10 Things to Put on a Timer So You Don’t Forget Them

When you’re managing land, a house, animals, and equipment, you’ll forget things. Not because you’re lazy—just because there are too many moving parts. Putting a few things on a timer saved us headaches, money, and more than one early morning scramble. These are the ones that made the biggest difference.

Heat Lamps for the Animals

Heat lamps are easy to forget and dangerous to leave on too long.
We use a timer so they kick on during freezing temps and shut off when it warms up. It gives us peace of mind without risking a fire.

Stock Tank Heaters

Running them 24/7 will spike your electric bill.
We set them to turn on for a few hours overnight when temps drop, just long enough to keep things from freezing solid.

Drip Lines for the Garden

In the thick of summer, watering by hand wastes time and water.
Our drip system runs on a timer before sunrise and again in the evening—it keeps the plants alive without us thinking about it.

Grow Lights in the Seed Room

Too much or too little light stunts growth.
We set the lights on a timer so every tray gets exactly what it needs, even if we’re too busy to walk in there for a day.

Chicken Coop Door

We added an automatic door timer and it was a game-changer.
It opens at sunrise and closes at dusk, keeping the birds safe even if we’re running late or not home.

Electric Fence Charger

Our charger’s on a timer during dry seasons to save power and wear.
It stays off overnight when predators aren’t moving and flips on again before dawn.

Outdoor Lights

We set our shop lights and porch floods on timers instead of switches.
They come on at dusk and shut off a few hours later—no more forgetting and leaving them on all night.

Exhaust Fans in the Shed

In summer, the shed turns into a sauna.
We rigged a timer for the exhaust fan to run in intervals throughout the day to keep things from warping or overheating.

Water Softener Regeneration Cycle

If you forget to reset this, your water turns hard and stains everything.
A timer keeps it running weekly—early morning—without us needing to remember.

Battery Charger Station

We charge tool batteries overnight—but only for a few hours.
A timer prevents overcharging, keeps the batteries from burning out early, and makes the shop safer overall.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.