Automated Outdoor Lighting - dusk to dawn, or scheduled

In this video, Chris shows 3 ways to automate your outdoor lighting so they work in unison without having to manually turn switches on and off each night.
LINKS TO PRODUCTS SHOWN (in order of appearance):
➤➤Shop Urban Ambiance Lighting 👉🏻 handydad.tv/uram
Search for "Brussels" to find my exact lights (SKU: UHP1184).
➤➤Dusk to Dawn Light Bulbs (frosted) 👉🏻 handydad.tv/ksem
➤➤Dusk to Dawn Light Bulbs (clear) 👉🏻 handydad.tv/scha
➤➤Photoelectric Switch 👉🏻 handydad.tv/47dp
➤➤GE SunSmart Digital Timer 👉🏻 handydad.tv/rssd
➤➤Kasa Smart Switch 👉🏻 handydad.tv/5uz0
➤➤Frosted White Smart Bulbs 👉🏻 handydad.tv/kcci
➤➤Frosted RGBW Smart Bulbs 👉🏻 handydad.tv/vc5x
➤➤Clear RGBW Smart Bulbs (mine - not recommended) 👉🏻 handydad.tv/8p4x
➤➤WiZ RGBW Smart Bulbs (BETTER THAN MINE) 👉🏻 handydad.tv/60f1
Please note some of these are affiliate links which earn me a small commission without costing you anything extra.
Timestamps
01:10 - daylight sensors
03:12 - smart switches
05:02 - smart bulbs
07:29 - testing my smart bulbs
☕️☕️☕️ If you liked this video, say thanks with a cup of coffee 👉🏻 ko-fi.com/handydadtv ☕️☕️☕️
✔︎Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HandyDadTV

[@handydadtv]

Forgot to put this in the video but this is what I use to keep the switches on www.amazon.com/dp/B089YFDGKS/?tag=ha0d9f-20

[@thomastittmann2967]

Not only did I find ALL I was looking for on this subject - IN ONE PLACE...including the actual sources for the products...I also got some tips for cool ways to use video to deliver a message...As a 76-year young homeowner, I subscribed...so, the next time I need a hand, you'll rise to the top of the results. FYI - I was in the car-fixing trade but got my "basic training" from my Dad - A USN Seabee... But, I taught HIM to drive : )) Thanks, tOM

[@handydadtv]

Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!

[@ez8664]

Thank you for making this video! This saved me hours of doing my own homework. I have an older home and wanted to put in smart lights. Thank you thank you!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful. I ended up having to upgrade my WiFi because I had challenges with one of the bulbs being too far from the signal. Hopefully you don’t have that issue.

[@jenniferfisher1743]

Super helpful! I had no idea their were so many way to accomplish automating my outdoor lights. The smart bulb seems like a no brained choice.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@betoawire]

Holy moly! That was a lot of good info! Thank you, sir!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@rudyk5657]

Really enjoyed your format, information, and graphics. Keep up the great work.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much 😊

[@courtneyhirsch5293]

Great video! Very informative, thank you!!!

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@fijifun]

This was awesome!! Thank you for providing the different options!!🤙🏾

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@Mark.Watson]

Nice video. Currently I have dusk to dawn bulbs and that works great. I just put a piece of tape over the switches as a reminder to not turn them off.

[@handydadtv]

That works

[@amymariegonzales]

Great demo! Thank you.

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@sal6830]

Thanks for the research and as always, great video

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@Passions]

Thanks Dad, great video!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@markortiz104]

HandyDad, thanks for the video. This helps a lot and simplifies my purchase for lamps and bulbs. Excellent job!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much 😊

[@markortiz104]

@@handydadtv. HandyDad, I have a question. After deciding to go with the smart light bulbs since you posted this video, would you say smart light bulbs is the way to to go as opposed to using wired timers and lamps with built in dawn to dusk feature? Thanks so much

[@handydadtv]

If you need multiple switches to turn them on, yes. If you want color changing for holidays, yes.

[@TATUATISSIMA]

Wow.. I love your outside house :)) love so much this style..

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much!

[@abriennepatta2695]

Great video! Thanks.

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful

[@Woodgal91]

Great video! I learned so much! Thank you!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@AndrewH91]

Really cool and informative. I’m dealing with a somewhat similar issue at my house. My front porch and garage lights are all wired on the same circuit with my front porch being illuminated by a cables led and wall mount lights on the garage. I may wind up going the route of the smart switch so all 4 turn on and off with dawn to dusk.

[@handydadtv]

If you don’t care about color changing, smart switches would be the better choice.

[@andyr6840]

Thank you for this video . Very useful and helpful thank you

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@boostjunkieMike]

Well done, thanks for sharing 👌🏾😎

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@juanramirez1568]

Damn, subscribed right away! You left me a handful of options!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!

[@footballfunnyguy]

Super helpful! thank you

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure!

[@snowballnguyen9718]

Thanks so much i love your video

[@handydadtv]

Thanks so much 😊

[@CucinaCalliste]

Good stuff! Thanks HD

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@OscarGonzalez-sm1eo]

Thanks Dad

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure!

[@nightfallm4981]

Thank you!

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@fltech189]

Great video, I have Lutron smart switches. Controlled from the app. Have the bright white LED lights. A little more complex install :)

[@handydadtv]

Yes indeed, but a very reliable solution for sure.

[@gerrimiller3491]

Our dusk to dawn is awesome

[@handydadtv]

Good to hear thanks

[@edrumsas5420]

Great video straight to the point. I have Lutron smart switches. Controlled from the app. Have the bright white LED lights. A little more complex install. However, worth the effort.

[@handydadtv]

Casita switches?

[@edrumsas5420]

@@handydadtv yes. I’m not an electrician so after a few calls in to their tech support I hand to purchase another switch due to having two switches control the same set of three lights. Learned a lot (lol)

[@handydadtv]

They want me to make a video with those switches. How do you like them?

[@edrumsas5420]

@@handydadtv like them. A set it and forget it switch All are set up on a sunset to sunrise. The app is simple to use. Just make sure it is second generation switch. The older generation did not support a iPhone. Let me know if I can help

[@edrumsas5420]

@@handydadtv I just checked they are Decora switches Here is the description Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi 15A LED/ Switch, No Hub Required, Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Nest

[@macsterguy]

Great video! Color lights are cool! The Lutron Caseta switches do not require a neutral. They use a hub which I find to be better than individual WiFi switches in my experience. They also work with all the smart platforms like Siri, Alexa, Google… I think a hub is much more secure with regular updates that include security. I had LEVITON switches in the past which I removed. They were individual wi-Fi switches but would not reconnect after a power outage most of the time…

[@handydadtv]

Good to know. Thanks.

[@AlanValek]

Lutron Caseta switches are fantastic.

[@joshua01]

@@handydadtv Only downside is the price, Lutron is only worth it if you’re changing all the light switches

[@patward3320]

I remember way back when I used a wafer like disc that could be put in the sockets before the bulb was put in and it worked perfect for dusk to dawn lighting.

[@handydadtv]

I’m unfamiliar with that technology.

[@wattz247]

Those smart bulbs are great and it’s nice they are RGB. The only issue is when somebody turns off the wall switch. I run Insteon with the hub to take care of my dusk till dawn lights. Works great 99% of the time.

[@handydadtv]

This is what I use to keep the switches on www.amazon.com/dp/B089YFDGKS/?tag=ha0d9f-20

[@mikewashmuth8812]

Fantastic video! Also, you sound exactly like Richard Dreyfuss.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@omni1omni244]

Relocate that inner door light next to the blue shutters. it will match the other front lights. Install a pendant light hanging from above your door entrance.

[@handydadtv]

I don’t know why the builder put it there. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@net2000man]

Hi Chris, great video, thank you so much for sharing how you set these options up. One thing I'd like to know: how can I use dusk to dawn at a dimmed preset, and use motion sensing to brighten those lights when people approach the house? I've seen a number of homes that have exterior lights around their properties and if you walk by them the lights go from a subdued brightness to a brighter one. Any ideas? Thanks in advance, Brother!!

[@handydadtv]

A lot of motion sensor lights have that feature but not smart bulbs. If you have a smart motion sensor, you could setup a dual-brightness automation in Home Assistant or HomeSeer.

[@JimHalo784]

Enjoyed the video.Keep them coming. Have you every have to reset them after the internet goes out. Sometimes I have to on my Lifx bulbs.

[@handydadtv]

Never needed to fully reset them. I just toggle the switch to get them to reconnect.

[@m.cerullo3473]

Great video, can't believe I didn't see it 2 years ago. Question for you, has having these LED bulbs near the garage door caused and RF interference with the garage door opener and the remotes?

[@handydadtv]

No, I've had no issue with interference with my garage door opener. BTW, I replaced the Feit bulbs because one of them died. There are more choices now. My new favorite is this one 👉🏻 handydad.tv/60f1

[@gust9464]

Great video. I have the round older timer (3:29) and I think it finally broke. Is it easy to add the new digital timer & remove old one? Thanks for sharing. 👍

[@handydadtv]

Should be a straightforward, wire-for-wire replacement.

[@MichaelStephenLau]

I used a Leviton smart timer switch to set mine to go off and on at sunrise and sunset. The reason I went that route was because for security reasons, I didn't want my lights dependent on internet connectivity. In the event of an internet outage or wifi burp, I didn't want to potential miss on a on and off command to the lights. Especially when I'm away traveling. Perhaps it's a non-issue, but that was my logic for that particular implementation.

[@handydadtv]

Since then, I’ve started using Home Assistant and swapped those Feit bulbs with Wiz bulbs. They look identical but the colors are better and they support local control without Internet.

[@MichaelStephenLau]

@@handydadtv Good deal!

[@mrpanda2655]

You can get a bigger siding block for the lights with bigger bases

[@handydadtv]

And remove the siding to replace the block and then cut the siding to fit. Not worth it IMO.

[@larrynolte9611]

Can you use the last bulb the rgb Edison in the up/down lights?

[@handydadtv]

Yes it works either direction.

[@cheddarmac7935]

I just found your video! Question how can I get the bulbs to go day light?

[@handydadtv]

Just set them to any color and slide saturation to zero. That’s as white as they get.

[@stevenechavarry8069]

Nice video. 2 questions if possible 1 can you use alexa or Google to turn them on and off? ?2 can they be set to go on and off at a set time i don't really don't want to have them run all night? Thanks for the help

[@handydadtv]

Yes and yes.

[@rockjockfilms]

Hello sir, thank you for this GREAT and informative video! You've solved my problem and made it quite simpler than I'd imagined. One problem is I'd like to purchase the last link (yours) but it no longer works. It's the one labeled (Clear RGBW Smart Bulbs (mine)) or if you could just put the actual name, part number or something that I can lookup? Appreciate you and thanks in advance!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks for letting me know. The link stopped working when the product was removed from the site. I updated the link (amzn.to/3J59AOY) to search for the bulbs by model number instead. At the present time, they only seem to have a 4-pack on Amazon. I have no idea why, or when the individual ones will come back in stock.

[@terrydehkes8451]

Have you had any problems with the feit light bulbs, I've had similar ones inside my house that wouldn't last more than 3 to 4 months before they would fail? Switch all my bulbs to Sylvania and haven't had any more problems.

[@handydadtv]

So far so good with mine. 🤞🏻

[@raulvasquez2245]

Hello, I was looking at the light fixtures @ 1:32. Are do those light fixture reduce glare from light bulbs at night. Can you do a review on them please. I'm looking exactly at those.

[@handydadtv]

They are called Brimfield by Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot.

[@daveborchard2019]

I automated my outdoor lighting with Lutron Caseta switches. The interrupter switches require a neutral wire. If you don’t have a neutral wire, you can use s Lutron Caseta dimmer switch, provided the LED light is dimmable. Lutron has a cellphone app which makes monitoring, programming, and control easy. The Lutron switch can be programmed to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise, to your zip code. It follows sunset and sunrise times perfectly throughout the year, even during standard / daylights savings time changes. The time can also be shifted from the sunset and sunrise times for more precision control. The Lutron app also has Scenes, so you can group lights together, like swimming pool area lights, and control them all by turning on or off the scene. The downside with the Lutron Caseta switches are expensive.

[@handydadtv]

Expensive, but worth it?

[@daveborchard2019]

I think the Lutron Caseta switches are worth it. I had 18 incandescent only dimmers in my house. I gradually replaced the dimmers with Lutron Caseta dimmers that work with all light types. Then I replaced the incandescent bulbs with LED dimmable bulbs. I’ve replaced almost all of my fluorescent tube lights with ballast bypass LED tube lights. I replaced the four outdoor light mechanical timers, most didn’t work, with Lutron Caseta switches. I’ve easily spent over $1,000 replacing switches. But I feel that the upgrade was worth it.

[@jackey8238]

Great video! One question: when you compare the clear smart glass with frosty one, you said the clear one is brighter than the frosty one. But technically speaking on the package, the clear one is only 300 lumens, while the frosty one is 800 lumens. The frosty one should be much brighter…😮

[@handydadtv]

Those ratings are for the white setting. I meant brighter colors.

[@jessicarodriguez1546]

When you set them up did you have to do it individually or can you set up all? Also, this has been the most helpful video! Thank you for all the info

[@handydadtv]

One at a time.

[@wendyoneill2118]

You might replace the back plates so they fit your new fixtures

[@handydadtv]

Considering it.

[@wmf1595]

I'm remodeling and considering sconce lights that have heavy 'seeded' glass shades, which appears to defuse the light. Do you or your audience know if the dusk to dawn bulbs are sensitive enough to work in this type of fixture.

[@handydadtv]

The best I can suggest is try one from Amazon and return it if it doesn’t work.

[@EngineMotor]

Hi, can you send me a link of the light fixture thank you Edit: I went on urban ambiance and didn't find the particular fixtures advertised in this video.

[@handydadtv]

The link and exact SKU are in the video description.

[@Kiki-AndBeyond]

Hey! Thanks for the video. Do you have any suggestions for how to put a battery powered outdoor lights on a timer? I have Pre-lit trees that are battery operated and I'm trying to get it automated on a timer.

[@handydadtv]

Usually things like that come with timers that turn on every 24 hours for a set time, like 6 hours.

[@Kiki-AndBeyond]

@@handydadtv He didn't. Any suggestions on a timer I can purchase?

[@handydadtv]

I don’t know. You’ll need to know the voltage and do some research.

[@johnbarron4843]

Great review!!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@loisf5079]

I was looking at dawn to dusk light fixtures but like the programmability of the smart bulbs. If I go with a smart bulb, should I just get a regular light fixture vs a dawn to dusk lamp? I have an old house, FYI, so the solar switch is not an option.

[@handydadtv]

You need to leave smart bulbs powered on all the time. Do not use light sensors.

[@loisf5079]

@@handydadtv Thank you so much for your helpful video and reply.

[@pearlkaron757]

Would love your advice about changing the condo complex I live in -to switch to Dusk to Dawn timed lighting. We have 8 bldgs. Currently the lights go on hours before dark and stay on long after sunrise. I'm an ardent environmentalist and this is a senseless waste of energy. (not to mention a large waste of money that it costs the homeowners.

[@handydadtv]

That’s a tough one. You probably have lights where the light sensor is in the shade, like a hallway. Smart bulbs won’t work unless you have a community WiFi. I’d probably consult an electrician to see if the light sensors can be moved.

[@MrTexaz101]

You can also consider motion sensor lighting which will only turn on when there is motion.

[@timblandford5088]

I have 3 outdoor lights that have integrated led chips and no bulbs but there’s no dusk to dawn feature. There’s one switch that turns all 3 on and off. Could I buy a small photocell and install it on one of the lights so that all 3 turn on and off together?

[@handydadtv]

Yes. Power always goes from one fixture to another like a chain. Find the first one in the chain (likely nearest the switch) and put the sensor there.

[@timblandford5088]

@@handydadtv awesome! Thank you!

[@VampireOnline]

I’ve been struggling to find a light fixture that my wife and I can agree to on the look but none of them have the functions I want. Seems to be impossible to find a motion light that looks good and isn’t a spot light. My ultimate want is a dim to bright motion light so there’s always light but it gets bright when someone comes up. Only found one but my wife said no! Lol

[@handydadtv]

I’ve only seen floodlights with those features.

[@markortiz104]

HandyDad I have a question. Does the lamp fixture need to be "dimmable" in order for the smart bulbs to work as you demonstrated?

[@handydadtv]

No. In fact, it can’t be a dimmable fixture. Smart bulbs do the dimming for you, but they need continuous power.

[@markortiz104]

HandyDadTV, thanks for getting back to me and confirming. I ordered NON dimmable fixtures.

[@schan3]

Any feedback on how they’ve been performing outside? Any noticeable increase in electricity?

[@handydadtv]

The fixtures are awesome. Open on the bottom so no bugs get trapped. And the bulbs are still going strong. They are smart bulbs so I always leave the switches on, except when I need to reset them every two months or so. Great for changing colors on holidays.

[@schan3]

@@handydadtv thanks for replying. May i ask why you reset the switches every few months?

[@handydadtv]

Just WiFi glitches. They go offline occasionally. If that happens I just toggle the power and they reconnect.

[@kapamagicman]

My feit sensor bulb stopped working less than 12 months

[@handydadtv]

Sorry to hear that. Mine are still working great.

[@loverule9320]

Indoor bulbs

[@handydadtv]

Wrong. The listing says outdoor.

[@MattFerguson26]

Great video, thank you! @ 2:17 I like the downward and frosted glass look. What model/brand fixture is there?

[@handydadtv]

Those were purchased from Home Depot.

[@Philly14325]

What happens if you lose wifi connection?

[@handydadtv]

They reconnect when it comes back.

[@igamingpublic]

HOA be like, take that rgb bulbs out LOL

[@handydadtv]

Thankfully ours isn’t that bad.

[@queenreg7]

☕️

[@handydadtv]

👍🏻

[@queenreg7]

@@handydadtv Thank you so much! You saved me so much time and money-I didn’t know about smart bulbs. My wifi, some bulbs, and an Echo Dot on sale, and I have programmable outdoor lights!

[@handydadtv]

Glad it was helpful 👍🏻

[@macsterguy]

First

[@handydadtv]

Thanks 😊

[@macsterguy]

@@handydadtv I cheated… I haven’t watched your video yet. I won’t be able to talk this afternoon but I’ve always wanted to be first… Ha ha ha

[@handydadtv]

Over achiever

[@Free__Speech]

Modern led lights are useless. Hardly any that come when dark & go off when day time

[@handydadtv]

Would you prefer to go back to incandescent?