How to use the online alarm clock
Break away from the job in hand at 3:35 am to check the heating in the old stone house, rather than relying on yourself to notice the time. An alarm now leaves enough of the night before 4:00 am to inspect the boiler display, listen for unusual pipe noise and confirm that the colder rooms are warming as expected.
Match the alarm sound to how easily you can leave the current task. A softer tone suits quiet paperwork or reading, while a more persistent one may be useful if you are occupied in another room or wearing headphones. Set the volume so it is noticeable without disturbing everyone else in the house. The alarm cannot bring you back to the heating check if the browser session ends or the computer falls asleep, so leave it running and use a separate backup if missing the check would matter.
While the stone house is quiet at this hour, an air conditioner can mask clicks, knocks or changes in the boiler’s hum. During hot weather, turn the cooling down briefly before inspecting the heating, then restore the previous setting afterwards. Keeping the two systems’ controls clearly separated also avoids changing the wrong thermostat when you are tired and working under low light.
Common questions
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 3:35 am?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
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