Light sensors for condo/apartment stairwells

Can someone point me in the right direction?

I know in Europe in apartment/condo stairwells it's very popular to have timers on the lights so that they turn on when there is motion and turn off after 10 or so minutes.

As I recently bought a condo in a small building, the rest of the owners and I would like to reduce our condo fee costs by implementing timers in the public stairwell.

I checked out HomeDepot for something, but they didn't have anything that applied. I don't know if this will entail changing out the light fixtures or not but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Terrific idea! To kick-start things, see:

If HD doesn't have them (they surely DO), try a lighting supply or Lowes. There are all kinds of light/motion detecting fixtures. My guess is that whoever waited on you at HD didn't have a clue.

We have wall fixtures in our condo hallway with motion detectors and adjustable "on time".

You can also put a timer on the circuit.

Hi Norm,

I'm not so sure on/off motion detectors can be used in this type of application. I believe building codes permit hall and stairwell lighting to be dimmed when unoccupied, but not completely turned off. It would be best to confirm this with your city's building department first before making any changes; your condo corporation would be exposing itself to significant liability otherwise.

Cheers, Paul

Use compact florescent bulbs. A 9w bulb, 24 hrs/day for a month = 6.5kwh. Less than a buck.

They do exist, but you may not be allowed to use them. Local codes vary, but many call for lighting all the time in common stairwells and hallways. Change out the bulbs to compact fluorescent and you will save a lot of energy for that type of application. Not to mention that they last a lot longer so you don't have to change them.

For just about double the cost of a motion sensor, you can get a 60-LED 6-watt floodlight bulb that's essentially free to run, and will probably fit in the existing fixture. For a bit less you can get a 36-LED "reading" bulb that uses only 1.3 watts. I suspect that the latter might have trouble getting a legal level of lighting at floor level on the stairs, but it's worth looking at.