Multiple shop lights on/off?

[Aaron Beaver]

Here is what I am looking for.

I have an outlets that I plug my shop lights into and have to go around and turn each one on individually, is there any thing out there to make it easier to do that, i.e. a remote of some kind that would turn on all of them at once. Not that this is a big deal but it would be easier if I coudl find something. At first I didnt' think it would be a big deal but I find out I turn them all on when I am down there instead of just a few because I work all over the place.

Thanks

edit: I forgot to state that I have 4' fluoresent lights

[Mike Henderson]

Here is what I am looking for.

I have an outlets that I plug my shop lights into and have to go around and turn each one on individually, is there any thing out there to make it easier to do that, i.e. a remote of some kind that would turn on all of them at once. Not that this is a big deal but it would be easier if I coudl find something. At first I didnt' think it would be a big deal but I find out I turn them all on when I am down there instead of just a few because I work all over the place.

Thanks
I put a motion detector switch in my shop which turns the lights on when I walk in. After I leave, the lights go out in about five minutes. I have had them go off on me when I'm not moving much, like sitting at my bench working on some detail. I have to wave my arms to turn the lights back on again.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

I have my "shop lights" on two circuits. I just put boxes in the ceiling to plug them all into and those boxes are controlled by a switch. There are two circuits, both to accomodate the number of lights I have amperage wise as well as to allow lighting only half the shop when I'm just using the spinny thing or doing Neander work at the bench.

[Aaron Beaver]

I put a motion detector switch in my shop which turns the lights on when I walk in. After I leave, the lights go out in about five minutes. I have had them go off on me when I'm not moving much, like sitting at my bench working on some detail. I have to wave my arms to turn the lights back on again.

Mike

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. If I could mount the motion in a good place it might work, because we also have a pantry in the shop and I wouldn't want all the lights coming on just for running down to get something.

Are you using the motion with lights that plug in?

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Take a look at X10 remotes. Just be sure to use plug-in "appliance" modules. The "lamp" modules can't be used for fluorescents.

[Mike Henderson]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. If I could mount the motion in a good place it might work, because we also have a pantry in the shop and I wouldn't want all the lights coming on just for running down to get something.

Are you using the motion with lights that plug in?
I wired mine in. If you have a pantry in the shop, I'd want the lights to come on when I went to the pantry - so I could see what I was getting. Since the lights will turn off automatically, you won't be wasting much electricity - and if you put in a hard switch, you'll forget to turn the lights off one time which will waste more electricity than the lights coming on for a short while.

All of those motion detectors have controls for sensitivity and for how long the lights stay on after no motion is detected. You can set it for a short duration to save even more. You want the sensor located where it will detect you anywhere in the shop. If you have any blocked areas where you could be and the detector can't see you, the lights will go out on you. I don't have that problem in my shop and they work well.

Most all of the room motion detectors have an over-ride switch so you can force the lights on or off, just like a regular switch.

And one final thing, you can buy a motion detector that fits into a regular outlet (or switch) box. That's what I used and recommend.

Mike

[Charlie Plesums]

I have a motion detector in the shop, for running in to pick something up. But I don't consider it a good idea. Occasionally I forget to turn on the regular shop lights, and the motion controlled lights only go off when I am in a far corner of the shop holding something sharp or fragile.

I do recommend having most of the shop lights on a separate switch (I have outlets in the ceiling for the cheap hanging flourescents), controlled by a wall switch.

[James Biddle]

I recently installed a motion detector for my shop lights. It replaced the light switch I had. If you have a lot of lights that you plug into separate receptacles, this would be an expensive solution. Also, if you have electronic ballasts, you need a different (i.e., expensive) motion switch. If your ceiling wiring is exposed or easily accessed, running additional wiring and adding a switch is your best bet. Then you could add a motion detector to that switch at any time.

[John Lucas]

Take a look at X10 remotes. Just be sure to use plug-in "appliance" modules. The "lamp" modules can't be used for fluorescents.

Kent,
I think readers can gloss over your answer too quickly so I second yur suggestion. I have 16 500 watt floods ceilng mounted and each one is plugged into an X10. When I am ready to shoot the router table area, I just press 1, 2 and 3 buttons. When I shift to the table saw, 4 and 5...and so on. This is new as of a week ago but I had similar setup in shop before. What is really nice is that you can dim one or more as needed. I get my X10 stuff from www.smarthome.com. Radio Shack use to carry them as did Sears but I couldnt find at either this time. Kent warned you about flourescents. There are lighting modules for 300 and 500 watt incandescent lamps.

[Hoa Dinh]

For X10 components, keep checking x10.com. They often have deals at ridiculously low prices.

[donnie wood]

Motion detector are the way to go if you don't have one of those ''clappers''. I put one in the pantry because when you come out your hands are full. I also put one over my toolbox, the when I went to the toolbox the light would come on. Another good place is in a hallway. I had a thing that would turn lights on but never turn them off, called a teenager.

[Tyler Howell]

Motion controlled for the storage rooms.
Low voltage contactors for the to main lighting ckts.
Careful what you use, balasts from florecents have a substantial inductive kick.

[Aaron Beaver]

Guess I shouldn't of called it a "pantry" its more of a home built shelving unit (was there when we bought the house) that we use to store can goods, boxed things, etc since they all wont fit in the pantry in the kitchen. We have a bulb light near the "pantry" that is on a pull cord so seeing is not a problem. I just wouldn't want all the shop liights to come on from a motion dectector when I go down to get a can of soup or something.

I think I will look into the X10 stuff, I would only need some of those light modules, remote, & transceiver. Will look to see if I can find some deals on them.

[Charlie Plesums]

Watch out for X10 (and SmartHome). Their simple stuff is fine, but I have a couple hundred dollars invested in security cameras, etc. that never worked worth a darn (some never worked at all).

Also, never give them an email address... I got so much spam from them that I blocked them, and got over 600 messages after they were blocked. When I ordered a replacement unit, they insisted that they had to have an email address, but I refused, and the sale went through.