Our big hallway has a night light plugged into the outlet. While thinking about the situation, I decided it might be neat to have a permanently installed light. It seems that the type of light I would use is called a step light. Here is one that caught my attention:
Our big hallway has a night light plugged into the outlet. While thinking about the situation, I decided it might be neat to have a permanently installed light. It seems that the type of light I would use is called a step light. Here is one that caught my attention:
The night light is very handle to be able to see while walking down the hallway in the middle of the night without having to turn on the hall light that would shine into the adjoining bedrooms. Has anyone installed such a contraption? Are there any code issues?
Yes, it would... Thanks for the idea. My wife's parents recently moved in with us (because they're elderly and infirm), and I think this would be quite helpful to them.
I like that. Thank you again for calling it to my attention.
Who cares about turning it on and off? It's only 7 watts. Leaving it on continuously consumes about 3kwh per month more than switching it on and off, or somewhere in the neighborhood of a penny a day. So what?
Keep looking, and maybe you can find one with an LED lamp that consumes only
1/2 watt.No, but I think I soon will.
There is one possible Code issue. Hallways ten feet or more in length are required to have at least one receptacle[*] -- so if you install this to replace the only receptacle in a ten-foot hallway, that's a violation.
[* -- 2008 NEC, Article 210.52(H)]
I may have answered my own question.
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We use a few LEDs plug ins, couple of bucks each, that use one half of a duplex outlet. They give enough 'glow' (orange in this case) to be able to see at night and leave the other half of each duplex free to plug in the vacuum cleaner etc.
Recently was in a dollar store and picked up ($1.25 IIRC?) a sort small luminous panel that also plugs into half a duplex outlet; it glows sort of green all the time.
We figure all those night lights, running 24/7/365 probably use a total of a couple of tenths of a watt per hour for an annual electrcity cost of say 25 cents?
We are also using, for past year or so, an LED 'night light' device in the bathroom it glows when the room light is off.
BTW one watt per hour at ten cents per kilowatt/hr is?
24 x 365 x 1 =3D 8760 watt/hrs. 8769 watts =3D 8.8 kilowatt/hrs. 8.8 kilowatt/hrs at ten cents (approx) =3D 88 cents.Also trying out a nine LED strip, bought on sale for about $8, over our double kitchen sink, it use one watt and is on continuously. Would have preferred the 21 LED version or a second nine LED one which would have plugged into and lengthened this one. But the one we got was the only one in stock.
Also btw; in what, some 44 years ago, was our daughter's room the little neon bulb inside the wall switch is still glowing whenever the the switch is off, in series with the room light. Slight glow from that also useful.
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I like it-- but wonder why they used ultra reliable LEDs that only consume 3/4of a watt per hour, then add a relatively expensive, trouble-prone [in my experience, anyway] photocell.
"American Lighting hooded recessed night lite, includes three .25-Watt white LED's with 60,000 hour lamp life, includes 1 120-Volt receptacle, fits a standard single gang Junction Box, #RNLS-4 photocell controlled recessed night lights automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn, "
The LED's should last 7 years if left on 24/7 - and if my math is right they'll consume 60KwH of power- 30 of them when it is light.
So to save
We have something like this in our hallway:
These might also be useful, although I don't know the power consumption or the candle power of the "guide light" that is always on.
However, I believe Pass & Seymour make receptacles with LED night lights, both with and without GFCIs. I have one with GFCI ready to install in my bathroom, soon as I get the homerun pulled. Only downside is they are all Decora format and likely only available in white or ivory.
nate
http://208.78.153.165/literature/pdf/LR_48423_BR1151_fr.pdf
I have thought about the same thing, but in my older house, I was thinking more along the lines of one of those old-fashioned movie theater lights, the kind they had built in to the seats along the aisle. Kind of a hooded brass thing. If anyone knows of a source for those I'd be grateful. -- H
I believe I've seem them recently, but I don't remember where. Do a search for "step lights". Look in commercial catalogs, as well.
This might work better:
The very definition of planned obsolescence.
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