Re: Wall-mounted motion sensor light question/idea.
- From: trader4@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:07:26 -0800 (PST)
On Dec 14, 4:41 am, ransley <Mark_Rans...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Dec 13, 7:44 pm, "Beta-32" <bet...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have been trying for a while now to figure out a wall-mounted outdoor
light that looks the way I want it to look, and that does what I want it to
do. And, since I cannot seem to find the light that has all the features
that I want (and don't want), I have an idea of how I may be able to
configure something that will work.
Here what I want and don't want:
I want a wall-mounted outdoor light looks okay as a front porch light and
that is not a flood light type of light. It will be the outdoor front porch
light above the door on a two-unit apartment building that I rent out. I
want the tenants to be able to turn the light on or off as they choose, but
if it is turned on or left turned on, I want it to be a dusk-to-dawn light
that will go on at dusk and off at dawn. But, if it is turned off, or left
turned off, I want it to work as a motion sensor light that will
automatically come on if someone approaches the front door when it is dark
out.
I know there are wall-mounted outdoor lights that are supposed have these
features, but all of them that I have found so far that combine the
dusk-to-dawn feature with a motion sensing feature are "programmed"
lights -- which means for the occupants to turn these features on and off,
they have to do some gyrations like flip the switch off for 1 second and
then back on, etc. It's too complicated and no one can figure out what the
settings on the light really are. That might work in a house that I own and
live in myself because I can eventually learn how to use it and make sure I
set it the way I want it. But, with a house occupied by others, that won't
work.
Here's my idea about how I may be able to get what I want and I am wondering
if this will work:
1) I buy a light that looks the way that I want it to look and that is just
a dusk-to-dawn light without the motion sensing feature. I've seen an
inexpensive one at Lowes and/or Home Depot that is wall-mounted, that is
strictly dusk-to-dawn with no motion sensing features, and which uses a
plug-in type fluorescent bulb that will last a long time, uses much less
electricity, and the bulb is not compatible with indoor lights so tenants
won't have a tendency to steal the outside bulb to put in one of their
indoor lights when their inside light bulb goes out. With this light, when
the switch is on, the light is on, and when the switch is off, the light is
off -- except that with the switch on, the light will only operate from
dusk to dawn, so the light will not be on all day long and look stupid.
2) I buy a motion sensor and wire it so that it is connected across the
same switch that controls the dusk-to-dawn light. So, when the light switch
is on, the light will be on (from dusk to dawn) and the motion sensor will
have no impact on the circuit because the switch circuit is already closed.
But, when the switch is off, and the switch circuit is open, if someone
walks by the motion sensor it will close the circuit and the light will come
on (as long as it is dark outside due to the dusk-to-dawn feature of the
light itself).
Will this work? I don't really know how a motion sensor device is wired and
whether it can be wired to be in parallel with the light switch so that
EITHER the light switch OR the motion sensor will close the circuit to make
the light come on. But, it seems like it would work as far as I can tell.
For the cost of operating a flourescent 15 watt?, the increase in
liability, accident, theft, etc, or possibly code violation since its
a rental and one more thing you forgot flourescent take a long time to
warm when cold and cycling is the hardest on them, its not worth the
trouble. Also some sensors dont handle flourescents well, but try it
if you wish. A nine watt cfl in a sealed light wont get stolen, and
costs me 70 cents a month to operate 12 hrs a day and lasts years,
cycle it on a motion sensor it might last one year, also a tenant wont
turn it off, why should he unles you havnt figured, you must pay him.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
First, I would do some more looking, because I would think you could
find what you want, which is a fixture where the features are set with
a couple of switches, not via flip switch programming. Try going to
a good store that sells lighting fixtures or an electrical supply
house.
Second, I have halogen security lights that I bought at HD. They do
exactly what you want, plus more and the features are set via dip
switches. Now, they are not the style you want for a front door
light, but I have seen the motion sensor/electric eye/smarts widget
sold at HD as a seperate item. It's a small widget with std
electrical conduit thread and wires coming out, so it would be easy to
mount and use. With that you don't have to parallel anything, just
use it as is.
.
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