Do you leave your porch light on/off at night? (stone, detector)

[Momma_bear]

We keep our lights on until around 10 PM unless someone is out.

[Hopes]

I don't see the point in keeping the light on unless you are expecting someone to come to the house---either residents of the house returning home or guests coming to visit.

Leaving the light on is a detriment to your personal safety. It's actually more unsafe to keep the light on. Light causes dark shaddows. People can hide in the dark shaddows that your light causes, making it difficult for neighbors to see if someone is lurking around your house at night because your light blinds your neighbors vision from seeing the rest of your dark yard. If the lights remain off, neighbors can better see lurkers and movement near your house.

And yes, I think it's rude to keep the light on all night. I've have neighbors with super bright lights kept on. It causes me to keep my blinds shut. In the summer, when I don't want to run the air conditioning, I can't keep my blinds open for a nice breeze. Their light forces me to use my air conditioning way more than I would like to use it. So, not only is their light annoying, it's costing me money!

[Donn2390]

My lights out front are on a timer. They come on at dark, and turn off at midnight. Never have to think about them, it's all automatic.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Motion light, comes on whenever someone comes up the walk.

We have one of those. We turn it off when we go to bed.

We don't need animals turning on the light in the middle of the night.

We only have the motion light so it turns on when we return home or for guests.

After we go to bed, we could care less if anyone can see their way to our house.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

My lights out front are on a timer. They come on at dark, and turn off at midnight. Never have to think about them, it's all automatic.

But WHY do you feel you need a light on from dark until midnight? I'm curious as to why people do this.

[Squirl]

I install motion light at the front porch of my properties and keep them active all the time, unless there is an HOA rule about dawn to dusk lights (pretty common). At home, lights are on a timer b/c they are landscape lights and make the neighborhood look nice.

[eggalegga]

There is a streetlight outside my window. I hate it shining in my window while I'm trying to sleep. I have a motion/photo sensor light on my deck for my dog. There is also deck lighting on a timer that illuminates the deck stairs. I switch on my driveway lights when I'm expecting company at night.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by Hopes

We have one of those. We turn it off when we go to bed.

We don't need animals turning on the light in the middle of the night.

We only have the motion light so it turns on when we return home or for guests.

After we go to bed, we could care less if anyone can see their way to our house.

I don't really know how motion sensors are set up but mine must be set to only pick up movement above a certain range. The only animals that have set it off so far are bats, and a big ole deer that came ambling up the driveway one night. Sometimes it doesn't even turn on for me when I come home late, and I have to wave my arms around to activate it so I can see to get the durn house key in the lock.

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by Hopes

But WHY do you feel you need a light on from dark until midnight? I'm curious as to why people do this.

We have a large, one story ranch home with four outside lights across the front. The light on the porch is on a switch, and we don't ever turn it on unless we have visitors, who must call from the gate to gain access, so we never have surprise visitors..
The four lights across the front have 40 watt pretzel bulbs, along with the low voltage lighting in the landscaping offer just enough light so one can see the home and yard. It's strictly for effect. We live in an upscale neighborhood and I don't think there is a house on the street that doesn't do something similar. Driving down our street at night you can see all of the beautiful homes and landscaping.
These are not bright lights, just soft lighting for effect. Some homes even have garden walls with post lights on pilasters. It's a beautiful neighborhood and we all enjoy seeing it as we drive by.
We aren't concerned about burglers using the light to break in, it's a gated community with video surveillance and all home have alarm systems..

[PCincorrect]

All of my outside lights are accent for a few hours after dark then (auto) off with a motion sensor.