Automatically turn lights off once room is un-occupied

[LordSoth]

Hi Folks,

my bank account is being plundered because neither my wife nor my kids seems able to turn off a light when they leave a room.

In our office they have what look like PIRs connected to each light unit that power off the unit if their field is not broken within about 10 minutes.

Is there an equivalent device available & easily installed for a domestic UK household? I've found some american devices via Google that seem to work from replacing your light switch with their one, containing some sort of motion sensing capability.

Since I'm a bit of an amateur some idea of home much expertise would be required to install this would also be very much appreciated.

Over to you experts now!

MTIA

Soth

 

[Chri5]

Change the lights to low energy CFL's will mean the cost of juice is 20% of what your paying now,

A CFL is £2, a PIR set to each room is not cost effective. Although taking money from the kids and wife and making them pay for the over use is very cost effective.

Buy an Owl unit from ebay at >£30 and monitor the house juice consumption, I've been amazed with ours the wife goes round hunting things to turn off.

Funny thing? I set the unit charge 50% more than we pay (and she doesn't know)

 

[RF Lighting]

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAPIR.html

Hows about that then?

It's not exactly cheap though I'm afraid.

 

[laughingjester]

try this buddy there around £60 though bit steep really, Occupancy PIR Detector 180R
Wall mounted, so can replace an existing light switch (180R 2 wire) or for general applications such as stair wells, can get em from any goog electrical wholesalers

 

[Taylortwocities]

Depends on the room.
Imagine, you sit down to watch Corrie, every 5 minutes the light goes off. You have to leap out of your chair waving your hands around so the light comes on again.


they work great in public toilets, corridors and offices where there is (supposed to be) a lot of movement. And our neigbours cats love my PIR floodlight - so they can see to poo exactly where I planted my bedding plants.

 

[LordSoth]

Hi Folks,

I finally got one of these but I can't seem to get it wired up properly.

All of the wires connected to the original switch are red!!!

On the original switch there are two red wires into COMMON, one red wire into L1 & one red wire into L2.

This PIR switch has three connections - L, SL & N

I would be very grateful for any advice anyone could give to help me get this operating correctly.

MTIA

Soth

 

[ColJack]

PIR's in domestic are a bad idea.
you're sitting in bed reading and the light goes off..
you're sat watching telly and have to wave at the thing every 5 mins.

 

[Fuseblower]

Hi Folks,

I finally got one of these but I can't seem to get it wired up properly.

All of the wires connected to the original switch are red!!!

On the original switch there are two red wires into COMMON, one red wire into L1 & one red wire into L2.

This PIR switch has three connections - L, SL & N

I would be very grateful for any advice anyone could give to help me get this operating correctly.

MTIA

Soth

Sorry to say that you won't get this device to work in your situation for two reasons
1 Sounds like the switch you are trying to replace is two way and the PIR is one way.

2 The PIR device looks like it requires a neutral to work and the isn't a neutral in your existing switch wiring.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Regards FB

 

[LordSoth]

Sorry to say that you won't get this device to work in your situation for two reasons
1 Sounds like the switch you are trying to replace is two way and the PIR is one way.

2 The PIR device looks like it requires a neutral to work and the isn't a neutral in your existing switch wiring.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Regards FB

Very bad news indeed considering I've just shelled out £50 for this!

 

[JohnD]

would you like to fit it next to the ceiling rose?

Or if you had bought two dozen CFLs they would save more energy than your gadget, and cost a lot less money..

 

[LordSoth]

would you like to fit it next to the ceiling rose?

If it would work I could live with that!

Or if you had bought two dozen CFLs they would save more energy than your gadget, and cost a lot less money..

Unfortunately, according to my other half they don't have "ambience"!

Soth

 

[JohnD]

the ceiling rose (usually) contains the permanent live and neutral, and the switched live so you could.

Also, buy some large globe Philips CFLs in warm white and put them on the hall and landing. If she doesn't like them, dig a hole under the patio,

 

[LordSoth]

the ceiling rose (usually) contains the permanent live and neutral, and the switched live so you could

Do I have to put all three wires in series or just run a spur from the rose & break the switched live?

Also, buy some large globe Philips CFLs in warm white and put them on the hall and landing. If she doesn't like them, dig a hole under the patio,

Now I have to build a second storey to my bungalow & a patio!!!!!

This is getting worse!

Soth

 

[Adam_151]

Find out which way the joists run, drill a largish hole, in the loaction you have identified for the device, fish a 3c+e from rose, screw surface patress over largish hole. At ceiling rose, connect earth to earth, neutral (use grey core sleeve as blue) to neutral, remove switched live and connector block to brown, sleeve black as brown and up in switched live, Connect other end the same (grey with blue sleeve - N, brown - L, black with brown sleeve - SL, earth - earth)

 

[baldelectrician]

You could get a a 360 recessed pir which may look better.

I had it delvered this week. One will go in the kitchen and one in the bathroom

They will be wired in paralell with the normal switches to allow premanant on (when having a bath etc)