Intermatic DT17C 7 Day Heavy Duty Grounded Programmable Digital Timer

Customer Reviews

timer

2008-04-28
Excellent product - but the first 'install battery' illustration is wrong - you have to go to p. 2 to see how the batteries really go in. After that's all settled; it's all good. Read through the directions a couple of times for settings/timing/etc. - if you're reading thru and trying the make the settings - it might 'close out' because you're taking too long.

Accurate but somewhat confusing

2008-03-25
The timer is very accurate and is what I was looking for in a dual time zone digital timer. However, the directions were a bit confusing and it took about a week to get it all figured out and working properly.

DT17

2008-03-08
I have the DT17 model, not the DT17C. It keeps good time, but eventually failed to turn on -- probably the relay, since everything else seems to work. The batteries last at least three years if the device is kept plugged in. I notice that the hot wire of the input is connected to the neutral of the outlet, and the relay switch operates on the input neutral and then passes it to the output hot terminal. Thus, it reverses the polarity of the hot and neutral lines. Geometrically, this eases the routing of high current (15-amp) connections, but how this arrangement ever passed Underwriters Laboratory testing and standards is beyond me. There is a lot of ambiguity in the directions -- if you hit the ON button, is it eventually overridden by the timer program, or does the device stay on forever? You have to do a lot of experimentation to determine what really happens.

I swear by this timer

2007-12-21
I use about 7 of these timers. I use them plugged directly into wall outlets, hooked up to power strips, plugged into power strips, running fans, pumps and blowers. The only problem I've had was when I used one on a window air conditioner, it burned out after a week or so. Other than that they have worked without incident. I really like this timer.

Intermatic DT17C Timer

2007-11-10
The timers are working as expected.I bought two.I had a problem with one and a replacement was sent out immediately.

Mine Worked For A While

2008-06-18
The digital timer model I had was the DT 17, not the DT 17C. It sounds as if they got worse with "progress." I really liked the DT 17 initially, so much so that I bought two more. They had three appealing features to me over the old-style (and less expensive)manual model: One, you could set a precise time, digitally, rather than guess "Oh, is that 6:54 P.M.?" Two, the battery backup worked great. Power goes out and one thing you didn't have to worry about when resetting the thousand clocks in your home was the light timers. They kept the memory with no problem. Third, when daylight saving time came, you simply pressed a button on the timer and, viola, the hour was changed easily and appropriately.

BUT, that said, after a couple of years I had the same problem identified below. The timer kept time, but it no longer switched the lights on and off and couldn't be set. So it was no longer useful! For the money, the quality needs to be such that they keep working for a decade, in my view Very frustrating. So far only one of my three has gone bad. But reading below I can see it is only a matter of time.

Curious if anyone has found a more reliable alternative that does all three of the things I mentioned above?

DOA - I'm Returning It!

2008-06-03
I ordered this in hopes it would be more reliable than units available in hardware stores. When I got it, I tried to program it. I followed directions, but could not get the unit to work AT ALL. Don't waste your money.

Unfortunatly Unreliable Timer

2008-05-20
No longer a "Made in USA" product.
My DT-17 timer worked great for about 4 months controlling night lights (small resistive load)and apparently the internal contacts failed. Timer keeps going - but no longer controls the internal switching relay. I've now scratched Intermatics OFF my buy list, as their production has moved to China and their Quality Control appears to have left the country as well. These guys use to make quality products/timers - - but those days are unfortunately gone

Hard to use in kitchen wall socket

2008-05-06
I like the convenience, but when the power goes out it shuts down all Programmed times. Therefore, you have to reprogram the unit, but is very difficult to do because it has a small screen on top of the unit. I use the unit in the kitchen and leaning over the kitchen counter is difficult to see the screen. It would have been much better with the screen on the front of the unit. I have used an extension cord to alleviate the leaning over the counter.

Digital Timers

2008-04-28
Good little timer as far as functionality and programming flexibility is concerned. But, impossible to find locally in most stores on the East Coast of the US without paying an extra premium to "special order" (very annoying), so Amazon is a good bet. But mine failed--through no fault of mine or anything I could have done, according to Intermatic Customer Tech Support--after 6 1/2 months. Very frustrating because it's used with multiple daily programs. Much energy resources and money (mine) winds up being wasted with it not working. Let's hope the replacement Intermatic is supposed to send me under warranty is more reliable and lasts longer and that Intermatic gets it to me quickly!!