I would really like to find out if such a device is available. The type of
switch I am looking for is a regular wall panel light toggle switch with a
light inside the toggle. I know these are readily available everywhere
where the toggle is lighted when the switch is in the off position. They
are commonly used in bathroom to provide assistance in finding the switch in
the dark.

What I am looking for is the reverse of this, in other words, I want the
toggle part to light up when the switch is on rather than when it is off.
Here is my application. Some of my neighbors have seen prowlers around our
residential area and many of us decided to leave our front door outside
lights on all night. The problem is that we invariably forget to turn it
off in the morning and so a couple of bulbs are burning needlessly for
several hours most days. We are retired so we often don't go out of the
house until mid-morning or later. If the inside switch was lit up we would
notice and turn the lights off when we arise in the morning but now, since
in daylight we can't see that the outside light is on, we forget to turn it
off.
Has anyone seen this or know where they can be found?

--
Bob Daun

MLD wrote:

You can buy a light sensitive adapter that goes between the fixture and the
bulb that will do exactly what you want. Light on at night and off during
the day. Home Depot or Lowes.

I had one of those for years. It would never allow the light to come
on full, but that was OK because the bulb lasted forever. BUT, I just
found out the dimmer was the source of the radio noise that has been a
problem all that time.

Some of my neighbors have seen prowlers around our
residential area and many of us decided to leave our front door outside
lights on all night. The problem is that we invariably forget to turn it
off in the morning and so a couple of bulbs are burning needlessly for
several hours most days.

Agree with poster who suggests screw-in sun sensor that fits between bulb
and socket. Another, more economic solution vs having light on all night, is
a motion sensor head (kit) that detects motion and lights up the existing
porch light, which IMHO is more of a deterrent than the "on all night "
solution. If the kit is hard to find, just replace light with a single or
double spotlight with integral motion switch.

Bob Daun wrote:
I would really like to find out if such a device is available. The type of
switch I am looking for is a regular wall panel light toggle switch with a
light inside the toggle. I know these are readily available everywhere
where the toggle is lighted when the switch is in the off position. They
are commonly used in bathroom to provide assistance in finding the switch in
the dark.

What I am looking for is the reverse of this, in other words, I want the
toggle part to light up when the switch is on rather than when it is off.
Here is my application. Some of my neighbors have seen prowlers around our
residential area and many of us decided to leave our front door outside
lights on all night. The problem is that we invariably forget to turn it
off in the morning and so a couple of bulbs are burning needlessly for
several hours most days. We are retired so we often don't go out of the
house until mid-morning or later. If the inside switch was lit up we would
notice and turn the lights off when we arise in the morning but now, since
in daylight we can't see that the outside light is on, we forget to turn it
off.
Has anyone seen this or know where they can be found?



I installed switches with pilots for my three "outside light" switch
locations for exactly the same reasons you mention, and also used them
on several closets where the switches for the closet lights are located
on the outside of the closet doors. The ones I use mount behind a
regular duplex outlet plate, the switchc omes through one of the holes
in the plate and is flipped "sideways". A good sized easily noticed red
neon pilot lamp fits in the other hole of the plate.

Here's the ones I used:

http://www.twacomm.com/Catalog/Model_5336.htm

You should be able to get those piloted switches anyplace that handles
electrical products. As a previous poster said, you do have to have
access to a neutral wire to install them per code, though the tiny
amount of current required to light the neon pilot lamp could easily
flow to ground without causing any big whoop, unless there's a GFI ahead
of the switch. But, if you say I told you that I'd have to kill you. G

Happy Holidays,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public
schools"

Bob Daun wrote:
I would really like to find out if such a device is available. The
type of switch I am looking for is a regular wall panel light toggle
switch with a light inside the toggle. I know these are readily
available everywhere where the toggle is lighted when the switch is
in the off position. They are commonly used in bathroom to provide
assistance in finding the switch in the dark.

What I am looking for is the reverse of this, in other words, I want
the toggle part to light up when the switch is on rather than when it
is off. Here is my application. Some of my neighbors have seen
prowlers around our residential area and many of us decided to leave
our front door outside lights on all night. The problem is that we
invariably forget to turn it off in the morning and so a couple of
bulbs are burning needlessly for several hours most days. We are
retired so we often don't go out of the house until mid-morning or
later. If the inside switch was lit up we would notice and turn the
lights off when we arise in the morning but now, since in daylight we
can't see that the outside light is on, we forget to turn it off.
Has anyone seen this or know where they can be found?

I use a low tech approach. For the oven light and the garage light I
have painted (girlfriends red fingernail polish) the part that shows when
the lamp is on. It shows up well; almost as good as a light.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

We use a compact fluorescent specifically designed for this application.

It's a compact twist design, 150-watt equivalent, designed for cold
weather exterior use, with a built-in photocell in the base. Just screw
it in to replace a standard bulb and leave the switch on. No problems
with it so far.

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Updated Infrared Photography Books List:
http://www.phred.org/~josh/photo/irbooks.html

Joshua Putnam writes:
We use a compact fluorescent specifically designed for this application.

It's a compact twist design, 150-watt equivalent, designed for cold
weather exterior use, with a built-in photocell in the base. Just screw
it in to replace a standard bulb and leave the switch on. No problems
with it so far.

Sounds like just what I need (though maybe not as much as
150-watts). Where can I buy?

Bob Daun wrote:
I would really like to find out if such a device is available. The
type of switch I am looking for is a regular wall panel light toggle
switch with a light inside the toggle. I know these are readily
available everywhere where the toggle is lighted when the switch is
in the off position. They are commonly used in bathroom to provide
assistance in finding the switch in the dark.

What I am looking for is the reverse of this, in other words, I want
the toggle part to light up when the switch is on rather than when it
is off. Here is my application. Some of my neighbors have seen
prowlers around our residential area and many of us decided to leave
our front door outside lights on all night. The problem is that we
invariably forget to turn it off in the morning and so a couple of
bulbs are burning needlessly for several hours most days. We are
retired so we often don't go out of the house until mid-morning or
later. If the inside switch was lit up we would notice and turn the
lights off when we arise in the morning but now, since in daylight we
can't see that the outside light is on, we forget to turn it off.
Has anyone seen this or know where they can be found?

Change the bulb to screw-in florescent. A 9-watt florescent bulb running for
24 hours uses less energy than a 60-watt bulb running for eight. Even at 24
hours, a florescent bulb will last years.

You are, however, solving the wrong problem. You should kill the prowlers.