Room occupancy sensing for lighting control

[timycelyn]

Having tried all the obvious ploys, and even some quite creative ones, I have not yet managed to control my family's habit of leaving pretty well all the lights in the house on each night and every night (or so it seems, perchance I exaggerate slightly.....but only slightly).

I remember seeing reference in a recent thread to govt offices where they can tell if it is occupied and if not the lighting shuts down, and I'm sure I've come across this before.

My question is, is there a neat, simple and tidy way I can implement this in the home? In theory I know I could do it with a screwfix PIR detector, but it's not exactly a thing of beauty in the dining room, and the wiring in otherwise finished rooms, plaster chasing etc would be rather off putting for the gain.

In my ideal world I'd be looking for a special flush switch unit that had a PIR built into its face that could simply be exchanged for the normal switch in a normal flush box.

Do such things exist, and if so, any ideas where I should look?

Many thanks

Tim

[Richard]

Stayed in a B+B with PIRs built into the light switches in the hallways. I think that they were tuned for less athletic guests as I was always past the areas of darkness before the PIRs had reacted.

Richard

[logized]

They are built-in to the light fittings in the office types so they only sense anyone moving nearby to that light. A possibility for home use may be a ceiling mounted device - see

[logized]

Just noticed a much cheaper sensor that has 360 deg detection -

[Newshound]

I have the same problem (too idle to do anything about it). Seem like a good idea, but just had a thought. If these thingies also recognise that it's light enough not to need lights on, why don't they turn themselves off when they are on (if you see what I mean).

Also, at £18 a time it would take a while to pay back, especially if you've already converted the culprits to fluorescents.

[Mike]

Never seem one in a switch box so I've fitted one of these into a recess in the ceiling with just the sensor showing.

[Mike]

Because they only sense the light level before they turn themselves on

[Christopher Key]

We have such devices in the corridors here. They look like they are mounted into a standard flush mounted box in the ceiling, so can see no reason why they couldn't be wall mounted instead. I'm afriad I've no idea where they came from though.

Chris Key

[Christopher Key]

I think they are almost certainly these:

Key

[brugnospamsia]

methinks a conversion job on off the shelf security lights is in order ... and I have a friend who'd have the 500 watt floodlights off me to illuminate her trees :-)

... though 360 degree operation might be difficult to organise elegantly ....

Jeremy

[timycelyn]

Thanks very much indeed to everyone who replied - this gives me several leads that I will now look further into. I'll sort them out yet!

All the best

Tim

[John]

In article , "timycelyn" wrote: ...

Movement or heat or what? We have these in some of our large cluster rooms. At quite periods (when new users don't enter the room, or any leave) it is not unknown for users to be plunged into darkness because they're sitting working quietly, not moving.

Probably not a problem in small areas though.

John

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , timycelyn writes

Be warned that they don't work well in rooms where you sit down and stop moving. There you are, reading the newspaper, whoops, off go the lights. Then you have to stand up and do a little dance to get them on again.

They are OK for corridors where you are just passing through and there is plenty of movement to detect. I've seen them used successfully in toilets as well.

[Lurch]

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 18:59:45 +0000 (UTC), "timycelyn" strung together this:

One thing most replies have overlooked is th3e fact that the PIR will require a neutral, which is extremely unlikely to be in the back of any of the switches so a fair amount of replacing switch drops back to the associated lights will be going on.

[Mike]

If you find the eljat product at a good price please let me know.

[stejonda]

In message , Lurch writes

though one item on the elkay site claims not to require a neutral - "375A The unit is activated when moving body heat is detected. When no more movement is detected the timer cycle starts. Unit includes integral override and light sensor switch. No neutral required."

[Lurch]

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 22:17:54 +0000, "dave @ stejonda" strung together this:

Must admit, I only glanced at a couple. Worth the OP bearing in mind though.

[quisquiliae]

Ah yes, I remember a lecture room, airless and more to the point windowless where if everyone was sitting quietly paying attention the lights would suddenly go out. Quick somebody do some hand waving!

[Mike]

Or maybe not if you're all asleep :-)