What Does A Green Porch Light Mean?

Last Updated on April 15, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford

Believe it or not, light porches are essential not only because they provide illumination to your home at night.

In most cases, they can be that a household is in solidarity with a cause or awareness campaign, or they can be a cry for help. So, what does a green porch light mean? In this post, we will round up the explanations for that. 

Related: Color Porch Light Meaning: What Does The Color Of A Porch Light Mean?

What does a green light outside a house mean?

The meaning behind a green porch light depends on the month when you see it. You would often see green porch lights in November because it is one way of commemorating Veteran’s Day.

You would again seen green porch lights in March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In Kentucky, green porch lights were installed in 2020 to honor all those who have died because of COVID-19. 

During May, green porch lights are also visible for two weeks. Most of the time, you can see it in the homes of medical practitioners and those in the medical field or households who have relatives with Lyme Disease. It is a global awareness campaign and green porch lights is one way to express solidarity to patients of the said disease. 

In some areas, blinking red or green porch lights at night is an indicator that the house has someone who is currently cooking meth. Police patrols are keen in looking for signs like this during the wee hours of the night. 

Why green porch lights?

While indirect, the use of green porchlights coincides with the modern idiom ‘greenlighting’ which signals people to push for something such as the mentioned days of commemoration.

It also sends signals to authority to check households for possible danger. In gardening, the use of green porch lights can affect the growth of plants by activating growth hormones. 

In communities, green porch lights are also used to symbolize healing. As a matter of fact, when a veteran comes home from the war zone, his/her household is expected to open green porch lights. 

Where can I find green light bulbs?

Green light bulbs can be bought in hardware stores in the lights and bulbs section. They are also all over reputable online stores such as Amazon. If you are looking for a durable green light bulb to add to your porch, you can check Sunlite A19/E26 green light bulb. 

The Sunlite green light bulb is a great find for those who want a flexible porch light which can fit both A19 and E26 bulb bases. It can be used in illuminating the porch or opened during night parties and events with friends and family. It is also powerful enough to make a strong statement about certain causes that you are participating with. 

It works on a 3watts output and rated at 25,000hrs of use. It is affordable, and gives a good value for money, working like 25watts of incandescent bulb. 

Best Color Temperature for Outdoor Lighting

The answer to this 2700-3000K. This color temperature is warm enough for the eyes to be comfortable. 2700K is the most ideal color temperature though, providing a therapeutic effect because of its soothing and natural warm tone.

2700K is the color temperature of the soft glow of campfires, making it the most comforting and relaxing color temperature for the outdoors. 

Should you keep your front porch light on?

There are certain times when it is essential to keep the front porch on. During the night and you are at home, keep your front porch light on along with some indoor lights to alert burglars that someone is home. Having porch lights on at night can also help you in identifying unknown people coming into your home. 

It is also safe to leave your front porch light on if you are expecting someone to arrive home at night or when you leave your kids at home and they are just with the sitter. Or when you are expecting an important delivery, leaving your porch lights on help the courier to identify your home immediately. 

Should you sleep with a porch light on?

It is not recommended. According to safety experts, leaving the porch light on all night and shutting it off in the day leaves a pattern of when people are gone in the home. Having a light timer for your porch light is a good idea. 

Is it safe to leave porch lights on while on vacation?

No. Leaving it on while you are away brings more harm than safety. It makes your home an easy target for burglars. If you are away, best buy a light timer for you to create an illusion that someone is home. 

3 best porch light timer

Since porch light timers are found necessary for porch lights and your safety, here are some of the best porch light timers out there that you should check. 

Vgogfly Sensor Lights Automatic Outdoor Light

This one is consistently listed in the best dusk to dawn outdoor sensor lights.

It is a bulb not a timer but having built-in light-sensitive sensor make it a bulb and light timer at the same time.

It is lightweight at 7.2oz and working on an output of 7watts. It is cost and energy efficient, featuring 2800K color temperature.  At 110volts, it is perfect for porches, stairways, patios, and gardens. 

Pros

• Accurate sensor feature. 
• Cost and energy efficient. 
• Lightweight. 

Cons

• Coverage is small. 
• Short life span. 

Kasa Smart KL110 Smart Outdoor Bulb

This jetsetter bulb is a smart outdoor bulb that does not need a hub to be installed. You just need the bulb and since it works with almost all bulb fittings, you can just screw it in.

Using Google or Alexa, you can control the brightness and the time it should be on or off. It can be controlled remotely as long as you have a WiFi connection. 

One of its major upsides is that, you can change the color of the light anytime through WiFi control. The installed smart app will also allow you to monitor the energy consumption and the color temperature of the bulb. 

Pros: 

• Easy to install. 
• All functions can be done remotely using WiFi, Google or Alexa. 
• Comes with a smart app. 
• Compatible to all standard bulb fittings. 

Cons: 

• Will not work on 5G WiFi networks. 
• The metal at the base gets really hot. 

Kasa Smart Light Switch HS200

This is smart light switch counterpart of all smart outdoor bulbs from TP Link. Like the K110, it is controlled remotely using the Kasa App which automatically connects with any TP-Link device.

Homes with Google Home or Echo Dot could also control this switch using voice command. Having Google Assistant or Alexa to do the voice prompts make it more handsfree. 

To improve functionality, it also comes with added light motion sensors. The design is simple and ergonomic featuring a stylish coral white color and a WiFi signal sensor on the finish. This indicates the strength of the signal for you to know if you can use it remotely or not. 

Pros: 

• Can be controlled remotely. 
• Easy installation. 
• Comes with a control app.
• Works with voice commands. 
• Ensures safety. 

Cons

• Cannot support Apple HomeKit
• Will require a neutral wire. 

Conclusion

In this post, we answered more than just what does a green porch light mean. We emphasized how symbolic green porch light is but beyond that, with porch lights in general, it is also important to know safety techniques as to when they should be left open.

A feature of some of the best porch light timers was also included for future reference.