Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Easy Energy Saving Tip


Quick Tip: Bypass the timer on your garage opener light and save over 42 hours of electricity usage each year!

My garage door opener has a timer on the light. It turns off four minutes after the door closes. I know this because I stood there and timed it this morning. That was a looooooong four minutes.

It usually takes me about 30 seconds to get out of my car and walk into the house (thats being rather generous). That means the handy light in my garage stays on for at least three and a half minutes after I've left the garage. It doesn't seem like a long time but it adds up. Consider the following:

  • 3.5 minutes x 2 drivers = 7 minutes a day

  • 7 minutes x 365 days = 2555 minutes a year or 42.58 hours a year


  • As I walk into my house, I bypass the timer and turn the garage light off myself. Doesn't take but a second (disclaimer: I did NOT time that).

    How do you conserve energy? Leave a comment and let us know!

    2 comments:

    Green Bob said...

    Great idea! you can also adjust most garage door light timers. Just locate the two dials on the back of the power unit. Each dial usually has a recessed adjustment screw in the center of the dial. One dial controls the time and travel distance of the door. The other controls the light.
    www.FindGreen411.com - Find it Green, Find it Local (Austin), Find it Fast.

    Eco Mama said...

    Good point, Bob. Oh they do a great job of hiding those controls. I'll have to adjust mine this weekend.