The most convenient feature of presence sensors is their ability to automatically turn on lights in a room or space when they detect movement within their range. Presence sensors are invaluable in outdoor lighting for added safety and have many other beneficial uses around the home. Another beneficial attribute of occupancy sensors is their energy efficiency. These low voltage modules can be ceiling mounted or in the existing wall switch junction box and, most notably, can save significant amounts of power by turning off lights when no occupancy is detected for a designated period of time. .
With so many advantages, it might seem reasonable to replace all the light switches in your home or office with occupancy sensors. However, this may not be the best idea to rush in because what you will soon realize is that in some cases this may be more of an inconvenience than a convenience. You may be wondering how, so a few examples will help clarify things perfectly.
Rooms that are great for occupancy sensors are garages, basements, bathrooms, rec rooms, and sometimes kitchens. In these spaces, it is common for an occupant to enter the space with their hands full making turning on the lights a nuisance and if they leave the room with their hands full the same conditions apply. These rooms are also active spaces. The importance of this is that the lights will not go out if you are relatively still in space.
One may notice that there are several common rooms that are left out of this list. These rooms are bedrooms, TV rooms and, if you have pets, other common areas. It may be more practical to install vacancy sensors instead of occupancy sensors in these spaces. The difference between a vacancy sensor and a presence sensor is the way they are turned on. Each light switch will detect unoccupied and turn off the lights; however, only the presence sensor will turn the lights on automatically.
The benefit of a vacancy sensor is that if you don’t want the lights to come on when you enter an area, they won’t unless you manually turn the switch on. This is practical in bedrooms, so you may not wake anyone sleeping in a bedroom when you enter, or if you roll over in bed, the lights do not turn on. The vacancy sensor is especially beneficial from an energy efficiency standpoint in children’s bedrooms if they tend to leave the lights on constantly. In TV rooms, occupancy sensors may not be the best option for similar reasons. If your light switch controls ceiling lighting that might not be desired when you are watching TV in a room, the lights will not turn on when someone walks in or if you get up to get a snack. A special case in common areas where presence sensors can be a nuisance is if you have pets. The animals are large enough to turn on the occupancy detection switches. Roaming common areas at night can lead to unnecessary energy consumption.
As mentioned above, using occupancy sensors in kitchens can sometimes be a good idea. This all depends on the location of the kitchen in the house plan and how other rooms can reach the kitchen space. In an open-plan home where the kitchen is considered a common area, a vacancy sensor may be a better idea, especially if you have pets. If the kitchen is in its own room separate from the rest of the house, an occupancy sensor is an excellent idea, especially if natural light is not present in abundance. Occupancy detection lights help you see where you are going as soon as you walk in with your hands full of groceries. A combination of an occupancy sensor switch controlling the LED under the cabinet lights will be convenient in function and will also bring modern luxury to your space.
Taking all aspects into account, consumers can make smart decisions when deciding which rooms to install occupancy sensors and which room availability sensors may be most appropriate. Some manufacturers offer presence sensing wall switches with an optional feature to turn it into a vacancy sensor. One cannot go wrong with these products, as you can decide, after installing the switch, which function best suits your needs.
