Light switches that turn themselves back on?

[m32825]

There are some three-way switches at work that turn themselves back on after a few second delay. Sometimes the first time you turn them off they stay off. Other times they turn themselves back on a couple times after a brief delay, then on the third try they stay off. It's like they are fighting you. All the lighting circuits behave the same way so it must be a design feature. What is up with these lights?

 

[The Cobbler]

sumthin aint right there

 

[wyliesdiesels]

how old is the building? are these digital wireless or low voltage control switches?

 

[m32825]

This is industrial space built in the late 50s, but remodeled into office space some time after 2000. It is an interior part of the building with no natural lighting. Maybe it's to keep someone from getting stuck in complete darkness? There are can lights that are not switched, but they might have been added at a later date.

 

[m32825]

how old is the building? are these digital wireless or low voltage control switches?

These switches all control standard fluorescent lighting fixtures.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

motion sensor you're not aware of?

 

[Wrench97]

Coworker turning another switch on to drive you nuts?

 

[yatg]

Is the transformer glowing?

 

[m32825]

motion sensor you're not aware of?

Good suggestion, hadn't considered that. Will try staying still before flipping the switch next time.

 

[PCustoms]

Is the transformer glowing?

I think he needs to have someone operating the switch while he checks this

 

[rharman]

motion sensor you're not aware of?

Good suggestion, hadn't considered that. Will try staying still before flipping the switch next time.

I know when they built out the interior of an office building my wife was moving into in the mid/late 1990's, code required motion sensors on the interior lights. More to turn them off for energy savings than to turn them on. When she worked late, she'd have to occasionally wave a piece of paper to turn the lights back on in her office. Sensors were in the ceiling, not the switches.

 

[PCustoms]

So the OP shutting the lights off is akin to this?

 

[m32825]

Yeah, sometimes, but it waits three seconds...

 

[eejack]

Large office space/old industrial space likely has a lighting contactor in a closet and the switches you are operating are asking the contactor to turn on/off multiple circuits.

In the 90's we started installing 'smart' controllers for that sort of lighting, so instead of a contactor you might have a controller which has as part of its control criteria outside facing photocells, timeclocks, motion sensors and some sort of logic programmed into it.

Look in any electrical closet or listen for a clunk noise when the switches are operated to locate the contactor/controller.

 

[m32825]

You guys are on the right track, this is about energy savings. I got curious and pulled a switch plate to get the model number, here's the switch:

http://www.kele.com/Catalog/12%20Lighting%20Controls/PDFs/SS%20Series%20Catalog%20Page.pdf

If you turn it back off where you turned it on, no problem. Go to the other switch and it fights you. Here's the relevant blurb:

 

[wyliesdiesels]

yup so they interface with a lighting control panel.

 

[m32825]

yup so they interface with a lighting control panel.

After you guys mentioned it I recalled a coworker in another area saying the lights would go out if he didn't get up and wave at them on the weekends. I've never seen ours do that, but have noticed them all being off when I'm first to arrive in the morning...