Auto switch off a battery cupboard light?

[AA]

I have a battery operated "push light" from Homebase in my understairs cupboard (a button shaped thing that you push to switch on/off). Trouble is, my wife or minxy daugher will leave the light on and I can say goodbye to 3 AAs.

Is there such a thing as a little time delayed switching component that I could get from somewhere like Maplins and solder in so that the light will switch off after a couple of minutes?

The only other solution is to beat wife/child each time until they learn. Of course I never leave the light on myself!

[TMC]

as its low voltage why not wire a microswitch to the cupboard door and bypass the push switch

Tony

[Mike Barnes]

Lateral solution 1: fix a switch that disconnects the battery when the door is closed. Of course that assumes that you^W they aren't as bad at closing doors as they are at turning lights off.

Lateral solution 2: use a lantern battery instead of AAs, which will probably last for months, but beware the voltage difference (might matter, might not). I'm assuming this a LED light.

Or both.

[Jim Alexander]

or Lateral solution 3: use re-chargeable AAs

Jim A

[Owain]

LS1a: put spring closer on door.

LS3: wire a proper mains light in, on a door switch.

Owain

[Lurch]

On 10 May 2007 04:15:24 -0700, AA mused:

Pneumatic time lag switch.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Snag with that is any such electronics will consume some power all the time. I'd be inclined to use some form of mechanical switch - a micro switch or similar - operated by the door, as there is no safety issue.

[Robert Laws]

one of these:

[AA]

Thanks for all the useful suggestions. I think I'll stick with rechargeable batteries and beating the family as a back up. I found the complete solution on ebay - pretty much what I already have but with a timer. Probably crappo quality though.

search for "push light auto off"

Aardvark.

AA wrote: