No More Lighting Up Vacant Rooms

I beloved having my grandkids slumber over on weekends, simply ane matter drives me crazy-they never turn off the lights when they get out a room.

Sponsored by Lutron

I love having my grandkids sleep over on weekends, just i thing drives me crazy-they never turn off the lights when they leave a room.

I've tried ribbing them with "Practise yous own stock in the electrical visitor?", but that hasn't worked. So I installed occupancy sensor switches in my spare bedrooms and bath, hallway and downstairs family room. That fashion, the lights get turned off automatically and I tin can relish my grandkids without nagging them.

I chose the Lutron occupancy sensor switches with XCT sensing technology because they're easy to install and become great reviews. The installation is easy and takes less than 15 minutes. Just turn off the circuit breaker, remove the old switch (Photo 1) and connect the new occupancy sensor switch. The two black wires connect to the wires from the electrical box. The switch isn't polarity sensitive, so it doesn't matter which black wire goes to which existing switch wires-the Lutron switch doesn't need a neutral wire (Photo 2). The bare and greenish wires connect to the ground wire in the electrical box (Photo 3). Then just fold the wires into the box and mount the switch with the screws provided (Photo 4).

The Lutron occupancy sensing switch is manufacturing plant programmed to turn off lights after v minutes of inactivity, but you can change the programming to suit your needs. For instance, you can set the 'timeout' to turn the lights off at 1, 5, fifteen or 30 minutes. Plus, you tin change the motion sensor'due south sensitivity. I left the motion sensitivity at 'high' in the family room because the kids like to read or heed to music with the lights on. Lutron'southward XCT technology detects that kind of minor movement and keeps the lights on while they're active. The only caveat is that the sensor can just notice movement that'south within the sensor's line-of-sight. I also activated the unit's daylight-sensing feature in the family room switch because that room gets plenty of sunlight during the twenty-four hours and I don't want the lights on. However, the switch does have a learning feature; if you think there'due south non enough daylight and want the lights on, only tap the switch and it'll larn your preferences.

For the hallway switches, I changed the sensitivity to the low setting since I only want those lights on when in that location's major movement. There's too a vacancy fashion, where you lot manually plow on the lights when you lot enter the room and the switch turns off the lights when at that place'southward no longer any motion. I didn't use that characteristic on any of the switches.

The programming procedure is easy-just press and concur one (Photo 5) or both buttons (Photo 6) and count the number of flashes. Let go when the flashes correspond with your preferences. Change the programming at any time past removing the switch comprehend plate and repeating the process.

The switches I installed were single-pole, but Lutron also offers a iii-fashion occupancy sensor switch and one with occupancy sensing and dimming capabilities. The unmarried-pole version sells for about $20 at home centers, and Lutron occupancy sensor switches are available in 27 colors.

If you've got family members who go out lights on and you're tired of nagging them, install Lutron occupancy sensor switches. Y'all'll save money and eliminate stress.

— Rick Muscoplat, Contributing Editor

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LUTRON. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/no-more-lighting-up-vacant-rooms/

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