bypass motion sensor with 3way switch?

[redline9k]

laying out a new garage lighting plan and going with 6 of the TechBrite 48" 3 Lamp LED T8 Strip Fixture from prolighting in a basic grid pattern.

Id really like to have two of the lights on a motion sensor for basic entry/exit lighting, but then id want to be able to bypass the motion sensor and turn everything on when im out there in the workshop.

Could i use a 3 way switch and have one hot leg going to the motion sensor with 2 of the fixtures, and one hot leg going to all 6 fixtures separately? I think that gives me the option for either the motion sensor to be on or all lights on, correct? Is there a better way to use the motion sensor and be able to bypass it as necessary?

 

[alex71]

your motion sensor switch would need to be a 3-way for this to work. Most or at least some motion switches have a manual override anyway.

 

[Git]

All of the motion sensors lights that I have - you turn the light off and on real quick, and the lights come on and stay on

 

[Terry D]

I don't believe this will work. All 6 fixtures would need a switched hot coming from the 3-way. Then just 2 fixtures would need a switched hot coming from the motion sensor. When you draw it out, all fixtures would be connected both ways, because 2 of the fixtures would have a hot coming from the motion sensor and from the 3-way, so all the lights would come on either way. You would need a single pole switch for the motion sensor operating 2 fixtures and another single pole switch for the other 4 fixtures. You will just have to override the motion sensor by flipping the switch a couple of times to keep the 2 fixtures to be constantly on, then turn the other 4 on with the second switch.

Good to see someone from St. Louis

 

[Innovate1]

You could use the 3 way switch but need to add a SPDT relay for the 2 lights. Power the relay coil from the other 4. When the relay is off it feeds power from the motion sensor, when it's on it feeds power from the other 4. The 3 way switch feeds power to the 4 lights or the motion sensor. Or maybe you could find a DPDT 3 way switch and skip the relay.

 

[BillK]

Seems to me that if you want them all on when you are in the garage then why not just put the switch by the entry door and turn them on when you walk in ???? I like things simple

 

[cybrdyke]

laying out a new garage lighting plan and going with 6 of the TechBrite 48" 3 Lamp LED T8 Strip Fixture from prolighting in a basic grid pattern.

Id really like to have two of the lights on a motion sensor for basic entry/exit lighting, but then id want to be able to bypass the motion sensor and turn everything on when im out there in the workshop.

Could i use a 3 way switch and have one hot leg going to the motion sensor with 2 of the fixtures, and one hot leg going to all 6 fixtures separately? I think that gives me the option for either the motion sensor to be on or all lights on, correct? Is there a better way to use the motion sensor and be able to bypass it as necessary?

This is a lot of complexity for very little gain. This type of request seems to stem from old habits from fluorescent lighting. You're going to have LED tubes, which use very little power. Also, turning LED on and off has negligible effect on the life of the tube, unlike fluorescent. So, just let all the lights come one. One thing you CAN do is to find a sensor with a "walk-through" mode. Most good commercial sensors have this feature. If you want to briefly enter the area, the sensor will turn the lights on, but if doesn't see any motion for the first two minutes (because you left the area), it will turn the lights off. This is different behavior than normal operation and it happens automatically. If the sensor continues to see motion after two minutes, then it goes back into regular mode and times out at whatever setting you made.
Good luck,
CD

 

[larry_g]

Me, I chose to put in a separate fixture with a couple of low power LED bulbs in it. It stays on all the time and may use a couple of dollars of power in a year. Enough light to move around the shop if necessary.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dogdog]

Maybe define which motion sensor / occupancy sensor some are more "programmable" than others. When you speak of motion sensors, most people associated it with the outdoor motion spot lights type... I think they are different.

All About Occupancy and Vacancy Sensors

lightingcontrolsassociation.org

 

[PoorUB]

You are complicating this! Just parallel the motion sensor and a single pole switch.
If you want to run more lights with one switch you will have to add a relay to control the lights on the motion detector. So the motion detector and relay are in parallel, with the single pole switch turning on the rest of the lights and energizing the relay.

 

[PLOWJEEP]

Yes that would work. We used to do it all of the time back in the 90’s when it was popular to have dual spot lights on all corners of the house for security. You should use a true SPDT switch with an off position to be code compliant ,but a three way will work if you feed the point(black screw) and run a wire from a one of the screws normally used for the travelers to the motion switch and a wire from the other traveler to the light.
In one position it will operate through the motion switch and in the other it will turn on the light. Most times for indoor areas we would just wire a low wattage night light that would just stay on all the time.

 

[Terry D]

Yes that would work. We used to do it all of the time back in the 90’s when it was popular to have dual spot lights on all corners of the house for security. You should use a true SPDT switch with an off position to be code compliant ,but a three way will work if you feed the point(black screw) and run a wire from a one of the screws normally used for the travelers to the motion switch and a wire from the other traveler to the light.
In one position it will operate through the motion switch and in the other it will turn on the light. Most times for indoor areas we would just wire a low wattage night light that would just stay on all the time.

You are talking about bypassing a motion sensor for one light or multiple lights wired in parallel. The OP wants the motion sensor to operate just two out of six lights, but wants to be able to override sensor and turn all six on. This could only be accomplished with a relay if using a 3-way switch as said in post #5. Plus motion sensors can be overridden with a single pole switch by cycling power.

 

[PLOWJEEP]

Yes, you are correct. You would need another switch to control the lights not to be controlled by the motion switch.