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motion sensing light switch (triggered when there is no motion)

I recently moved into a new apartment, where I replaced the manual light switches with the motion sensing type that I bought at Home Depot. They also have a variable adjustment to keep lights off when there is enough ambient light in the room (window light). Unfortunately I cant control their sensitivity. In my bathroom and kitchen they work fine, but in a spare bedroom that I use for storage I have problems. The lights will often come on when no one is in the room, even when the door is closed. I tried replacing the unit with another, still the same problem. Can air currents from heating vents or cold drafts from windows that rattle window blinds cause these type of sensors to falsely sense "motion"? Any solutions? Thanks

Reply to
Sanjay Punjab
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Rattling window blinds may have sufficient motion to trigger the sensor. Most motion sensors have a limited detection angle, so repositioning the sensor might alleviate the false triggers.

Reply to
Jack Ak

My experience with low cost motion sensors is that they are also sensitive to (triggered by) rapid changes in lighting levels. I installed a pair of these to both light the same courtyard, but detecting motion from two possible entrances. I found that once tripped, the lights alternated. As one light turned off, the other would turn on, etc., and this continued all night.

My final solution was more elaborate, I used the more sophisticated motion sensors made for alarm systems to drive a separate timer relay. These sensors are designed to ignore ambient lighting. Bill Kaszeta Photovoltaic Resources Int'l Tempe Arizona USA snipped-for-privacy@kaszeta.org

Reply to
Bill Kaszeta / Photovoltaic Re

I have 3 motion sensors bought from the depot and some times when I turn the lights off at night (same circuit) they will turn on for the time allowed. Not a biggie for me. Try shortening the time allowed on.

The fix might be cost more than the inconvenience.

Reply to
SQLit

In article , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com mentioned...

Yes, if it's a PIR sensor. The dummy contractors who installed the motion detectors in my room didn't read the instruction manual. It said to keep the sensor at least 6 feet away from the air vent. Well, they installed it about 3 feet, and it would never shut off. No fooling! BTW, these are ultrasound detectors.

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Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

In article , snipped-for-privacy@excite.com mentioned...

Well, if it's a light switch, it's not exactly easy to reposition it, to make an understatement.

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Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

A few months ago I bought a small 6" fluo night light with an ambient light sensor to turn it off during daytime. For a few hours in the morning and evening during the times when there's lower daylight, it just oscillates on and off at a rate of six or eight seconds per cycle. I taped a piece of paper next to the sensor to shield it from ambient light, but it only helps a little. It still senses itself and it's not going to be easy to get around that. Oh, well...

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###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS?   Check HERE First:###
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goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the 
Subject: line with other stuff.  alondra101  hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers.  Go to the URL
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Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

Form a 1" piece of semi-stiff cardboard into a little tube. Make the hole just a tad larger than the photo sensor. The interior of the tube should be shiny white or (better) metal -- possibly aluminum foil. Glue one end of the tube to the front of the nightlight so it covers the sensor. Problem solved.

Regards, Robert

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Reply to
Robert L. Bass

In article , snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net mentioned...

Been there, done that, got it to stay on all the time. :-(

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###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS?   Check HERE First:###
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My email address is whitelisted.  *All* email sent to it 
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the 
Subject: line with other stuff.  alondra101  hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers.  Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com  You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

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