Sensor Light Switches
I admit that I am horrible about turning off the lights! I love lit rooms, any time of day, and all day, for that matter. They are warm, welcoming and everything just looks better with the lights on! Well, maybe not everything but that’s a different blog! But, I know the environmentalists are cringing and I have found that sensor light switches are magical
What
Sensor light switches are exactly what they imply – they sense motion when someone walks into a room and turn on. The default setting for most is to turn off after 5 minutes of no motion. This is adjustable.
Where
They are available in a dimmer option or just on/off. I find the dimmer to be a bit of a pain because it’s not easy to temporarily reprogram for a dinner party for example (do we have those anymore?! #covid) and then reprogram for full brightness. I find sensor switches work better in “all on/off” spaces where you don’t use dimmers.
Bathrooms, kids bedrooms, pantry, laundry room, or anywhere else you are finding you have to holler at your children to turn off the lights or you when run through the house turning off the lights before you walk out the door.
How
Turn off the power, disconnect the old switch and swap out the old switch for the sensor switch! Couple of notes – some sensor switches require a neutral which is usually a white wire sometimes in the back of the box not being used. Older houses especially may not have neutrals in every box, so when purchasing, look for “no neutral required” and then you won’t have to worry about it. Also pay attention to single pole v. three-way options. Three way switches can get tricky (anywhere there is more than one switch to turn on/off a light is a three way, even if it’s just two switches). My point is, try to pick sensor switch location that are single pole such as most bathrooms, closets, bedrooms, etc.
How to install sensor light switches to conserve energy and reduce frustration of running around turning off lights before you leave!
