What is a smart time switch?
smart time switchs, also known as timer switches, are simple programmable relays used in multiple domestic (automatic watering trigger/stop), tertiary (lighting/signage on/off) or industrial applications. smart time switchs are often used in electrical installations to switch on/off electrical equipment and program periodic events.
Sometimes timer switches are called "electrical panel programmer" or "electrical panel clocks" because they have a modular form, making them easy to install alongside circuit breakers.
What are the different types of smart time switchs?
There are several types of smart time switchs available on the market. The most common types are digital smart time switchs, analog smart time switchs, and astronomical smart time switchs:
- Digital smart time switchs are equipped with an LCD screen and various buttons that allow you to program the time as well as all the switching of the internal relay. There is a specific family of these programmers: the programmable weekly clocks, as their name suggests, they are used to program on/off cycles on a weekly basis.
- Analog smart time switchs are equipped with hands that rotate around a dial. The programming of the switching of the internal relay is done by moving the hands. The rest of the operation follows the same principle as the digital timer switch, but on a daily basis.
- Astronomical smart time switchs are used to adapt the switching times to the evolution of the sunrise and sunset times. Be careful not to confuse these astronomical clocks with twilight switches that switch according to the actual brightness measured by a sensor (a heavy thunderstorm in summer can cause the contacts of a twilight switch to close even during daylight).
Finally, for each of these programmable smart time switch categories, there are models that can control 1 or 2 electrical circuits. They are called timer switches with 1 or 2 inverters.
How to choose a smart time switch?
When choosing a smart time switch, there are several factors to consider to ensure that you choose the one that best suits your needs.
Here are some key considerations:
- The duration of the programming time loop: daily, weekly, yearly
- Type of smart time switch: digital or analog
- The intensity of the circuit to be controlled: timer switches commonly switch from 5A to 10A in single phase. In the event that the electrical circuit to be controlled is higher than these intensities, simply add a contactor of the necessary power whose coil will be controlled by the contacts of the timer switch.
- Features: Do you need the astronomical function or not?
- Precision: Depending on the models, programming can be accurate to the minute or to the nearest half hour.
- Ease of use: If you have a lot of switching, programming smart time switchs can sometimes be tedious because the LCD screen and buttons are quite small.
OPTIM-ELEC.com offers LETTEL, SCHNEIDER and FINDER timer switches that allow comfortable programming on your smartphone (without a subscription) and then transfer it to the clock using contactless technology (NFC).
Read this article to find out how to connect your time switch to an electrical panel.
