Sensor Switches

Sensor switchFed up with lights being left on!

Why not plan some internal sensor switches for your new home.

Unlike the sensor lights commonly used for outdoors its common to have a sensor switch wired into the lighting circuit rather than a combined sensor and light.

For my last house I installed one in the Walk in Robe, which worked well.

Here are some things that I learned , from experiance, about installing sensor switches.

Location

Field of View

Make sure the sensor has a good view of the most of the room.

There is a temptation to have them mounted in the top back corner. . . . . In Walk in Robes the field of view may then be obscured by a high shelf and/or things stored on the top shelf.

Point into the Room

Its better to point into the room you wish to light.

The mistake I made was the sensor was opposite the door so everytime we, or our pets, walked past the open door the light came on.

Set Up

Most people don’t realise that sensors can be adjusted to improve their suitability.

Time

The time can normally be adjusted between around 10 seconds and 5 minutes.

When I first used the WIR and was looking for my shoes on the floor the light went out after a few seconds as I was below the field of view.

Adjusting the time to around 3 minutes gave a  much better result.

Sensitivity

The sensitivity adjustment affects both the range of the Sensor and the size of the object that is being detected.

A lower sensitivity will avoid pets setting off the lights. (In the case of outside security lights this is really useful in avoid birds and possums causing the lights to continually going on and off)

Lux

 This affects the amount of light at which the sensor will function.

At the lower level the light will only come on when it is completely dark, at the higher level it will come on during day light.

Usually a mid range setting will be best.

Finally

Make sure you choose the best light bulb for the room.

LED bulbs are better than compact fluorescent as they switch on quicker, and are at full brightness immediately.

Also check on Light Colour to check the light you are getting is the best to help you choose the best outfit.

 

For more posts see Electrical or Light Fittings