14
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Accepted
What are the pros and cons on installing a typical garage floodlight kit, inside your garage?
The immediate issue I see is that a floodlight is not great for lighting a room. They cast harsh shadows, create a lot of glare if you look anywhere near their direction, and will leave plenty of ...
- 27.6k
10
votes
What are the pros and cons on installing a typical garage floodlight kit, inside your garage?
Due to medical conditions I need lots of light and I don't due well with harsh direct lighting or shadows.
For lots of light, I have often installed alternate 'outdoor' lighting inside. I even have a ...
- 5,689
6
votes
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motion sensor switch always on
So many wires, so little time...
Instructions below, except as noted, apply generically to any similar motion sensor, dimmer, timer, smart switch, etc. For this specific switch, instructions should be ...
5
votes
Help wiring occupancy sensor
You used the wrong clamp, so the grounding path is broken
The particular occupancy sensor you are using uses the rather ugly kludge of sending its operating current back "home" via the equipment ...
- 80.8k
5
votes
Lightswitch - Ground too short
TLDR: Leave the ground wires where they are! Let the switch pick up ground via its mounting screws.
Don't fall for "Spare wire syndrome"
Often, novices see a spliced group of, say, white ...
5
votes
Can I stop tenants from leaving their small, 1,500 electric oil-filled radiators ON while they are gone using an 'occupant sensor' control recepticle?
This is a legal mess
First, you really, really need to review landlord-tenant law. Because your strategy is penny-wise/pound-foolish. You are presuming a right to do things that are totally illegal, ...
5
votes
Motion Sensors Don't Work Through Glass — Is There a Workaround?
The best way to protect a camera from people is with a dummy camera.
Put the dummy camera exactly where everyone expects to see a camera.
Put the real camera in concealment. Unfortunately most camera ...
5
votes
Help wiring a motion sensor switch
If you want a motion sensor on this three-way switch circuit you will need a three-way capable motion sensor switch. They exist, though they are rarer to find and more expensive. Note that per ...
- 7,583
4
votes
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How do I replace or repair a motion sensor PIR lens?
The item you are looking for is a PIR lens. These are typically sold in bulk, but now that you know the name of it, you should be able to google for one to purchase.
An example one is here
- 837
4
votes
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Reusing ADT motion sensors
First we must determine whether your motion sensors are wired or wireless.
Wired
The wired PIR motion sensors used in security systems since roughly forever are pretty simple devices. You feed them ...
- 26.3k
4
votes
Motion detector switch affected by heater?
Absolutely! Most motion sensors are IR (infrared) detectors and they can "see" heated air as it moves. If it moves fast enough it may trick the sensor into thinking that it's a human vs. just heated ...
- 23k
4
votes
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Occupancy sensor to turn off socket
You could combine a standard Occupancy Sensor:
with a Relay:
The Occ Sensor controls the relay, and you use the relay's Normally-Closed terminal to power your Outlet, something like this:
So when ...
- 5,776
4
votes
motion sensor switch always on
You appear (to the extent I can decipher that paint-splattered mess) to have neutral in the box, and the joining of ground and neutral is definitely wrong.
Most likely you connected the always-hot of ...
- 193k
3
votes
Wireless Networked Sensor Light?
Yes, there are. Some speak the X10 carrier-current signalling protocol, some use more modern communications. Obviously you would need to buy compatible components.
A good home-automation catalog or ...
- 25.9k
3
votes
Motion sensor activates for no apparent reason
These units also detect heat changes. Make sure the HVAC vent isn't blowing warm or cool air onto the detector or into its view of the space.
3
votes
How does a 3-way motion sensor switch interact with the mechanical switch on the circuit?
To make a true 3-way motion detector switch -- as opposed to a motion detector with a remote, or a motion detector in series with a normal switch -- the motion detector has to be able to monitor ...
- 25.9k
3
votes
Multiple motion sensor lights on one switch
Unfortunately many or even most of the motion sensor lights on the market are junk. At least that's been my experience. I have installed a bunch of these purchased at big box stores that just didn't ...
- 24.9k
3
votes
Accepted
lutron sensor switch - wiring help
Unfortunately, the Installation Guide doesn't say much. It shows the two black wires but does not have any indication as far as which one goes to hot vs. switched-hot. The implication is "it ...
3
votes
Accepted
Help wiring occupancy sensor
Yeah. That old clamp wasn't perfect (one NM in a 3-AC clamp), but what you did there with the new clamp was a complete hork job. That clamp is made for 1 NM cable. You just spammed your 3 cables in ...
3
votes
Accepted
What is the typical vertical angle field of view for a PIR motion sensing light switch?
While it varies by the sensor, we can look at a good representative unit to get an idea
You are right that different sensors will be somewhat different with regard to their view angles, both in the ...
- 80.8k
3
votes
What are the pros and cons on installing a typical garage floodlight kit, inside your garage?
I have one in the garage. It is great because when you walk into the garage a light comes on and you don't have to hunt for a switch. If you are just carrying laundry down or getting into the car it ...
- 251
3
votes
Occupancy sensor to turn off socket
i used the following to make an "inverter" out of aftermarket code-friendly devices when i was renting and couldn't mod anything permanent: a cheap always-on LED nitelight and a screw-in ...
- 2,119
3
votes
Why are the switches connected and each one has two black wires going to one terminal?
Switches need a connection to the always powered part of the circuit on one side of the switch and then the connection to the load (light or outlet or fan) of the other side. Often the live powered ...
- 64k
3
votes
How to bypass motion detector on outdoor flood light
TL;DR Turn the switch ON. Wait ~15 seconds for it to turn off automatically. Then turn it OFF, ON, OFF, ON and the light will obey standard ON and OFF from the switch for the next 6 hours.
From the ...
2
votes
How can I improve the sensitivity of a motion detector light?
Removing the white plastic that covers the light sensor will make the PIR/motion sensor less sensitive/effective. The cover is actually a Fresnel lens, it has a pattern that scatters light in ...
- 121
2
votes
Can I use low voltage lights with a motion sensor?
The motion sensor needs to be hot 24x7.
Motion sensors actually calibrate for the environment, and if you constantly sever power to them, they constantly are reset and have to start calibrating all ...
2
votes
How to shape the zone a radar motion sensor detects?
I know that that's an old thread but you can use the anti-static bag used in electronic: works like a charm for me.
Regards
- 21
2
votes
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Operation of two 3-way occupancy switches
The occupancy sensors that are commercially available, are not designed to work in this situation.
You could install the sensor in a location that covers both the door, and the rest of the basement. ...
- 131k
2
votes
Accepted
How does a 3-way motion sensor switch interact with the mechanical switch on the circuit?
In this type of set-up, all load power is controlled by the electronic motion-sensing switch. If you use the mechanical switch to "turn on" the light, the motion sensor will turn it off when no motion ...
- 34.5k
2
votes
Accepted
Installing Light Switch
I've never connected a motion switch before but it looks like the two whites neutrals in the wall box stay together, and then just twist one of the two blacks coming out the wall box each and ...
- 136
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