switch for dusk to dawn floodlight

[stephend103]

I am replacing an existing flood light with a new 45 watt dusk-to-dawn LED floodlight. It is mounted on a brick wall of the house. A constant hot wire comes through a hole in the brick and is connected directly to the existing light.
I want to be able to turn the new light off occasionally, so I was thinking that I could install a pull-chain switch on the light itself. The switch would be positioned on the bottom side of the "mounting neck" so it would be shielded from rain, but it would still be exposed to humidity. Would a simple switch from a ceiling fan light work, or should I be looking for something more substantial?
Or if anybody has any better ideas, please let me know. Thanks, Stephen

 

[stephend103]

I said this was a floodlight but technically it's a utility light.

 

[Shiftless]

I am replacing an existing flood light with a new 45 watt dusk-to-dawn LED floodlight. It is mounted on a brick wall of the house. A constant hot wire comes through a hole in the brick and is connected directly to the existing light.
I want to be able to turn the new light off occasionally, so I was thinking that I could install a pull-chain switch on the light itself. The switch would be positioned on the bottom side of the "mounting neck" so it would be shielded from rain, but it would still be exposed to humidity. Would a simple switch from a ceiling fan light work, or should I be looking for something more substantial?
Or if anybody has any better ideas, please let me know. Thanks, Stephen

IMHO, putting a ceiling fan switch on an outdoor fixture is a really bad idea. I bet the wire going through the bricks is not GFCI protected and you will be pulling on a sometimes wet metal chain connected to a wet outdoor light fixture while standing on wet ground. Fixtures and switches must be wet location rated unless they are under a substantial roof where rain never hits. Then you need only a damp location rating.
If you really want to have the ability to turn the light off, I would look for a way to install a switch on the INSIDE of the building. Or run conduit down the outside of the wall, attach a cast aluminum box with a wet location light switch.

 

[TOOGMC]

You could use one of these wireless receivers:

http://www.skylinkstore.com/store/u...-small-sup-md-318-on-off-dimming-control.html

Skylink has a few options for the switches to control it.

The new flood light is probably intended to be mounted on an outlet box. You could mount a weatherproof round box over the wire where it comes out of the brick. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bell-4-i...ox-with-Five-1-2-in-Outlets-5361-1B/204208042

Mount the receiver inside and drill a hole at the bottom to dangle the antenna out.

Could be done for $60 in parts.

 

[stephend103]

IMHO, putting a ceiling fan switch on an outdoor fixture is a really bad idea. I bet the wire going through the bricks is not GFCI protected and you will be pulling on a sometimes wet metal chain connected to a wet outdoor light fixture while standing on wet ground.

Fixtures and switches must be wet location rated unless they are under a substantial roof where rain never hits. Then you need only a damp location rating.
If you really want to have the ability to turn the light off, I would look for a way to install a switch on the INSIDE of the building. Or run conduit down the outside of the wall, attach a cast aluminum box with a wet location light switch.

I believe the existing wire running to the light is tapped into a outlet on the opposite side of the wall (upstairs level). I could replace that outlet with a GFCI outlet.
The light itself is a Honeywell MA0201-17SC . It says it is suitable for wet locations. The switch itself would be inside the lamp housing which would still be a "damp" location. I don't want to do something that is going fry http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/smilies/shocking.gif:shocking: myself or others though.

 

[stephend103]

This is a couple pics of what I am installing.
It is a honeywell light model# MA0201-17SC

 

[Shiftless]

Do you have to put your switch outside? If you could agree to control the light from INSIDE your house, you could replace your double receptacle on the inside with one of these. Simpler, safer, and less expensive.

 

[stephend103]

Do you have to put your switch outside? If you could agree to control the light from INSIDE your house, you could replace your double receptacle on the inside with one of these. Simpler, safer, and less expensive.

Hey I like that. The only problem is I would have to go upstairs to turn the switch on/off. But no, the switch doesn't have to be outside.
I'm also considering a remote controlled switch. It would be awesome if they had a remote controlled combo receptacle like the one you posted.

 

[MrBalll]

If it's not too late to return it you may get another fixture and a smartphone controlled LED.

 

[stephend103]

Okay, so the more I think about this, the more ideas I keep getting. This is a project I am helping a friend with that lives over 100 miles away, so I want to have this figured out before I go there.
I'm a little vague with the details since i"m not there, But i'm assuming that the wire feeding the existing light is tapped into a receptacle box upstairs that is at the "end of the run". So to keep this simple, i'm thinking that i could remove the duplex receptacle, and just replace it with a simple light switch. Okay, but so we don't have to run upstairs everytime to turn the light on/off , i'm thinking about putting a remote controlled light switch in the receptacle box. Kinda like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016L874I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
But this has a dimmer control, and I don' need anything that fancy.
Anybody know where I could find something like it??

 

[stephend103]

Or like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Chamberlain-Remote-Light-Switch-WSLCEV/202894597
Even though this might be a little fancier than I need.

 

[Shiftless]

Before I got too expensive and too complicated a solution, I would ask myself just how often I want to over ride the automatic light. And whether or not I want to have to look around for a remote or my phone just to switch off a light.
Personally, I like simple.

 

[TOOGMC]

Here is a wireless switch:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051BUGQ6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It works with the receiver I mentioned in post #4 above. It looks like the receiver might be small enough (2.5 x 2.0 x 0.5 inches) to mount inside the fixture's arm. There is some good info in the Amazon reviews. $36 for both the switch and receiver from Amazon.com.

I haven't ever used these Skylink products, but they look like a good option to me. You wouldn't have to mess around installing a switch upstairs. Just put the wireless switch wherever you want.

I can't see it taking longer than 2 hours for the compete install.

 

[Shiftless]

Nobody else asked so I will...
If you want/need a dusk to dawn security light, how often and under what conditions would you want to disable it?
Also, I assume you realize that 45 watts in an LED array is a huge amount of light!

 

[CJ7VFR]

...i'm assuming that the wire feeding the existing light is tapped into a receptacle box upstairs that is at the "end of the run". So to keep this simple, i'm thinking that i could remove the duplex receptacle, and just replace it with a simple light switch...

Be careful about trying to do that. If the wiring is not right at the receptacle, you can't just pull out the receptacle and replace it with a light switch.

If you are "assuming" the wiring is end of run, then that means you really don't know for sure.

If you don't know for sure, it could end up that the wiring goes out from that receptacle to other things, and replacing it with a light switch might cause issues with other things down stream of that location.

For what your friend wants to do, it may be better for you to go to their place, check out for yourself what is actually there in the wall, and then go to a big box store and get what you need.

The last thing you want to do is hook up a switch, drive 100 miles back home, and then have your friend call you up at 11:00pm because he flipped the switch off and now his entire bedroom has no power!

Jim

 

[stephend103]

Before I got too expensive and too complicated a solution, I would ask myself just how often I want to over ride the automatic light. And whether or not I want to have to look around for a remote or my phone just to switch off a light.
Personally, I like simple.

I think she's only going to use the light when she goes outside or when she leaves the house at night. So really it's just going to be used like a "super" porch light. The dawn/dusk feature is kinda an unnecessary feature in the case.
Yeah, I wanna keep it simple too, but convenient.

What if i had a GFCI outlet protecting the circuit? Do you still think my idea of a pull chain switch on the light is a bad idea?

Thanks for all your input!

 

[stephend103]

Here is a wireless switch:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051BUGQ6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It works with the receiver I mentioned in post #4 above. It looks like the receiver might be small enough (2.5 x 2.0 x 0.5 inches) to mount inside the fixture's arm. There is some good info in the Amazon reviews. $36 for both the switch and receiver from Amazon.com.

I haven't ever used these Skylink products, but they look like a good option to me. You wouldn't have to mess around installing a switch upstairs. Just put the wireless switch wherever you want.

I can't see it taking longer than 2 hours for the compete install.

Hi TOOGMC, thank you for the suggestion. I think that receiver is to large to fit in the lamp neck. And i'm sure this light gets pretty hot too, so that would concern me a little. It would in a "damp" location too.
But since you mentioned it, I'm seeing that skylink makes receivers(single pole switches) that go in a receptacle box and replace existing light switches. This might be good option for me. I would put it on the inside of the wall so it wouldn't need to be weatherproof.

 

[Jack D]

I believe the GFCI only protects downstream devices. I also believe that electrical code for all outside receptacles must be GFCI.

 

[stephend103]

Be careful about trying to do that. If the wiring is not right at the receptacle, you can't just pull out the receptacle and replace it with a light switch.

If you are "assuming" the wiring is end of run, then that means you really don't know for sure.

If you don't know for sure, it could end up that the wiring goes out from that receptacle to other things, and replacing it with a light switch might cause issues with other things down stream of that location.

For what your friend wants to do, it may be better for you to go to their place, check out for yourself what is actually there in the wall, and then go to a big box store and get what you need.

The last thing you want to do is hook up a switch, drive 100 miles back home, and then have your friend call you up at 11:00pm because he flipped the switch off and now his entire bedroom has no power!

Jim

I'm assuming right now, but I will verify once I get there. I do know, from what she's told me, that there is a circuit breaker that feeds the upstairs spare bedroom and utility light. She said there is nothing else on the circuit.
I'm hoping to get everything together before i go there, because she lives about an hour from the big box store.

 

[Shiftless]

I believe the GFCI only protects downstream devices. I also believe that electrical code for all outside receptacles must be GFCI.

That is true, but Stephen's installation is not an outdoor receptacle, but a light fixture. Sounds to me like the best thing would be a fixture already set to be remotely switched and activated from something like a garage door opener remote that is kept in the car for convenience. Either that or a motion sensing light. How is that for another idea?
(speaking for myself, I could NEVER live in a place an hour from a hardware store )

 

[RonJ.]

Why not connect the light to an indoor timer switch that completely automates the desired dusk on and dawn off process?

 

[stephend103]

Okay, here is an update on the light install.
I made it out to my friends house, and on the way stopped by Lowes. I picked up a Lutron remote controlled light switch and some 'old work' electrical boxes. My plan was to install a new outlet box upstairs where I could install the fancy light switch; and then she would be able to turn the light on and off from downstairs with the remote.
Well , once I got to her house , I did a little research on th internet and realized that the remote would only work if it had a clear 'line of sight' to the receiver/switch (the remote utilizes infrared waves instead of radio waves). Which means she would still have to walk up the stairs and point the remote at the switch. So I scratched that idea, and went back to my pullchain switch idea.
This meant that when you operated the switch, you could come in contact with a potentially 'hot' surface. So I installed a GFCI outlet upstream. And instead of putting the switch in the 120 volt line, I connected it to the light sensor circuit (lower voltage).
On the light itself, I installed a little tent made from doubled over flashing, to provide a secondary shield for the wiring from the rain.
This is a pic of the finished product.