Changing the switches on existing light wiring

[sti491]

So last year I bought a house with my dream detached shop. The former owner built it for his huge RV, the "Bus" as he refers to it. It is a nicely built 30x40 pole building. Attached are a few pics when we moved in, a few of the man cave part I just finished It has 6" concrete floors, so a lift is in my future.

The lighting is lousy, and the original eight year old T8's are starting to die. Lucky for me I have a friend who works in the lighting business. Conveniently, he is arranging for a few boxes of 14,000LM LED's to "fall off the truck" in my driveway!

Here is my challenge. I am not sure why it is currently wired this way, but there is one switch at the main man door by the garage doors. It only operates the bank of lights on that side of the shop. You can not switch on the lights for the other side from this main man door.

At the back of the shop, there is a seldomly used man door. It has two wall switches. One operates the same bank as the single switch by the other door. The other operates the bank of lights on the other side of the shop. So at the back of the shop I can turn both sides of lights on/off together or separately using two side by side wall switches. I can only switch one side on and off from the door I use all the time.

Since I'm going to be on a tall ladder changing out the fixtures anyway (can't wait), I figure now is the time to fix this small annoyance. The circut breaker box is in the right back corner of the shop, pretty far away from both doors and wall switches.

Maybe there is a reason I would want to turn one side on independent of the other, but I never do now. Maybe the new lights will be so much brighter I'll want to after the install(?). But as of now, owning the shop for over a year, I'd be happy with one switch at both man doors that operate all the lights, or adding another switch by the most used man door so it's like the back, with two separate ones for each side. I really don't care too much, I just want to work all the lights from the man door I use the most.

I can wire stuff pretty well, use a multimeter, having installed new ceiling fans, hardwiring my air compressor, etc. I am just a little perplexed as to the easiest way to accomplish this, adding as little new wire as possible as the runs are long and high.

Any advice would be helpful.

I threw some other pics in there just for fun. This is a dream come true for me!

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

You have to decide what would be best for you. Also depends on how it is wired. Power to the switch or power to the lights? Plan 1 replace existing wire between switch at back door to lights with 3 wire, run new 3 wire to other door, wire in and enjoy. Plan 2 is abandon other switch if power goes to lights, or eliminate switch just power through that box to lights. Run new 2 wire to favorite door, new switch and you are done.

 

[sti491]

I'm pretty sure power runs from the circut breaker box to the switch, then to lights. I was thinking just adding a new switch at the front door might make the most sense, but here is where I get confused:

So I add a new switch, pull power from the existing switch input right next to it (comes from the breaker box). Then run a new wire to the set of lights on the other side. Do I then splice the new wire to the existing wire... which is the one from the switch in the back?

I can read up on it some more... I guess it becomes a 3-way switch. The one in the back is like that, i.e., if you turn the one side on at the front door, and then you walk back to the back door and flip that switch, it turns off the first bank you just changed from the front.

 

[cybrdyke]

Change the light switch in the back that runs "all" the lights to a Lutron MRF2-8ANS-120-WH (assuming your voltage is 120 and you wont use more than 8A).
Now you have a wireless switch at the back door, so you have a few options.
You can use a small Lutron "Pico" remote control from anywhere in the building to turn the lights on/off. You can have more than one, up to 10. There is a wall mount kit for it as well. You can mount it in place of the existing switch you have by the front door if you want.
Another option is to mount a wireless motion sensor above the door or in a nearby corner. It will see you when you walk in the door, and tell the switch in the back to turn on the lights. It happens instantly.
Done this way, you wont have to re-wire anything, except the switch.
There are other ways to do it which would include using the dimming that your fixtures will be capable of .
Good luck,
CD

 

[acer66]

Looks like I am not the only one with a curvy.

 

[Bill_b]

Could use a wireless 3 way switch.

SK-8 Wireless DIY 3-Way On Off Anywhere Lighting Home Control Wall Switch Set - No neutral wire required https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052ROEB2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[BillK]

How many lights are there all together ? How many watts total will you have with all of the led's ?