So I bought some Wemo switches for my living room, bedroom and kitchen areas. I must say, I’m quite pleased with them. I also like the fact that I can be half way across the world on vacation and still turn the lights on and off to make it look like the place is lived in.
Now, to complete my Nerd Nirvana, I’m thinking about installing motion sensor switches in my closets and bathrooms.
The closets I’m not worried about. The bathroom though, I’m not sure. My worry is when my GF is in the bathroom putting on make up or whatever; I’m not sure if her movement will be enough to keep the light activated. Because she’s basically sitting there making very little movement with her arms.
We have them in our stairwell to the basement - easy decision after having to run down the stairs to turn off a forgotten light! We’ve also got them in the laundry room and the basement bathroom. And we just installed an outdoor-style one in our garage. The light on the garage door opener has died, and for $20, we got the little floodlight. It’s great for when we take the dog out at night or when we leave for work in the dark of the morning.
Yes, they are quite handy. I have some small battery-powered LED motion sensor lights, I put one on the kitchen counter and one on some shelves in the den and can walk around those parts of the house without touching a light switch. I put rechargeable batteries in them but they only need charged every month or two.
I put one of these just outside the master bedroom because the hall light switch is 20 feet away and around a corner. Works great! I think I’ll buy another for the stairwell.
I also have a motion sensor switch for the pantry, saves reaching in for the switch and also ensures the light doesn’t get left on accidentally. Since your hands are likely to be full of whatever you are getting from or putting back an automatic light makes sense.
I have one in the master bathroom and one in the laundry room. Both are very convenient. My wife didn’t like them at first, but now she wouldn’t like it without them. We also have a door jam switch on the pantry, which turns on the light when the door opens (like the refrigerator). That is great! It has a side benefit of getting us in the habit of keeping the door closed.
I have motion sensor switches in both the pantry and the storage area where our freezer lives. Both area where you are likely to be loading or unloading. Makes me think I should put one in the mudroom where the laundry is.
My kid and her hubby installed them in their bathrooms. The kinda bug my wife and me, but they seem happy with them. I like to be able to turn a light off when I no longer need it.
In the bathroom, I’d worry less about them turning off when someone is putting on makeup (they can just wave their arms, right?), and more about making sure that they can be triggered by someone in the shower (behind the curtain) or on the toilet. In neither of these second cases is suddenly moving across the bathroom in the dark a pleasant idea.
(and, is there a fan? Is it on a separate switch or connected to the light? If it’s connected to the light, you probably want an option to leave it running for a while)
Yes. Wiring my house for switches isn’t easy so I have one right across from the front door that’s triggered by opening it, and another in passage leading to the kitchen. These were outdoor wall fixtures, that’s what was readily available almost 20 years ago, and they fit in with the style of the house.