External Lighting controls. Manual on, photocell off

[atm84]

A client wants some external lights to illuminate a pathway around a building at night to access the electrical switchroom, which is accessed via an external door. (The building is a 24hr building)

One thought was to install a switch inside the building and then if the lights are accidentally left on, a photocell would turn them off once it got light outside. I had thought about installing a retractive switch and i have used these before in conjunction with Absence detection in schools but not sure if these would work with a photocell.

Has anyone done anything similar or can recommend a solution.

Many thanks

 

[Octopus]

How many lights, and are these lights only to be used to access if and when required?

I'm thinking a switch with a time delay off

 

[Richard Burns]

If the access is only to the electrical switch room and this is not needed often then I would suggest a PIR (which has a photocell) sensor and have a manual off switch inside for maintenance use.

However your idea of photocell controlled lights with a manual switch inside also works.

However you can see that someone will turn them off at some point just when someone needs them to be on.

The alternative would be to have an external switch at the start of the pathway so that they can be turned on as someone approaches and turned off when they leave (you could still have an overriding photocell to avoid lighting during daylight.

 

[atm84]

How many lights, and are these lights only to be used to access if and when required?

I'm thinking a switch with a time delay off

That what I thought originally. Can you recommend any quality ones. I was maybe overthinking it too much with a photocell etc

 

[atm84]

If the access is only to the electrical switch room and this is not needed often then I would suggest a PIR (which has a photocell) sensor and have a manual off switch inside for maintenance use.

However your idea of photocell controlled lights with a manual switch inside also works.

However you can see that someone will turn them off at some point just when someone needs them to be on.

The alternative would be to have an external switch at the start of the pathway so that they can be turned on as someone approaches and turned off when they leave (you could still have an overriding photocell to avoid lighting during daylight.

Thank you for the suggestions. I don't want them to rely on them switching them off on the way back. Likely hood is they will forget. haha

If I went with the manual switch on, photocell off can that be done. I have only ever used manual on, auto off with an absence detector and they have specific terminals for wiring like that. I have never done it with a photocell

 

[Andy78]

That what I thought originally. Can you recommend any quality ones. I was maybe overthinking it too much with a photocell etc

How long would the timer need to be capable of remaining switched on ? Generally the upper time limit is not very long for most electronic time delay switches.

 

[atm84]

Im maybe overtinking it. Think a combined PIR/Photocell would it a good solution

 

[Richard Burns]

Just wire it so the switch turns on the photocell or PIR, then after it is daylight or the time expires the light will switch off.