lit bathroom mirror switching on and off randomly

wallofbeans

Hi All,

So I've just had this new bathroom mirror installed. It's got LEDs and a motion sensor on the bottom right edge to wave it on or off. It's also (luckily) got a three way rocker switch on the bottom left (left is 3000k, middle is off, right is 5000k).

All worked fine when it first installed last Thursday. But the next morning, Friday, I wake up and it's on and no amount of hand waving will switch it off. The slight 'click' sound that is heared when the motion sensor turns it on or off isn't there either. Luckily I can use the rocker switch to turn it the middle setting and off. I wait 3+ hours and go back to it - it works again.

Next day, Saturday - same issue - I wake up and it's on and wont turn off. I switch off and wait a few hours then it works again.

Sunday - it wasn't on first thing. And worked as normal. The only difference was that it wasn't bright and sunny first thing in the morning like the previous days. Is this a coincidence or something to do the issue?

Monday - on when I wake up again. 

Tuesday (today) - not on when I get up. And again, an overcast morning. But then the sun came out breifly at around 10am and I find the mirror on again. I switch it off manually and go back to it at 12pm - it works as normal again. New strange thing today - it was being used at around 2:30pm and switched itself off at 3pm - again, not working at all with sensor or switch. I waited half an hour and it worked again.

Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem here? I don't know whether this is an electrican issue or a mirror issue and don't know how to figure that out.

twopenny

Can you cover the sensor? 
If it doesn't come on randomly then it isn't a fault.

Are there any trees or shrubs outside the window where movement for breeze or shadows when it's sunny could trigger it?
Cat on the window sill interrupting the light or birds flying past creating movement?
Draw the curtains/blind so no movement or sun

wallofbeans

twopenny said:

Can you cover the sensor? 
If it doesn't come on randomly then it isn't a fault.

Are there any trees or shrubs outside the window where movement for breeze or shadows when it's sunny could trigger it?
Cat on the window sill interrupting the light or birds flying past creating movement?
Draw the curtains/blind so no movement or sun

I could cover the sensor. I shall try that and see if the light still comes on.

There aren't any trees etc anywhere near the window. I've never seen a cat on the windowsill so I doubt it's that. I don't have any blinds or curtains on that window - it's frosted. 

The sun does come brightly into the back of the house in the morning when it's a sunny day, right in through all the windows at the back, including the bathroom. But could sunlight be doing this and how do I prove it?

I'll definitely try covering the sensor and see what happens though - great idea!

twopenny

To see if the sun is triggering it cover the window with something.
Paper would be quickest and easiest.
Close the door too so there can be no movement. Perhaps it's just very sensitive.

I had a similar problem with an outdoor security light and it was something quite random that was triggering it.


Best to eliminate any sort of movement first before dealing with it as a fault which is irritating 

wallofbeans

twopenny said:

To see if the sun is triggering it cover the window with something.
Paper would be quickest and easiest.
Close the door too so there can be no movement. Perhaps it's just very sensitive.

I had a similar problem with an outdoor security light and it was something quite random that was triggering it.


Best to eliminate any sort of movement first before dealing with it as a fault which is irritating 

I don’t think it can be movement outside the bathroom, as I’m the only one whose been here. 

I’m not sure about sensitivity either, it takes quite a swipe underneath to get it to come on, and it’s not accidentally come on when I’m moving around most of the time. I can even clean my teeth and wash my face in the sink directly under the sensor and it’s not triggered. 

Very frustrating… 

wallofbeans

UPDATE:

I've covered the window and the light didn't come on.

I've covered the (apparently infra red) sensor and the light didn't come on (although this also caused it to not work at all for a few hours).

I've checked whether any other electrical items in the house are affecting it, and have literally had everything else on in the house and the light hasn't triggered.

I've also just changed the dimmer bulbs in the ceiling of the bathroom. From 3000k bulbs to 2700k bulbs (with a slightly lower wattage) and now when the dimmer directly above the mirror gets to a certain brightness - it triggers the mirror light on (if it's off OR off if it's on). This didn't happen with the 3000k bulbs at all. 

I've also tried covering the sink and taps etc near the mirror, in case there is a reflection that it triggering it. But it still comes on when the dimmer above gets to a certain brightness.

I also tried removing the bulb in the dimmer directly above the sink. Then when I turn the remaining two on, the mirror light is not triggered. If I remove the other two and just leave the one above the mirror and sink - the mirror light is triggered.

For some reason these new 2700k bulbs are triggering the sensor of the mirror light in the same way that a certain kind of bright daylight is. 

What I don't get is why would the sensor have a daylight sensor at all? It's supposed to be just triggered by a wave of the hand underneath so it's baffling why any kind of light would have this affect.

The sensor light outside my front door is adjustable for motion and light --so maybe this one is too? I didn't see any option to adjust this in the instructions, but it seems to be that it's been set up badly as the light sensitivity should be switched off entirely, surely?

wallofbeans

Interestingly, when this first started happening and the light came on when strong enough sunlight came through the window, it took several hours before I could use the sensor again, no amount of hand swiping would make any difference. I assumed this was it needing to reset in some way.

But now with it happening under the 2700k dimmer directly above, it does the same thing when the dimmer remains on (ie no amount of hand swiping switches it off), but if I turn the dimmer off, then I can swipe the mirror light off straight away.

So it seems that while the bright is there, the sensor is somehow made inactive. But as soon as the bright light (whether it be daylight or the 2700k downlight above) is removed, then the sensor works with a swipe of the hand as it should.

I am still completely baffled as to why this is being affected by light at all. 

twopenny

At least you've found what the problem is.
Now to find a solution.

Would a shelf or ornamental thingy shade it from the light?

wallofbeans

twopenny said:

At least you've found what the problem is.
Now to find a solution.

Would a shelf or ornamental thingy shade it from the light?

I think the solution is to talk to the manufacturer, tell them it is faulty, and hope they have a way of turning off the light sensitivity somehow. 
 
I'm not sure what you mean - shade what from the light? There isn't a way to put anything between the light from the window or downlight and the mirror. And to be hnest, the light from both those things is part of what makes the mirror lit properly.

wallofbeans

For reference, here's the layout. You can see the window and the downlight directly above the mirror. The sensor is on the bottom of the mirror, a little right of centre.

If the downlight is on (with a 2700k bulb) then the mirror light switches itself on (or off, if it's already on) and the same happens if it gets sunny outside.

Neither of these things happen if I cover the sensor with some gaffer tape.

fenwick458

it sounds like the sensor is picking up interference in the form of reflected light. I have had this before, the solution was to relocate the sensor on the side of the mirror(only possible with certain mirrors), or sometimes to re-orientate the mirror
you could try covering reflective materials below the level of the sensor that could be causing the problem and see if that pinpoints it.
where is the sensor located on the mirror?