How to Automate Your Porch Light

Are you tired of manually turning your porch light off in the morning and turning them on during nighttime? Or you simply forget turning it off or on when needed? I’ve got a solution for you!

If you often forget about turning your porch lights off or just want to automate your lights to make it look cool, then it’s time to make your porch light smarter. You can even turn your lights on automatically using geofencing when you’re close to home or simply turn it on when you need to go outside during the night.

In this post, I will show you how to turn your dumb porch light into an automatic one to solve the hassle of manual switching!

First things first

While there are many companies out there that offer you professional installation, this guide will only teach you a DIY method. If you have more budget to spare, then this post may not be for you.

In automating your porch light, you will need to replace your old light with a smart one. We recommend getting a sensor and smart switch that can be easily controlled via a smartphone app.

There are many options for sensors that you can use with your porch light. However, we don’t usually recommend WiFi-based sensors because they can easily drain your batteries and are often not the best protocol for home automation.

We also recommend using sensors that are waterproof to prevent your porch lights from acting weird. Sensors can be easily affected by rain and other extreme temperatures without proper protection.

Before you start getting your hands dirty, make sure to read the manufacturer’s manual of your sensors and switches to learn how to install these components properly.

1. Home automation hub (with a smartphone app)
2. A smart switch or smart bulb
3. A smart motion sensor or door sensor

Install the smart switch and hub according to your manufacturer’s installation process.

Once everything is set-up, open the smart app that comes with your hub to create routines.

If you want to turn your porch lights on automatically when you’re close to home, you can set-up the geofencing feature which is built-in for most apps, like the SmartThings hub and Wink hub.

Go to the app’s setting where you can create a routine for geofencing. Here, you can simply configure the location and radius of your house to enable this feature.

If you want to turn on the lights when you go out at night, you can add another routine to your app. We suggest using a door sensor for your porch light to trigger it on when you need to go outside at night. If you’re using the SmartThings app, go to the Automation screen and add the Smart Lighting app. Then, add a new automation for your routine.

Configure the routine to turn your lights on. Then, under the “How do you want to trigger the action?”, click Open/Close and select your door sensor.

Go to “More Options” and set the time window for your lights to turn on.

Make sure to check if your porch light functions as you intend and make adjustments when necessary.

In this post, we have learned how to automate the front porch light using the DIY method. You can also check this article if you want to know more details about setting up an automatic porch light for home security.