Hardwire Power for Insteon Motion Sensors in a New Construction

[daxiang28]

Looking to put one in each bathroom to trigger lighting when stumbling into the bathroom at night. I haven't been able to find a clean way to install these without using a battery and without using the wallwart 'Battery Eliminator.' I have the walls open and am running lines for security and data, so I have the opportunity to keep to wire these motions.

http://www.smarthome...-ADAPTER/p.aspx

Not sure why Insteon doesn't make a toggle/dimmer switch with an occupancy sensor built in. Using stand alone motions to trigger a bathroom lighting scheme seems like a bit of a hack.

I should mention that I'm also using an ELK M1 to handle security. It's my understanding that some of the PIRs for the common areas could be used to trigger Insteon lighting scenes with the ISY. Maybe I should get some super small PIRs for the bathrooms since I'm not concerned with accuracy or false alarms (haven't seen any though)?

Steve

 

[wuench]

Yes, just use a PIR on your ELK. Don't do an Insteon PIR unless you absolutely have to, it's wireless so it'll have a slower response time, you have to deal with the battery issue, and they are way more expensive. There are all kinds of PIRs, small , big whatever. I ordered a ceiling 360 visionic for my bathroom. There are really small curtain PIRs that can be flush mounted. Just look at Automated Outlet or Worthington's web sites...

 

[daxiang28]

Curious, saw this when digging around for flush mount PIRs (per wuench's suggestion). Looks like it wires to a switch?

http://www.tlc-direc.../SMSLFM360.html

This one's nice and small too:
http://www.smarthome.com/76513/Velleman-PIR415U-Mini-PIR-Motion-Detector-to-be-Built-In/p.aspx

 

[tmbrown97]

Yeah you have to be careful - many of the occupancy sensors you'll find were meant to wire in-line with a lighting load - in a lot of places commercial and large residential loads have to have an occupancy sensor so the lights turn off when the room is empty.

You need more of a security-style motion sensor that'll provide contact closure to the M1.

Placement is also important; my poor little sister spends half her shower in the dark when she visits because in the downstairs bathroom I automated the lights for my 3yr old; but the sensor I use today doesn't see through the glass.

 

[apostolakisl]

I agree, wire them up to the Elk. You might need to buy another zone expansion board but it would be the best way. Also, get the new ISY module for Elk. Programming in ISY to control and monitor Elk is a huge jump up in the world.

 

[daxiang28]

Placement is also important; my poor little sister spends half her shower in the dark when she visits because in the downstairs bathroom I automated the lights for my 3yr old; but the sensor I use today doesn't see through the glass.

work2play, is there a PIR that will detect motion through shower doors that you would recommend? I like the size of the visonic spy pirs, but not sure of their ability.

Steve

 

[apostolakisl]

work2play, is there a PIR that will detect motion through shower doors that you would recommend? I like the size of the visonic spy pirs, but not sure of their ability.

Steve

In general, I don't think any of the PIR work through glass. They are all designed so that something happening outside a window doesn't trip them.

 

[Desert_AIP]

PIR is IR,
IR won't transmit through glass.

 

[tmbrown97]

Yeah I think the key is to place it to where it'll see into the shower as well - or just warn her upfront that her showers are limited to 4.5 minutes :blink:

 

[wuench]

Your best bet is to try to get a 360 ceiling PIR and hopefully catch any shower action with it. Really though the most important thing is to catch all the entries without triggering on motion outside the room and set a timer to account for the rest.