As a newbie to the world of home automation, I have what may be a basic question.
In back of my home I have three dual floodlights (with two 75w lamps in each) which are switched on and off at a switch inside the house.
Is it possible to add a motion sensor to the system so that these floodlights would become "security lights". If so, what would I need to purchase and could I, with my minimal skills, do the installation myself? Would I replace the exsiting switch with something else?
Depends on how they are wired.
If the wiring has the power come to the fixture first, then routes down to a switch, it should be a piece-a-cake.
Is the switch outside or inside? Where would the motion sensor need to be located?
...Jim Thompson
The switch is inside the house. It is half of a dual switchplate, with the other half controlling an interior light. There is a dual floodlight on each end of the house, with one in the middle. I would mount the motion sensor somewhere in the vicinity of this middle light. The middle light is also the one that's closest to the interior switch.
How is the wire run to the lights? A motion sensor requires power at all times. So if all that runs to the middle light is controlled by the switch then you'll need to run new wire. Is there metal conduit for these lights or are they in-ground using direct burial wire? It may be as simple as running a new line to the desired sensor location and re-routing how the power comes to/from the switch to the other lights.
-Bill Kearney
yes
If so, what would I need to
motion sensor lite kit at home depot. replace existing lite fixture with motion lite as per instructions in box. the instructions will tell you how to use the existing switch.
Which will, generally, only work with that one fixture. That and it'd require leaving the wall switch inside the house in the On position at all times.
Unless full-time power is supplied the sensor there's no way to get around leaving the inside switch On all the time.
The tricky part is balancing between having "full control" versus automatic regardless of inside switch settings. If you provide power directly to the sensor you can wire it such that the wall switch will control turning it on or off independently of the sensor. That is, the lights will come based on the sensor's detection regardless of the wall switch. That's what most people want but bear in mind that it doesn't give you a way to "kill" the lights. Like wanting to deliberately leave the lights off regardless of detected motion.
So decide what's best. I found it wasn't practical to require leaving the switch on. Too many times the light got 'turned off' and the sensor along with it.
-Bill Kearney
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