How can I find out what this time is for?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

We have some outside lights, but they've never worked. I have changed the bulbs, but no avail. We have a security light which does work, but only at night so I assume it's light dependent of some sort. We've never set it, it just does it.

We have two driveway lights, and I want to get them to work! This timer is in our hallway. So what do I need to do to the timer to establish if it a) controls the lights and b) can be set so they come on at dusk?

Help me mumsnet, I'm rubbish at this stuff

This is how it's currently set. It is making a definite ticking whirring noise. When I turn the pink 'big hand' looking thing, the outercircle of the disk turns round and the numbers move round clockwise) so they are pointed at by the blue triangle (that's at the number 2 position in relation to the 12/6/9 on the dial). The little purple bits in the very outer circle move in and out- currently they are pushed out for 18-20 and the rest pushed in. There is also what seems to be a binary 0-1 (on off) switch, with a small clock face at 0.

It's made by grasslin which appear to be heating or possibly pond filter timers, but this definitely doesn't control our heating.

There's also one in the garage (identical) but I'll photo that tomorrow.

Ok so the pins pushed out will be when its set to come on ie 6pm - 8pm (24hr clock) however it will be using its own internal clock which is shown on the front so you need to synchronise that with the true time ie at 10am make sure the clock face shows 10 o’clock . I would imagine the switch is an am / pm switch ? Is it in a different position at 10 am and 10 pm ?

Thanks.
So that blue triangle pointing to 16 in the picture means its own internal clock is set to 4pm? So I need to turn the hand to 21 for starters don't I?

Ok- I've now set its clock to 2100 hours and i've also pushed more pins out so it will now stay 'on' until midnight.

We do think it's light sensor controlled so will have to wait til it gets dark to see if it comes on!

Your pins are backwards. You have to push in the ones where you want the light to be on so in from 21:00 till 1:00 and the rest all out :)

I think it's set to be permanently 'on', whatever that means... The switch on the front, bottom, right can be 'on' or 'timed'.

Xlexiic that's an absolute game changer, I will try that thank you.

Janek yes, that's what I inferred (thinking back many moons ago to our old heating timer) from those symbols. Do you reckon the pins only relate to when it's set to timer?

For reference, Dh and I went to look at the garage one, and that is set all pins in the outer position and that switch in the 1 position (as opposed to 0/timer) - and that's the nearest timer to the only functioning security light so perhaps that's the right way.

It's so frustrating!!

Actually, is there a middle position on that switch? On closer inspection it looks like you currently have it permanently on, half way would be timed (ie the pins, i have no idea if in or out is on though...) and at the bottom is off.

And yes, i think the pins are inly relevant when it's on timer.

I have this for my towel heater thingy in my bathroom. The little pins are pushed down for what time you want the heat on the rail, is this what you’re asking? 😂

All sort of....more that they appear to be on some sort of timer but I can't work out whether it's actually for the lights I think it is or how to change it. They're on a light dependent timer too because they (the other ones) only ever come on when it's dark. The things I've changed so far don't seem to have made any difference.

I'm going to trial today putting the pins to exactly the position that the other light is set to and see if that works/does anything. We also have a rather hideous ornate old Hanson's pub lamppost which may or may not be controlled by this timer so I'm continuing with my detective work.