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Japan, Tokyo
1 Level
719 Review
76 Karma

Review on Intermatic IOS CMP DT LV Voltage Ceiling Sensor by Mark Hicks

Revainrating 4 out of 5

A great way to save energy if your kids/wife always leave the lights on.

We needed a hands-free way to turn on the light in our pantry/freezer and this was the perfect solution. If you have experience with house wiring (installing new light switches or ceiling fans) then this should be within your capabilities. Since this switch draws power itself, you need a neutral (white) wire. While conventional breakers can be set by breaking the hot (black) wire, doing so requires both hot and neutral wires. Make sure the circuit you are adding this switch to is powered off. Check this with a multimeter! The switch uses stranded wires rather than being attached to the box with screws, so attaching wires to an existing pigtail can be tricky. The strands tend to mix with the solid wires and the mechanical connection doesn't seem as strong as one would like. However, it works. Setup is easy and gives you many options. The device is triggered with ultrasound or passive infrared radiation (PIR). A nice touch is that the internal timer "resets" when it "sees" movement, so you don't have to worry about losing the light if you move around a bit. The device is also slightly larger than a traditional switch. So be prepared to rearrange the cables in the junction box. All in all, it's a handy way to control your lights when you're busy and save energy by turning off lights when you don't need them.

Pros
  • Best in class
Cons
  • Not sure