totally happy with it. I was considering a wi-fi smart switch, but I’m glad I didn’t go that route. I’m old school and this standalone switch is just smart enough to do what I want without being too complicated or problematic. I just can’t turn my lights on and off from anywhere in the world like I could with a smart switch. I guess I can live with that! So the switch works great. It has great programming capabilities. It works great in a three way circuit. The instructions for installing and programming it are clear. It looks good and it is easy to use. Five stars ‘cause it’s a great product, and I hope this review helps others make an informed choice.

After purchasing and installing the switch made by a more well-known name, it wouldn’t even work. It went in the trash. I purchased this Honeywell switch (actually two of them), installed and programmed them. They work perfectly. The programming wasn’t hard, but it was necessary to follow the instructions carefully. The LCD screen is great, it’s bright and adjustable. It even has a blue LED to show when the switch is on.

Wow is this cool. I've been looking for a creative solution for outside lights, to be able to switch on/off automatically with sunrise and sunset in context and without being on dusk-dawn. My outside fixtures have multiple candelabra base size bulbs (LEDs which work fine with this switch). I was looking for a way to have the lights come on before dawn, shut off at dawn, again turn on at dusk, and turn off before bed - all automatically. Oh, and with provisions for weekend vs. weekday. Similar I suppose in some ways to a programmable digital thermostat. This little unit does all of this. 21 programs max (essentially 3x/day but divvy them up however you like). Easy to make dependent or independent weekend and weekday programs. You enter your latitude and longitude coordinates and the unit calculates your dusk and dawn times daily, and then you can use these times (with offsets +/-) as part of your programs. Adjusts automatically for DST. The main button functions also as a manual program over-ride so the light can be switched on/off just like a conventional switch anytime you like. I had no idea the technology has come this far. This is more or less exactly what I'd been looking for for many years. And like anything Honeywell, it is made very well. User interface and directions are also very good. Very easy to wire in and program. I was done, start to finish (meaning from powering down the breaker to completing programming) in about 30 minutes as a reasonably competent DIY guy. Really well engineered electronic offered at a reasonable price point. Assuming it lasts, I would foresee myself installing many more of these besides the two installed already. Edit: there is one minor issue. Let me explain. I have it setup for a little pre-dawn & post-dusk light, mainly for winter months. Specifically to turn on at 6:25am, turn off at dawn, turn on again at dusk, and finally turn off at 7:45pm. Most people are aware that the earth tilts on its axis and daylight hours are not consistent (further complicated by DST). As illustrated by the attached graph photo, there will be times where the on and off times invert, shown highlighted green. What would the unit do? Unfortunately the unit is not smart enough to detect this and just leave the lights off. The lights come on and stay on until the next program, which essentially means all day for the morning program or all night for the evening program. The lights need to be switched off manually every morning and evening, or the switch needs to be taken out of program mode seasonally. Because of this I've dropped my rating one star.

I installed this 3-way switch to turn front outside lights on and off automatically. I have lights at the front entry and also outside the garage. Make sure you get the 3-way switch if you have two switches controlling the outside lights, like I do, one inside the front entry and one in the garage. I replaced the switch near the front entry door by this switch.The switch is easy to install by following directions. The switch is also easy to program. The directions in the manual are good. You have to enter your approximate longitude and latitude that you can look up from a table included in the manual. The switch knows the sunset and sunrise based on the programmed date/time and automatically turns the lights on and off. It works beautifully. You don't need to worry about programming specific on and off times. The switch does it for you and will adjust as days become shorter or longer. There is a button in the front of the switch that lets you turn off the lights if you want to before going to bed instead of leaving them on until sunrise. Not only is it convenient as a safety measure when you are on vacation, but also on a daily basis because lights are on when you get home after dark. And you will never leave them on all day long by mistake. I am satisfied with the product and happy I purchased it.

Works Great Changes to/from DST perfectly

I got this for the lamppost on my lawn. Installation was as easy as any other light switch and after setting it up for my location I haven’t had to fiddle with it at all.

Just finished my installation and all works perfectly! I have a 3 way setup, 2 switches for my garage and front porch lites: 1 in the garage and 1 in the front hallway. First, I had to determine which switch had the load and which had the power. The color of the wire was no help as the builder used orange, red and brown wiring. The only standard you can count on is white for neutral. I suspected that the 4 red wires in the garage switch that were pigtailed together to the common terminal had to be hot. To verify, I untied the red and verified one to be the hot source. Thankfully, this meant that the hallway had to be the load where I wanted to install the timer, which then matched the installation instructions. Had it been the other way around, I would have had to research further on whether or not you can put a load and hot on the same 3 way or have to rewire slightly to accommodate. Then it was just following the instructions tying the appropriate Econo Switch wires to each respective wall wires: Blue to load, White to white, but then I had to guess which of the 2 brown wires that came off the switch went to black and the other to the yellow. I had a 50-50 chance but I followed the positioning of the existing switch to determine the 3 way wire and it turned out to be correct. Then I placed the supplied jumper on the existing power switch as showed in the wiring diagram (this effectively makes the 3 way a 1 way switch). Turned on the power and the display lit up with the flashing 12:00. Next came the programming: first I set up the time by holding down the large button for 3 seconds, and then the small right button to shift the cursor to the time mode. I then entered the time, day, yr and month as prompted. This by default sets up a program that will turn on your lights at dusk and turn them off at 11pm. Shifting over to the config mode, I set it up for Auto Daylight savings, and entered in the latitude and longitude coordinates as provided in the instruction sheet. Hold the large button again for 3 seconds to save and exit. At this point I have not edited the program to turn off at sunrise yet as I plan to do when I change out the outside bulbs with all LED's. Right now there is 1 incandescent and 2 CFLS. Curious as to why the instructions do not include LED's as an acceptable load.....I suspect that the instructions are old! I will update this review when I make the above changes.

Excellent product.

Took me 10 minutes to install and 5 minutes to setup. Works like a charm and I set it up to turn on at sunset and turn off at sunrise on my exterior lights. Perfect.

Sucks to program

Unlike some other timers I have had, this one has buttons and is easy to program. It is quite intuitive.

This is a 3 way timer switch perfect for my house outdoor lights control, automatically on / off even several times on different time a day, co-work with another manual 3 way switch. With auto daylight saving time adjustment.