Need a switch or cover to discourage people from turning off lights

[ShadowTek]

I'm looking for a special switch or cover that will discourage people from fooling with the switches for my outdoor security lights. I want all my switches right there at the door (where they already are), but it seems like everybody has to screw with every damn switch on the box before they find what they're looking for, and, sadly, labels don't seem to be effective.

I'd settle for something like an outdoor receptacle cover, but I only found them in single gang design, and most of my switch panels are multigang boxes.

I wouldn't mind a special switch, light the ones for weapons systems that have a safety cover over the switch, but it would need to handle line voltage.

Is there any vendor that has a good selection of stuff like that?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Key activated switches.

page 863 15A $12.87 That was easy.

[The Daring Dufas]

Just install tamper resistant switches like those in institutions.

This type uses a flat metal key.

TDD

[HeyBub]

You can get "switch guards" at HD. They cost, like, almost nothing. I couldn't find them on the HD website (can anyone find anything on that worthless scum-hole), but here's another look.

I use them for exactly the same purpose as you propose.

These are the ones I have - they don't LOCK the switch in a particular position. They just prevent accidental flipping.

And I didn't pay $14.49 either!

[ShadowTek]

I don't think that would be practical with an array of 6 or more switches. The motion sensor lights that I'm using can be switched into an "always on" mode by toggling the switchs on and off, so fumbling with a key to toggle multiple switches would be cumbersome.

If I were willing to use a key, I'd mount the switches inside a locked panel, and then I'd only have to unlock the panel.

[ShadowTek]

Yeah, that'll do. Thanks.

These look like them, but I can't clearly see if they have an open side, and the product description is misleading. "Covers standard light switches allowing user to 'lock' the switch in either the on or off position. The guard is made out of strong plastic and is installed using the wallplates existing screws."

The description for the dark colered ones is evey worse. "Stop reprogramming your clocks, TVs and DVDs with the Amerelle Switch Guard (2-Pack). Made of strong plastic, the guard prevents electrical items from accidentally turning off." lol

[The Daring Dufas]

You insert the key and flip it just like a regular switch. A thin blade screwdriver will work just as well on many similar switches. The only other thing to do would be to install standard switches in a closet near the door out of sight of the switch flippers.

TDD

[Nestor Kelebay]

ShadowTek:

Might sound like a dumb idea, but on those switches you don't want people to mess with, can you not remove the switch plate cover and mount a steel cover with no opening in it? Just use longer 6X32 screws and some short pieces of 1/8 inch ID rubber tubing to mount the steel cover so that it's above the switch toggle. That is, if you use two 1 1/4 inch long 6X32 machine screws and two pieces of 1 inch long rubber tubing per switch, you can mount the steel cover 3/4 to 1 inch in front of the electrical box. That still allows sufficient room to flip the switch toggle under the cover, but prevents inadvertant flipping of the switch by persons to busy to be careful in what they do.

------------------------------------- ..in solidarity with the movement for change in Iran.

[RicodJour]

So you're recommending that someone reach _inside_ an electrical box to operate one switch out of a bank of switches? What about the other switches in that bank? Besides looking weird, making all of the switches difficult to use, having the person operate switches blind, and requiring the insertion of some sort of tool to flip a flippin' light switch, it's against code. You were right, it is a dumb idea.

R

[DerbyDad03]

I find nothing misleading about either description.

The first one basically says that you use the 2 screws that hold the switch plate on to mount the guard so that the switch can't be operated.

The second one refers to switched outlets that you don't want to turn off because programmable devices are plugged into them.

What is misleading about that?

[ShadowTek]

to

>

The switch cover mentioned in another thread should be fine for the typical single-pole, vertical switch, but I might have to rig something else up for multi-pole, horizontal switches (none of which I have at the moment. I could try something like Nestor says for that, by leaving the underlying coverplate in place, replacing the cover plate screws with longer ones, locking the inner cover plate in with locknuts, and setting the outer cover plate to the desired distance with the right spacers.

It would look strange, but it should have the desired effect of keeping out wandering hands.

[ShadowTek]

The first one uses the word 'lock', but doesn't elaborate on that meaning. Not only that, but use of single quotes in this manner is improper and meaningless in American-English.

The second one uses the term "turning off" (instead of "being turned off") which implies that the "electrical items" are turning themselves off, and that this switch will prevent *that* from occuring, hence my subsequent "lol".

[HeyBub]

>

The ones I bought do have an open side. You CAN manipulate the switch without removing the cover. The description of the first reference implies that it LOCKS the switch into position do that the switch can't be operated without removing the cover.

[DerbyDad03]

Improper grammar and/or improper use of punctuation doesn't make the statements *misleading*.

Were you actually "mislead" as far as their meaning or did you understand exactly what they were trying to say?

I find it somewhat humorous that in the same post where you detail the grammar and punctuation errors of the descriptions you also toss in some internet slang - and justify it.

Look up the entry for lol at dictionary.com. Your use of the acronym could certainly be misleading.

[Jay Hanig]

The ones I've used in the past came with short plastic posts that you mounted on the switch plate with longer screws which replaced the original ones. Then a plastic cover just snapped over the switch with the posts providing a little tension. Once it was mounted, no tools were ever needed to operate the switch and its appearance was quite neutral... would not catch the eye as being out of place or odd. At the same time, there was no way anybody could mistake your intent by having the guards in place.

Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got them.

If you will do a google search for "switch guard", dozens of options will present themselves.

Jay

[RicodJour]

)

Multi-pole switches? Do everyone, particularly yourself, and post a picture. The setup will have everything to do with the solution. Label the switches in the photo.

R

[jeff_wisnia]

I had a similar problem with a switch (in a triple switch plate) which controlled power to the floodlight over our home's garage doors.

When I installed a motion operated floodlight set I wanted to prevent someone accidently turning off the power to it.

I just bent a strip of 3/4" wide aluminum sheet metal into a sort of flattened omega shape, put a pair of holes in the ends to match the wallplate to switch screws, and mounted it over the switch lever. A little white paint to make it look pretty and the job was done.

The switch can still be operated "from the side" with a finger, but it's unlikely anyone will do that accidently.

Works for me.

Jeff

[Tom Horne]

You can buy those strap style switch guards at any decent electrical supply house. Even a mediocre one would order them for you. By gripping the toggle from the side between the thumb and forefinger you can then perform the rapid switch operations needed to place the motion sensor into it's constant on mode.

-- Tom Horne

[jamesgangnc]

I believe he has the double switch that uses an outlet faceplate and has two switches that are moved side to side for on/off. And I've not see any covers for those. All the covers I have seen have been singles.

[willshak]

ShadowTek wrote the following:

How about red toggle switches for the outdoor motion detectors? One would have to ignore the color to tun it off accidentally.

or: