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#1
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Reverse lighted toggle switch
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 |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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" |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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? |
#8
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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. |
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