Porch Light Safety
December 28, 2022 3:35 pmYour home’s porch light is a valuable tool. It provides enough light so you can see where you’re walking, even after the sun sets. It also lets friends and neighbors know that you’re home. But most importantly, your porch light is also a basic home security tool when you use it appropriately. In this post, we’ll discuss how to safely use a porch light to secure your home.
When to Turn on Your Porch Light
You can turn on your porch light when you want to let people know you’re home. Indicating your presence invites friends — and also deters criminals who target empty houses. The following situations are times when you can safely keep your porch light on.
Staying In at Night
Leaving your light on can indicate to others that you’re home. There are numerous reasons to leave the light on when you plan to stay in at night. For one, it can signal to your neighbors or anyone who may stop by that you’re home. Signaling your presence can be a welcoming sign, but it can also be a deterrent. A criminal will be more likely to break and enter into a home they suspect is unoccupied.
Waiting for a Housemate to Return
If you live with roommates, leave the light on for them if they’re out but plan to return that night. Your light will help them see as they approach your porch and unlock the door. And since they’ll be home to turn off the light at the end of the night, you won’t have to stay up waiting for them.
Leaving the Light on for the Kids
Parents should leave the light on when their kids are out of the house. The porch light will indicate that you’re home while providing visibility to anyone walking up to your house. The conspicuousness and visibility will be helpful, whether a friend’s parent is returning your young child or your teenager is staying out for a late movie with friends.
Expecting a Delivery
Whether it’s a package or food, delivery services operate from the early morning hours until late into the evening. Leaving your lights on can be a big help to delivery drivers of all kinds. Your porch light will help them find your home without tripping in the dark as they walk up with your delivery.
When to Turn Off Your Porch Light
While your porch light can be a great tool for security and safety, leaving it on around the clock isn’t the best idea. Your porch light uses energy and it may be disruptive to the neighborhood if you leave it on too long. Moreover, the porch light may lose value as a security tool if you leave it on for too many nights in a row. Here are the times when you should power off the porch light.
Going to Bed
The light can stay on until it’s time for bed, but shut it off when you call it a night. Turning off the porch light while you sleep will save electricity so that the light lasts when you really need it. Plus, your light may shine through someone’s window all night, affecting their sleep.
Leaving for Vacation
If you’re planning to be away for more than a day or so, shut off the porch light while you’re gone. Leaving the light on for days straight will actually tell burglars that no one is truly home. Instead, save the energy you’d use powering the bulb and fortify your home in other ways.
Feeling Unsettled
Staying home alone can be unnerving at any age. When you’re feeling anxious, you may find comfort in the anonymity of an unlit porch. If a burglar were to attempt a crime at your home, they’d likely keep an eye on you beforehand to pick up on patterns. When and how often you use your porch light is information a burglar would try to use, so mixing up the pattern could throw them off your trail.
Living Far From the Road
If you live far from the road, your porch light may be the only thing visible for hundreds of feet. The light can actually help a burglar as they attempt to navigate your yard and break into your home. Leaving the light off will allow you to make the dark your friend.
Is Turning On a Porch Light a Viable Home Security Method?
A porch light can be an effective security tool in some situations, especially those we listed above. One study found floodlights are among the top three most important home security features. A porch light may deter a burglar if you live in a suburb or densely populated area.
However, a porch light that you turn on or off manually is a predictable tool. An experienced burglar can track when you turn your porch light on and what that means in terms of your presence.
It’s better to use a porch light in combination with other home security measures. A porch light can provide visibility that makes other security tactics more effective. Plus, you can improve a porch light with other security technology.
Better Security Solutions Than a Standard Porch Light
Here are a few home security tools that are more effective than a porch light by itself:
- Motion sensor light: A motion sensor light will only turn on when someone is nearby, meaning you catch a criminal off guard.
- Alarm system: A home alarm system offers a response to a break-in rather than just a deterrent.
- Video surveillance: A video surveillance system will catch a burglar on tape, especially if you keep the frame well-lit with a porch light.
- Glass break detectors: A glass break detector triggers an alarm when someone attempts to break in.
Contact Lexington Alarm Systems
Lexington Alarm Systems provides residential and commercial security solutions in communities throughout Massachusetts. Our security equipment will keep your home or business safer than a porch light can by itself. We invite you to contact us online for more on our security systems or to request a quote.
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