I just built a 40x40×14 addition to my existing shop. I have 16 8' LED strip lights. I'm thinking about an occupancy senor(s) to turn the lights off when I walk out. But, I'm the sole occupant. I dont want disco lights going on and off, and I dont want to be waving my arms to get the lights back on. Thoughts?
Occupancy sensor for a metal/offroad shop?
- Thread starter Kozmic
- Start date
Cc_windsurfer
Well-known member
A switch on the wall is simple and reliable.
Everyplace I've been around occupancy sensor lights has been a pita. Sit down to focus on a challenging task and just at the wrong moment the lights go off.
Everyplace I've been around occupancy sensor lights has been a pita. Sit down to focus on a challenging task and just at the wrong moment the lights go off.
ArcReactorKC
Well-known member
Do you have internet in the shop?
I have millimeter wave sensors all over the house and the shop. Mine are custom on ESP32 running ESPHome firmware.
But you could use something like this:
paired with wifi enabled smart switches.
The mmwave sensors don't need motion they detect biological entities and even work on pets. Our two little porkies turn on their own lights when they go room to room.
I have millimeter wave sensors all over the house and the shop. Mine are custom on ESP32 running ESPHome firmware.
But you could use something like this:
paired with wifi enabled smart switches.
The mmwave sensors don't need motion they detect biological entities and even work on pets. Our two little porkies turn on their own lights when they go room to room.
Kaizen
Well-known member
No way. Picture running a board through the table saw and just when you get in the danger zone the lights go out.
If you have wifi/router look at a smart switch that you can turn off with your phone or with an Alexa thingy.
If you have wifi/router look at a smart switch that you can turn off with your phone or with an Alexa thingy.
Nope.... just get in the habit of turning them off.
Granted they are LED, how much electric are they consuming if you forget to turn them off ?
Shop near the house or other location ?
Granted they are LED, how much electric are they consuming if you forget to turn them off ?
Shop near the house or other location ?
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I would not put occupancy sensors in a shop, matter of fact, from an industrial standpoint although not an OSHA violation, our company has a strict policy against putting occupancy sensors in motor rooms and shops. When we had our new LED lighting project a few years ago, the contractor they hired also installed occupancy sensors in all breakrooms and offices, but also started putting them in the motor rooms and maintenance shops. I stopped them and had to get corporate involved to have them alter the scope of work to make all motor rooms and maintenance shops exempt from occupancy sensors.
My feelings are imagine you are working around a piece of machinery or you have objects in the way while under a vehicle. The sensor cannot detect movement and the lights go out, then you either are injured by the machine you are operating or trip and fall over a piece of equipment between where you were working and the light switch.
No way would I install occupancy sensors in a shop environment.
My feelings are imagine you are working around a piece of machinery or you have objects in the way while under a vehicle. The sensor cannot detect movement and the lights go out, then you either are injured by the machine you are operating or trip and fall over a piece of equipment between where you were working and the light switch.
No way would I install occupancy sensors in a shop environment.
Led or not, they are pulling 12 amps
We have light in the rear of the squads that are on a timer when the engine isn't running. During morning checks, the lights time out and we have to keep turning them on. Same principal, PITA. . . . no way Jose.
olytdi
Well-known member
Are you trying to find a way not to have to flick a light switch on the way out the door? I'm confused about what function you're trying to gain.
Crazyjake8493
Well-known member
The worst one is when you use a restroom somewhere and the lights have a 2-3 minute timer. You're sitting on the toilet and...total darkness.
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
You may have just mentioned the sit down challenging task @Cc_windsurfer , was referring to in his post.
Occupancy sensor lights have their place. I have one in a laundry room that works great. It's common to enter and leave with hands full and nobody sits around in there for long.
I've worked in plenty of warehouse and production areas with them. I'm not impressed for those places. One 660,000 sq ft warehouse was retrofitted throughout the building. Each sensor ran about 1,000 sq ft section of lighting. Shutdown timers were about 90 seconds. I had 48 lift trucks and 50 rider jacks working in that building. I swear to God that I've been in nightclubs with less flashing lights than that warehouse.
Another side to that type of environment is sensor location. The sensors in the busy warehouse were about 30 feet up near the roof. They covered a big area of movement. Except. . . The product was floor stacked and often reached ceiling height. Nobody really thought about the sensors when they started stacking. When they put tall stacks right under the sensors, the whole zone would stay dark because sensor couldn't detect.
That job was never a cake walk. It was downright dumbsville when some big shot would roll through and ask for the lights to get turned on for their tour. (Probably wanted to show off their fancy lighting.) I'd have to send crews out into the warehouse just to restack product away from sensors.
Dang this topic. I had happily repressed the memory of that job until thinking about occupancy sensors.
I ran a crew in another facility that used a linked sensor setup to run aisles as zones. The zone lit from any entry point and stayed on long enough to get away. Shutdown timers were about five minutes after zone showed no action. That setup worked fairly well. Some of my guys would work a zone for hours and never light the next area. In theory, that's how occupancy sensors should work.
Design and setup can be done right and wrong.
The 40 X 40 space could be done with multiple sensors, high sensitivity, and long duration. You'd have to keep the birds and bats out of the place, otherwise the lights could go on and off all the time. I'd personally be fine with a light switch at entry points. @Kozmic , is it just one entry point?
kbeefy
Well-known member
My shop had motion sensing light fixtures, but they were on a very long delay. 30+ minutes. I never had them turn off during anything. We usually had 3-6 people doing stuff, but even when I was in there on the weekend working on stuff alone it was never an issue.