dink
Well-known member
Instead of using a normal ole light switch does anyone use a motion sensor for the garage so it ultimatically turns on when you enter into the garage????
Motion sensor in garage
- Thread starter dink
- Start date
autoist
MEMBER EMERITUS
Had one for several years during construction...now that I'm installing the permanent lights, I've done away with it
dante81_98
Active member
My buddy has one. I like it. I am going to put one on mine some day. When I don't know, but some day.
nova65ss
Well-known member
Some of the new garage door openers have them built into the wall control. It will shut itself off after 5 minutes which is also adjustable down to as low as 1 minute. They also have the light turn on when the door is up and you walk through the safety sensors.
Jimmy
Jimmy
SprintCC
Active member
dink said:
2 things.
1) I worked in an office that had motions sensors in each office in the light fixture. At least 2-3 times a day while working on the computer the lights would go out because there wasn't enough motion to trip the sensor in a given time period. It wasn't very sensitive, leading to all kinds of wierd arm-waving to get the lights back on.
2) What if your working under/in your car, the sensor probably can't see you, lights go out.
If its just for when you open the door to help you find the switch that'd be cool (I might steal that idea), but if your thinking about using it to control your lights permenantly I'd think again.
My .02¢
Chris
Blue Bell Pa
autoist
MEMBER EMERITUS
Some of the reasons I took it out - garage door openers have a light that stays on for several minutes....I would be in garage, under car & lights would go out...cat would walk through garage in middle of night & light would go on.
Roadster
Well-known member
dink said:
I have one in my garage. I discussed it before on another thread...
Looking for motion activated light switch...
JohnHenrys48
Well-known member
Lucky Devil brought this up a while back:
http://www.garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=312&highlight=motion
On the issue of the light going off while you're under the car, the switch I used had an override that allowed it to stay on.
http://www.garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=312&highlight=motion
On the issue of the light going off while you're under the car, the switch I used had an override that allowed it to stay on.
JohnHenrys48
Well-known member
Roadster said:
TOMWELDS
Well-known member
Being under the car is a good point...
I have had one for 12 years, use it with De-tached garage. hook it to a light and or a bell. With windows on the far side, it keeps me feeling better when you see a light come on if someone or thing passes in front of garage doors i may have forgon to close.
Also when you enter the garage when its dark, the light comes on. You get in the truck, open the garage door and leave. Unless you have clap on I never figured out how to shut the light switch off form the truck.
Also when you enter the garage when its dark, the light comes on. You get in the truck, open the garage door and leave. Unless you have clap on I never figured out how to shut the light switch off form the truck.
CaptNemo
Member
Why not just get a "Clapper" ?? 
My light switch is next to the service door on the back wall. There is no switch by the overhead door, and we don't use an opener. I put a motion sensor in that replaces the switch. I think it was from Ace Hardware. It has a manual override and a timer that goes up to about 30 minutes. It turns on one bank of lights, the others are still switched. It has gone out while I'm under the car and I forgot to switch it to manual. But the other two banks of lights are on anyway.
For a while, before I got a good deadbolt, I also plugged the stereo into that outlet and cranked it up. I figure if some kid opens the door, the lights come on and the stereo is blasting... he's likely to run off. Since then, I got some decent locks though.
For a while, before I got a good deadbolt, I also plugged the stereo into that outlet and cranked it up. I figure if some kid opens the door, the lights come on and the stereo is blasting... he's likely to run off. Since then, I got some decent locks though.
69LT1
Member
We have them in the bathrooms at work. If you spend too much time in the stall, and nobody else comes in, the lights go out.
On a funny note, our maintenance manager went into the mens room one time, the lights came on and he realized there was someone in one of the stalls. He found out it was one of his custodial staff, who he later found out had been sleeping in there.
On a funny note, our maintenance manager went into the mens room one time, the lights came on and he realized there was someone in one of the stalls. He found out it was one of his custodial staff, who he later found out had been sleeping in there.
I had a house at one time that had the light switch behind the door when you came to the garage from the house. I put in a motion sensor light so you could see when you came into the garage, but I also had other lights that I could turn on.
The motion sensor served its purpose in that location.
I never put one in the next two homes after that one.
The motion sensor served its purpose in that location.
I never put one in the next two homes after that one.
49tandc
Well-known member
Outside are OK, but inside... IR motion sensors connected to an "intruder" alarm are a great idea if your garage is not attached to the house. Mine are mounted 4' off the floor (above the height of 4 legged critters, but 2-legged ones set them off by design). Nothing gets someone's attention as cycling a 12-ga. but you have got to know when someone is poking around.
49T&C
49T&C
CraigFL
Well-known member
I have one in my garage and it work OK for the most part. I do have a seperate fixture over the car that I turn on when I'm working on it. Usually, I have a trouble light on under the car too. This helps when I'm under the car and the other lights go out because of lack of motion. After a while, you get used to wiggling your leg to turn it back on.... 
Fuzzydog
Active member
I am just in the process of wiring up my shop now and I am installing a motion sensor light against the far wall (farthest from the door) and it is going to be wired to a regular light switch down at knee height. The motion sensor will be hooked up to a light (flashing red and blue 
) and also to a loud alarm. There will be a delay built in so that I can turn the alarm on and still get out of the shop without tripping it, and also so that I can turn it off when I go in the shop before it trips.
) and also to a loud alarm. There will be a delay built in so that I can turn the alarm on and still get out of the shop without tripping it, and also so that I can turn it off when I go in the shop before it trips.I have two motion-detecting light-sensing 3-way switches sweeping the entry points for the shop, run to several incandescent cheapo-ceiling fixtures run down the center of the shop. There's a bank of fluorescents on either side, switched and breakered separately. I have additional task lighting outside of the overheads, all switched individually.
The incandescents start faster, with no flicker for short duration work, and they shut off a few minutes after I leave, so I don't forget 'em. If I'm gonna be in the shop long, I switch on the fluorescent bank(s) and the electric eyes built into the 3-way switches douse the incandescents. If I ever trip the breaker for the fluorescents, just about any movement in the shop will fire the motion detectors and bring up the incandescent circuit.
Getting the sensitivity set was a bit of a pain, but once I had it dialed in, I haven't had to touch it -- been more than a year, I think. This is a great setup for quick walk-throughs to get to the trash, or running outside to grab a quick measurement.
Randii
The incandescents start faster, with no flicker for short duration work, and they shut off a few minutes after I leave, so I don't forget 'em. If I'm gonna be in the shop long, I switch on the fluorescent bank(s) and the electric eyes built into the 3-way switches douse the incandescents. If I ever trip the breaker for the fluorescents, just about any movement in the shop will fire the motion detectors and bring up the incandescent circuit.
Getting the sensitivity set was a bit of a pain, but once I had it dialed in, I haven't had to touch it -- been more than a year, I think. This is a great setup for quick walk-throughs to get to the trash, or running outside to grab a quick measurement.
Randii