Lights on a timer

sevenhills

EssexHebridean said:

These have an amusing knock-on effect, we have noticed since being in this house. We have sensor activated lighting in the hallway, bathroom, downstairs loo and some in the kitchen. We have always been “lights off when leaving the room” people - but now frequently find ourselves forgetting to do because we’re used to some of our lights turning themselves off automatically! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

I did look into this a few months ago, but having little experience it came to nothing.

It could cost, so it's a matter of deciding what I need. Fitting a sensor to the existing light would be the simplest. But I guess paying an electrician to change the light fitting and sensor will cost £100 ish.

EssexHebridean

victor2 said:

mumf said:

In our bathroom and kitchen are LED lights with timers. They are approach lights ,and we set them at twenty minutes. If you are there at the time,it simply stays on. Superb. The rest of the house is led too. 

What if somebody is having a nice long soak in the bath? Do they get plunged into darkness after 20 minutes and have to stand up and wave their arms around to get the lights back on?

I suspect this is precisely the reason why our bathroom also has an override switch to put the lights on regardless of what the sensor says! 😂

baser999

Can’t imagine it’d be that difficult turning the light off? Probably just as easy as switching it on, but in reverse? 

victor2

EssexHebridean said:

victor2 said:

mumf said:

In our bathroom and kitchen are LED lights with timers. They are approach lights ,and we set them at twenty minutes. If you are there at the time,it simply stays on. Superb. The rest of the house is led too. 

What if somebody is having a nice long soak in the bath? Do they get plunged into darkness after 20 minutes and have to stand up and wave their arms around to get the lights back on?

I suspect this is precisely the reason why our bathroom also has an override switch to put the lights on regardless of what the sensor says! 😂

Might have to look into that. OH regularly gets up in the night to visit the loo and leaves the lights on (as well as the associated extractor fan). Light switch is outside the bathroom, so it is easily forgotten as you leave I supose.

They're already LED lights though, and even with the extractor running for a few hours, it probably won't financially justify have a sensor installed.

QrizB

One other problem with fitting a timer etc. to a kitchen light is the danger of being plunged into darkness when eg. handling hot pans or sharp implements.

Not something I'd choose.

Rodders53

Fluorescent tubes don't like being switched on/off too frequently.  It shortens their life due to the heaters inrush currents.  They also take a bit of time to achieve full light output when first switched on each time.

Simple time delay pushbutton switches are under £10 for self-install --- but have a max on time of 12 minutes.  https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/pel00587/electronic-time-delay-switch-round/dp/LA06846  So you do the math on saved energy and tube replacement costs. 

LED batten lights afaik are not a simple "double the light o/p per watt consumed"... and may be more directional to achieve the peak lumens quoted.  I can't find one source that has a number for fluorescent tube vs led tube power use for the same luminous flux onto a surface at a specified distance...  Which tells a lot to the Scientist/Engineer in me.  {i.e. perhaps little real life energy benefit, just all marketing bull}

One site did have this

Fluorescent lights produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt. By comparison, LEDs can produce roughly 130 lumens per watt. 

100 vs a "can" do 130 ain't that impressive.  So it's a big "it all depends on the specifics".

That said fluoros are no longer made / available to buy (or soon won't be).  So LEDs will be the only choice for future replacements.

Netexporter

I replaced a 60W fluorescent with a 35W LED unit and I definitely get more useful light in the kitchen.

Eldi_Dos

Rodders53 said:

That said fluoros are no longer made / available to buy (or soon won't be).  So LEDs will be the only choice for future replacements.

Had a GR10q go last week, went to one of the sheds for replacment but could not find any in the bulb aisle,luckily found some in clearance section.They were half price so got a couple as when they are gone they are gone.

markin

victor2 said:

mumf said:

In our bathroom and kitchen are LED lights with timers. They are approach lights ,and we set them at twenty minutes. If you are there at the time,it simply stays on. Superb. The rest of the house is led too. 

What if somebody is having a nice long soak in the bath? Do they get plunged into darkness after 20 minutes and have to stand up and wave their arms around to get the lights back on?

Yes sit on the toilet too long and you have to wave your arm, mine are now set to around 5-6 min, never timed it, and odds are someone else will enter after you, just as it turns off.

For a bathroom i would have a secondary switched light for having a bath or cleaning.

Microwave bulbs with setting in hallways and garage now! And before they were available a stand alone PIR in the toilet.

Good point about hot pans in the kitchen, So that would also be 2 systems again, switch for working and auto for quick in/out trips.

born_again

Seems to be a expensive solution to a non existent problem.
Changing bulb to a more efficient one, OK get that. But fitting sensor, when odds  on you are walking past the wall or pull switch???

How the human race is evolving into becoming more lazy as time goes by. 🤷‍♀️As @cm4ever said. Wasting power, for no reason other than we can, can not be put any other way than laziness.🤦‍♀️

But each to their own 👌