Switched flood lights with on/off/photocell

[Shovelhead]

Getting frustrated shopping online, maybe I ain’t using the correct words to search.
Any recommendations for a decent outdoor flood light that’s capable of being on/off/photocell via wall switch?
Like most everything there’s 9 jillion different floodlights for sale.
Hard to sort out the ones that have a remote control, or motion detection, or something I have to tell Alexa to do.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I have old yard lights that run with photocells built into them. The setup works pretty well. I don't even bother turning off those circuits. Adding a switch wouldn't change the operation with those things.
I also have a bunch of flood fixtures with standard screw in bases. With those, I mount intermediate photocell bases. Super simple installation. I also installed an inline photocell for the an aesthetic entry fixture. That wasn't too bad and the cell is out of sight above the fixture.

This topic is one I've been pondering. Throwing around the idea of doing photocell controls for a whole circuit.
My reason for wondering is related to two other locations. On the house I have fancy schmancy looking exterior lights. They look great, but are only controlled by a switch. If I'm going to be gone for days, do I leave them run the whole time? It seems to be a common thing with homes in my area.
The second location is a building with exterior and interior lighting all controlled by a basic intermatic timer and relays. It's not a huge deal to keep resetting the timer sequence, but a simple photo cell relay would be easier. That building is an old ****** with ceilings just under twelve feet. The exterior lights are around 36 feet up. Anything at fixture level would take some commitment. The timer and relays are buried pretty deep inside the building, so that also means running wiring to an exterior photocell. That building has 18" thick stone walls.

 

[Shovelhead]

Thanks.
I should add that this for new construction.
I want floodlights at the detached garage eave or decorative lights on each side of garage door that I can turn on and off with a switch, or switch to dusk to dawn if we leave in the day and come home at night.
Once home I can turn them off. I don’t want the sumbitches burning unless I tell them to.
Same mentality as in my pickup. I want the headlights on I’ll turn em on.

 

[Norcal]

Thanks.
I should add that this for new construction.
I want floodlights at the detached garage eave or decorative lights on each side of garage door that I can turn on and off with a switch, or switch to dusk to dawn if we leave in the day and come home at night.
Once home I can turn them off. I don’t want the sumbitches burning unless I tell them to.
Same mentality as in my pickup. I want the headlights on I’ll turn em on.

The light at my front door & the 35 watt HPS wallpack over the garage door has a photocell, put a locking receptacle on the roof (specialty item) and the standard locking photocell like what is used for street lighting, it gets turned off at bedtime.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Getting frustrated shopping online, maybe I ain’t using the correct words to search.
Any recommendations for a decent outdoor flood light that’s capable of being on/off/photocell via wall switch?
Like most everything there’s 9 jillion different floodlights for sale.
Hard to sort out the ones that have a remote control, or motion detection, or something I have to tell Alexa to do.

I have a set of carriage lights in front of the house that are controlled by a single switch. I have another set of carriage lights on the side of the house, next to the garage doors, that are controlled by three-way switches. I wanted both sets of lights to come on at dusk and turn off at dawn, while retaining manual on-off capability using a wall switch.

I replaced the single switch for the front carriage lights and one of the three-way switches for the side carriage lights by GE astronomical switches, link below. This allowed me to program in how long before dusk and how long after dawn the lights should come on and turn off. Really simple to program, and you just have to do it once. It is pretty cool. The switches have a built-in astronomical calendar. You just specify what region of the country you live in, and they retain all settings in the event of a power failure.

Now my lights come on 20 minutes (my preference) before dusk and turn off at dawn. I can turn them on or off manually using the wall switches as well. The three-way function for the side garage lights works fine as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZN58SM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Sumboodie]

When would you need the lights on if it's not dark?

 

[Shovelhead]

I have a set of carriage lights in front of the house that are controlled by a single switch. I have another set of carriage lights on the side of the house, next to the garage doors, that are controlled by three-way switches. I wanted both sets of lights to come on at dusk and turn off at dawn, while retaining manual on-off capability using a wall switch.

I replaced the single switch for the front carriage lights and one of the three-way switches for the side carriage lights by GE astronomical switches, link below. This allowed me to program in how long before dusk and how long after dawn the lights should come on and turn off. Really simple to program, and you just have to do it once. It is pretty cool. The switches have a built-in astronomical calendar. You just specify what region of the country you live in, and they retain all settings in the event of a power failure.

Now my lights come on 20 minutes (my preference) before dusk and turn off at dawn. I can turn them on or off manually using the wall switches as well. The three-way function for the side garage lights works fine as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZN58SM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

That looks like a plan there. Have not fully studied it, but if I understand it correctly this allows the use of any type of 120vac light fixture.
Could be the solution since my old lady has already bought the “carriage “ type lantern fixtures for each side of the garage door.
Thank you!

 

[Shovelhead]

When would you need the lights on if it's not dark?

No savvy?
If you are asking me I don’t want the lights on if it ain’t dark.

 

[Shovelhead]

Now my lights come on 20 minutes (my preference) before dusk and turn off at dawn. I can turn them on or off manually using the wall switches as well. The three-way function for the side garage lights works fine as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZN58SM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I did not see if this switch allows the dusk to dawn feature to be turned off and on as needed. ?
I want the option to disable the dusk to dawn one day and enable the next day without a bunch of programming.
Thanks

 

[gleman]

Thanks.
I should add that this for new construction.
I want floodlights at the detached garage eave or decorative lights on each side of garage door that I can turn on and off with a switch, or switch to dusk to dawn if we leave in the day and come home at night.
Once home I can turn them off. I don’t want the sumbitches burning unless I tell them to.
Same mentality as in my pickup. I want the headlights on I’ll turn em on.

something I have to tell Alexa to do.

If you have Alexa, Amazon makes a reasonably priced, wall switch so you could eliminate messing with photocells entirely.

Turn it on or off or setup a routine to turn on when you want or do it remotely.

Switch


I think that would simplify your setup.

I just use a programmable timer on my sconces in the front of the house and don't think too much about them.

 

[Jinks]

Getting frustrated shopping online, maybe I ain’t using the correct words to search.
Any recommendations for a decent outdoor flood light that’s capable of being on/off/photocell via wall switch?
Like most everything there’s 9 jillion different floodlights for sale.
Hard to sort out the ones that have a remote control, or motion detection, or something I have to tell Alexa to do.

Any flood light, a photocell, & a relay. The photocell operates the relay. The relay turns the lights on/off. Not real complicated...

 

[Shovelhead]

Have to read more about a timer, the ones I’ve used in the past required you jack with them too much when you turn them off and on.

Im not going to rely on the internet to operate anything of mine when I’m gone.
Thanks

 

[Shovelhead]

Any flood light, a photocell, & a relay. The photocell operates the relay. The relay turns the lights on/off. Not real complicated...

please explain how uncomplicated that would be. A switch for on/off, a switch for the relay to energize the photocell, ?
I ain’t Tommy Edison.

 

[sparky 1971]

It's easy. No relay required. I have a pissed off wife demanding honey do things get done. I will post a diagram later on.

A single pole double throw, off in the middle switch is all that's needed. As long as one can get the wires run.

 

[Shovelhead]

Sparky! Yeah man, that’s what my simple mind was thinking but don’t know where to look to find a light and SPDT 120v switch all in the same box.
I wired my shop but I ain’t wiring this house.
1 switch— Switch position down= off
sw position up= on
sw position center= photocell

 

[Jinks]

please explain how uncomplicated that would be. A switch for on/off, a switch for the relay to energize the photocell, ?
I ain’t Tommy Edison.

I may have misunderstood you. Why would you want to turn the entire system off? Any photo cell will have to have power run to it. From there you run the output to the relay, & the output from the relay to the light(s). They'll come on at dark & go off at sunrise whether you're there or not............

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I did not see if this switch allows the dusk to dawn feature to be turned off and on as needed. ?
I want the option to disable the dusk to dawn one day and enable the next day without a bunch of programming.
Thanks

If you are using dusk to dawn feature, you can turn lights off manually when they come on at dusk.

 

[BillK]

I have two Heath Zenith motion sensing lights and both of them have a manual bypass mode to turn them on at night if you want. You simply turn the wall switch off for one second and then back on and it turns the light on manually. Do the same thing again to toggle it back to automatic mode. No special wiring or switch required.

https://heath-zenith.com/t/motion-activated-security-lighting

https://heath-zenith.com/system/spree/documents/attachments/000/046/134/original/204020-02A.pdf?1585779820

 

[35Ford]

Just use a single pole switch. Wire to a remote photocell first, then go to the lights. Turn the switch on if you want to use the lights, off if you don't.

 

[nadogail]

My rear yard lights are switched on at Dusk. The lantern on a pole in the front yard is controlled by a
photo cell and the Light at the Front Door is also switched on at Dusk.

We turn them off when we come down for breakfast in the Morning.

 

[Shovelhead]

Thanks fellas. Think I got it sorted out with a couple options.
Some don’t understand or I didn’t explain it right.
I do not want the dusk to dawn to operate every night, probably not use it more than use it.

We live in the woods, surrounded by National Forest, there’s bugs, and a lot of them.
I have a nightlighter on my transformer pole for decent area lighting.
I would mostly use the dusk to dawn if we went out of town for a few days or if we went somewhere and knew we weren’t coming home til after dark. And that’s pretty rare the older I get.
These would help light the garage door entrance for those times.

 

[sparky 1971]

Thanks fellas. Think I got it sorted out with a couple options.
Some don’t understand or I didn’t explain it right.
I do not want the dusk to dawn to operate every night, probably not use it more than use it.

We live in the woods, surrounded by National Forest, there’s bugs, and a lot of them.
I have a nightlighter on my transformer pole for decent area lighting.
I would mostly use the dusk to dawn if we went out of town for a few days or if we went somewhere and knew we weren’t coming home til after dark. And that’s pretty rare the older I get.
These would help light the garage door entrance for those times.

I misunderstood you. If you don't want the lights to come on every night, all you need is a single pole switch to kill the power to the lights. I was thinking you wanted to be able to turn the lights on when it wasn't dark enough for the photocell to close. I've done the SPDT switch to over ride motion sensors to on before, it would be the same thing to work around a photocell. If you have an exterior light that is already controlled by a switch, just install a dusk to dawn at that location. When the switch is on, it's controlled by the photocell, when it's off...nothing.

 

[Sumboodie]

No savvy?
If you are asking me I don’t want the lights on if it ain’t dark.

Right. Which the photocell would handle.

 

[Sumboodie]

Thanks fellas. Think I got it sorted out with a couple options.
Some don’t understand or I didn’t explain it right.
I do not want the dusk to dawn to operate every night, probably not use it more than use it.

We live in the woods, surrounded by National Forest, there’s bugs, and a lot of them.
I have a nightlighter on my transformer pole for decent area lighting.
I would mostly use the dusk to dawn if we went out of town for a few days or if we went somewhere and knew we weren’t coming home til after dark. And that’s pretty rare the older I get.
These would help light the garage door entrance for those times.

Put the light on a normal switch. Turn switch on, if it's dark light comes on. Need the light off, turn the switch off.

 

[Shovelhead]

I misunderstood you. If you don't want the lights to come on every night, all you need is a single pole switch to kill the power to the lights. When the switch is on, it's controlled by the photocell, when it's off...nothing.

My bad man. I didn't explain myself right. Another senior moment. My old man always said work through it before ya open your mouth. LOL
I pretty much got lost when I started looking at lights and most had all these bells and whistles -- motion sensor & photocell.

Put the light on a normal switch. Turn switch on, if it's dark light comes on. Need the light off, turn the switch off.

Thanks, my mistake for confusing myself a bit and not explaining it right. We have lights but they don't have photocells. Was looking for a way to use the ones we have.

I kinda like the GE switch controller the feller showed above. Expensive at 35 bucks, but that would eliminate the need for a photocell. Probably built better these days but I remember having to replace photocells in the past and a lot of times that meant replacing the whole fixture.
I suppose that GE smart a$$ switch could fail as well. LOL

 

[Shovelhead]

Sorry to all for my confusion. I got it straight now.
I had a two bulb floodlight on my old shop like BillK mentioned above but it wasn't very reliable for motion detection. Either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. But it was kinda slick how it operated. It had no photocell.
Single pole switch.
Turn it on and that enabled the motion detector. (but that meant daytime as well)
Turn it on/off and back on within a couple seconds and that turned the light on until you manually switched it back off.
Thought maybe I could find something that operated similar that used the photocell in place of motion detection. If so I'd return the lights we have and use a different fixture.

Appreciate y'alls input.

 

[sparky 1971]

My bad man. I didn't explain myself right. Another senior moment. My old man always said work through it before ya open your mouth. LOL
I pretty much got lost when I started looking at lights and most had all these bells and whistles -- motion sensor & photocell.

Thanks, my mistake for confusing myself a bit and not explaining it right. We have lights but they don't have photocells. Was looking for a way to use the ones we have.

I kinda like the GE switch controller the feller showed above. Expensive at 35 bucks, but that would eliminate the need for a photocell. Probably built better these days but I remember having to replace photocells in the past and a lot of times that meant replacing the whole fixture.
I suppose that GE smart a$$ switch could fail as well. LOL

Some, but very few, fixtures can have photocells added to them. My bride insisted on a certain fixture (seven between the house and garage). I got tired of coming home during daylight hours and seeing every light on so I drilled holes in the canopy and added photocells. I was lucky in that they have huge canopies with plenty of room.

If I think of it, I will post a picture tonight.

It will probably be easier for you to get new fixtures though.

EDIT: I just realized this is new construction. Don't over think this. If all you want is a way to shut off the lights when you don't want dusk to dawn, all you need to do is install a dusk to dawn light controlled by a single pole switch. On is dusk to dawn, off is nothing.

 

[Sumboodie]

My bad man. I didn't explain myself right. Another senior moment. My old man always said work through it before ya open your mouth. LOL
I pretty much got lost when I started looking at lights and most had all these bells and whistles -- motion sensor & photocell.

Thanks, my mistake for confusing myself a bit and not explaining it right. We have lights but they don't have photocells. Was looking for a way to use the ones we have.

I kinda like the GE switch controller the feller showed above. Expensive at 35 bucks, but that would eliminate the need for a photocell. Probably built better these days but I remember having to replace photocells in the past and a lot of times that meant replacing the whole fixture.
I suppose that GE smart a$$ switch could fail as well. LOL

Oh.

Add a photocell. They are fairly cheap. It just wires in line between the switch and the light.

I just did a set last week as when I bought them last year the light I wanted didn't have that option. Go figure they do now.

 

[red]

Getting frustrated shopping online, maybe I ain’t using the correct words to search.
Any recommendations for a decent outdoor flood light that’s capable of being on/off/photocell via wall switch?
Like most everything there’s 9 jillion different floodlights for sale.
Hard to sort out the ones that have a remote control, or motion detection, or something I have to tell Alexa to do.

Haven't read all of the posted answers yet to your question, but in 92 when I built my house I ran 12-3 wire to my floodlights.

The black (power) when directly to the wiring for the controls for the motion/photocell/floodlight. The red wire I used to switch on the lights whenever I wanted them on (ie working outside, don't want the floodlights to turn off when I'm not in the zone). The red (switch controlled) wire was easy to wired into the black leads going to the floodlight itself bypassing the floodlight's electronics. Haven't found a new unit where the wires going to the floodlights are accessible without taking the unit apart. And with my luck, figured IF I took it apart, it would be junk. I will be following along to see what solution a sparky comes up with.

 

[sparky 1971]

Oh.

Add a photocell. They are fairly cheap. It just wires in line between the switch and the light.

I just did a set last week as when I bought them last year the light I wanted didn't have that option. Go figure they do now.

There has to be enough room in the canopy/fixture to add the photocell and in this day and age, those are few and far between making it easier said than done. I lucked out on the fixtures Mrs. Sparky picked out and I was able to do it, but I don't know if I've ever seen another fixture that would have the room for a photocell. One could be added easily to a surface mounted exterior box, or a three hole flood light cover but since this is on his house, I doubt he has those. Maybe...? Also, since it's on the house, the wiring is more than likely covered, making it really difficult to intercept the switch leg and add a photocell in between the switch and fixture. My money is on buying fixtures that are already dusk to dawn, but NOT motion sensors and being done with it.


EDIT: I didn't realize the OP's situation is new construction.

 

[sparky 1971]

Haven't read all of the posted answers yet to your question, but in 92 when I built my house I ran 12-3 wire to my floodlights.

The black (power) when directly to the wiring for the controls for the motion/photocell/floodlight. The red wire I used to switch on the lights whenever I wanted them on (ie working outside, don't want the floodlights to turn off when I'm not in the zone). The red (switch controlled) wire was easy to wired into the black leads going to the floodlight itself bypassing the floodlight's electronics. Haven't found a new unit where the wires going to the floodlights are accessible without taking the unit apart. And with my luck, figured IF I took it apart, it would be junk. I will be following along to see what solution a sparky comes up with.

You did it right, the only thing I would have done differently is to install a SPDT switch. Up for on, down for photocell, off in the middle. In the OP's case, he doesn't have the extra conductor in the switch leg and it probably isn't worth the effort since all he wants is a way to shut the lights off.

EDIT: I didn't realize this was new construction.

 

[mikedodge]

If you want to do minimal work put the lights on a timer switch then you don't have to worry about adding a photo cell. Turn the switch off when you don't want the lights on and leave it on the timer when you aren't home.

 

[sparky 1971]

I have to correct a couple of my above posts. I must have been confusing this thread with another, I thought this was for an existing house, but it's new construction. Since it's new, anything is possible, but since all that is really wanted is a way to shut the lights off when not wanted, a single pole switch controlling a dusk to dawn light is the simplest, most fool proof way to go about it.