Perimeter lights on or off at night time?

[Hobby_Man22]

What's better when you live out in the country? Personally i think leaving the lights off is better. You can't even see their is a shop there.

 

[SARG]

No lights here at night. Being familiar with your specific layout is an advantage.

 

[Duke74]

I have good yard lighting. I shut them off at night. Easier to see if someone is in the yard in the dark if they are having to use a flashlight.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

We live(d) in a nice rural location. Been here 40+ years, appreciated the dark at night. Farmland across the road was sold, bunch of new houses built there by suburbanites. Lights on all night there now. Like others said, better to have your property dark. Best bet is critical areas (outdoor parking, shop doors, etc.) watched over by security cams with IR illumination.

 

[klassenl]

I live in town. My exterior lights (all of them, at the same time) come on at dusk (5:00 in the winter 10:30 in summer) and turn off around 10:45. Then they come on at 6:45 am for an hour so I can walk to my work vehicle with some light.

So I have a little of both.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Imo if you light the place up like a church and someone is out and about walking around or pulls up in a vehicle, most people aren't going to bat an eye, but if someone pulls up when it's dark and they're walking around then I think that looks a bit suspicious.

 

[yeldogt]

I have lights that go on and stay on all night at my places ... they provide a general outline of my main property. These are not bright flood lights.

None of mine are really for security

 

[PoorUB]

All my outdoor lights are motion lights. The only issue is sometimes a rabbit or some other animal turns them on. But if my outdoor lights are on, I am taking a good look to see why.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Rural area here. Lights off at night.

 

[WisJim]

We always call the lights left on all night"burglar lights" because the purpose seems to be so burglars don't hurt themselves while sneaking around your place. Motion detector lights are a better idea

 

[RivennHewn]

I like seeing the stars.
Wish y’all would turn your dammed lights off.

 

[ripperd]

We are on the very edge of the city (end of the block is a farm field). Once we are inside all exterior lights are off. Generally most of the neighbors are the same way, except for one or two that have decorative uplights on their pillars. There is a streetlight at the end of the block though that lights up the front of the houses a bit.

 

[aka Larry]

I live out in the county, but in a small one street subdivision with 9 houses.

I have dusk-to-dawn lights on the front of my attached garage, and two security lights on my shop out back. I personally like having it all lit up so I can look out and see what's going on.

 

[NickH]

I like them off. I sent mine to come on at dusk and go off at 10:30pm.

On the house itself, we have Hue smart bulbs on the front door lights. These come on at dusk and dim to 15% at 10:30pm. I am often heading out the door at night, and the 15% gives just enough illumination to make it to the truck safely.

The only other light we have is on our flagpole, that stays on but isn't very bright.

 

[Clemson13]

I like seeing the stars.
Wish y’all would turn your dammed lights off.

Agreed. I have no understanding of the desire to leave outdoor lights on all night while youre inside. No benefit is gained, you pay more, and you add to light pollution.

 

[rburke65]

My neighbor told be that my lights on at night...looks like you’re advertising

 

[Hobby_Man22]

My neighbor told be that my lights on at night...looks like you’re advertising

Of course a good burglar will stake out the property for a few days to see what activity goes on. So even if you hide your place in the darkness they should still know where you're at. lol

 

[PhantomEB]

Dusk to Dawn lights all around here. I even puttin in low level perimeter lighting along the fence line so we can see our dogs at night. I prefer to let them see my stuff is locked down good so the more time they spend fking around the more chances I will be out there with pepper spray and a baseball bat.

 

[danfromsyr]

motion detector sprinkler for security. water line active from 10pm to 6am with a water timer.

it's those damned high pressure sodium 'farm lights' that drive me nuts out here in the country.

people leave them on all night long..

had one on my property, hadn't been on for years.. figured bulb was dead, good..
then had the power out for a bit one night.. when the power came back on that damned light fired up..
stayed on for several days..
it was live wired in the barn fed wiring...

so I shot it out..

 

[nadogail]

I have been told that the kids in the neighborhood really like the motion detector lights outside my garage doors.

 

[Jsf721]

I’ve got disk to dawn lights on dim they brighten up on motion and they whole property is covered by cameras witn IR.

 

[Bert_]

I've never been a fan of most motion lights. Some look kind of tacky. I just have a light than runs all night. Not super bright, it's a 60w bulb. I don't need to light up the whole yard but it's nice to have light by the back door.

 

[vwpieces]

I’ve got disk to dawn lights on dim they brighten up on motion and they whole property is covered by cameras witn IR.

I have similar on my detached shop. Lights trigger the cameras as they brighten up at motion and that sends the vid clip to phone. Cams are IR but all are behind glass and the IR makes a real bad reflection on the glass making them useless. I have the IR turned off and cams record a week straight, but still nice to get notifications of motion, day or night, and view a quick clip on phone. Oh, the DtoD motion lights on the shop are solar powered LED. Neat lights, bright, were under $30ea and are warm white. WallyWorld Hypertough solar street lights. Still going strong after 4 years but I did take them apart when new. Sealed the solar panel and threw the pairs of 18650 1200mah batts in the garbage, replaced them with good 3000mah.

Rest of the lights around property are motion and solar too but they are off till motion detected.

It is nice to have lights turn on as you move about and placed in the where needed areas. Also nice to not have them on the electric bill or not have to hard wire them.

 

[WordMan]

I moved to the country to get out of the 24/7 daylight. Security? Lights on or off, criminals figure out when you're watching and when you're not. You can have it lit up like the sun, but that won't stop the bad guys if they can figure out no one is looking.

 

[Mike1903]

Lutron Caseta with dimmer and timer. The front door and porch scones from dusk to 10 pm ish. The post lights in the driveway are low output and stay on all night:

 

[RPH]

Dark sky initiative believer here. I’m lucky as I look east, I’m looking over Lake Huron. But there is lots of information on keeping lighting from disturbing the sky. I like my stars.

 

[rburke65]

What ever you prefer

 

[Metal-Marc]

Dark sky initiative believer here. I’m lucky as I look east, I’m looking over Lake Huron. But there is lots of information on keeping lighting from disturbing the sky. I like my stars.

This. I have a clear view of the southern sky and I love to stargaze.

 

[APEowner]

I've got motion lights in the driveway. In theory they startle crooks into leaving when the come on. In practice they seem to just give the thieves light to work by.

 

[TurnipTruck]

My wife needs all the buildings lit up all night. She apparently can’t see in the dark.

 

[PhantomEB]

We putting dusk to Dawn lights everywhere that brighten up with motion sensor. Down low I gonna run rope light so we can see the dogs everywhere.

 

[CoogarXR]

porch scones

mmm... porch scones...

 

[CoogarXR]

I leave the house porch lights on 24x7. i grew up in the ghetto, it's just a habit. The shop stays dark, but there's motion lights all over it. So it you walk near it, it lights up like the Vegas strip.

 

[shoot summ]

I’ve got disk to dawn lights on dim they brighten up on motion and they whole property is covered by cameras witn IR.

I do the same.

 

[RPH]

The dark sky initiative does not preclude you from having lights. It’s the way the light is aimed. Point from up high downward. Don’t point them up into the sky. Simple solution to a real problem.

 

[Viper98912]

Very interesting thread.

I've always been a "lights on at night" person. Dark houses to me have always seemed odd. I grew up in the city though, so dark houses to me used to say:

1) No one is home, come on over
2) I can sneak around in the bushes easier

Of course, this is within reason. So for me, all doorway entrances have a small wall light that stays on all night. No sodium/xenon large bulbs here lighting up the neighborhood.

 

[mikedodge]

I have a barn light on one end of my building that stays on all night to light up the yard for our own convenience. The rest are motion activated with as little time as possible. Lights that are on all the time only help the bad guys see what they're doing.

 

[yeldogt]

Very interesting thread.

I've always been a "lights on at night" person. Dark houses to me have always seemed odd. I grew up in the city though, so dark houses to me used to say:

1) No one is home, come on over
2) I can sneak around in the bushes easier

Of course, this is within reason. So for me, all doorway entrances have a small wall light that stays on all night. No sodium/xenon large bulbs here lighting up the neighborhood.

Agree -- Growing up we never had a dark house. Dim lights at night ... in case we had to get out of the house.

Same for outside .... dim lights far out are all you need. Same along the drive.

 

[danfromsyr]

the old TV that's now mounted to the kitchen wall plays a slideshow of random images all night.
that's the nightlight for the whole house.
there are a few battery operated motion guide lights here/there to offer low level indirect path lighting..

but I have good night vision and know my way around the house well enough.