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I've been attempting to cut into my power bill at work...

I bought a motion sensitive light switch and it says that it shouldn't be hooked up to compact flourescents, why, it doesn't say, it's OK for "fast start" tubes. I hooked it up to about 300 or 400 watts of incandescent and it seems to be working fine of course. I did some research on the web and I can't find out why? It was Zenith's model.

I plan on buying five or so more, I would like to hook them to compact flourescents if possible. Is the warning to be ignored or is there a better model?

Reply to
bro
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It may be because fluorescent and other circuits contain ballasts and transformers that have inductive reactance and the motion sensitive switch that you have is suitable for switching only non inductive i.e. resistive circuits such as incandescent lamps.

Reply to
Terry

You guys are awsome thanks.

Reply to
bro

Absolutely. Use the output to drive a relay. The relay will be better able to handle the inductive load.

Good luck Chris

Reply to
CFoley1064

Agree; use the switch to operate a 115 volt relay; most (conventional) relays because they have a coil winding, will be very slightly inductive) but operating only the relay the current will be so low that it won't cause a problem. The contacts of the relay which will switch on/off the lights should be rated for the amount of current for the lights and for an inductive load. I'm no expert on what type of light switching relays are available; someone knowledgeable of electrical supplies can probably advise? Depending on your motion sensitive switches circuitry it might be possible to have several of them operate the one same relay; to operate exterior lights around a building, say. But that's getting more complicated.

Reply to
Terry

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