Using Timers To Keep Your Home Secure When You Have To Go On Multiple Business Trips

by Sherry Hart

If your job takes you away from home on business trips very often, you may be worried about the security of your house. Below are two ways you can use timers to make potential burglars question whether or not you are home. Inexpensive timers can be found at home improvement and department stores.

Set Light Timers For Different Intervals

Plug in your most-used lights. Then, think about your normal routine when you enter your home. Set the timers at the approximate times you would normally be in each room, as well as the length of time spent. To make this the most effective, make sure all of your curtains are shut so people outside cannot look in and see the lights turning themselves on.

For example, if you enter your home through the side laundry room when you get home from work around six, set that timer for six o'clock. If you normally enter the kitchen immediately, set the kitchen light for two minutes after, while shutting off the laundry room at three minutes after.

Continue the above procedure for your entire nightly route until you reach your bedroom. Then, consider the time you wake up and get ready in the morning. If you normally get up before the sun rises, set the timers to turn the lights on in reverse order from the night before. Some timers allow you to set two separate time intervals to make this easier.

Put Your Televisions on Timers

Along with the visual deterrent of having the lights come on, you can also have your televisions set on timers. Hearing programs at different times may make someone believe you are home watching a movie or the news.

When setting the timers for your television sets, think about when you usually watch it. If you turn on the set right when you get home, set the timer for five minutes past six to give the illusion that you have walked from the laundry room, through the kitchen, and into your living room.

If you watch the news before you go to bed, coordinate the shutting off of the living room set with the lights. Then, set the timer for your bedroom set to be shortly after that light turns on. Select a time for it to turn off, then reset it if you normally watch television when you get up in the morning.

While using timers can make it appear as though someone is in your house, other steps should be taken to ensure it stays secured. If you have to be gone on business a lot, you may want to call a service like American Wireless Alarm Inc about having a home security system installed for your home.

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