Floodlights with no wall switch

[spasm3]

When our house was built, one corner flood light, has no wall switch. It is hot all the time( yes i've checked every switch). So for the last 25 years i don;t use it, i have the bulbs unscrewed a bit.
If you leave the bulbs in, a blink in power switches the light from motion sense to full time flood, with no way to reset since there is no wall switch. Thats why the bulbs are unscrewed.

I'm thinking a flood with a remote control might be a quick fix for this. I really don't want to run wiring, and the front door is under the second floor, the flood light in question is on the single story wing of the house, so no way to pull wiring ( slab foundation).

Thinking about this light.

Thoughts?

 

[DBMaster]

Something like this? This is as an example only. There are lots of them out there.

WiFi Light Socket

 

[djb]

Some older motivation activated floodlight fixtures had a slide switch to control the mode, but that's no longer the best solution.

If you are going to the effort to replace the fixture, you should update to a LED floodlight with a remote control. It might seem silly to have a remote control that will be used only for a one-time setup, but it's convenient and effective.

 

[DBMaster]

They also make WiFi connected floodlight fixtures that additionally include motion detectors. The choices seem to be almost endless.

 

[nomas]

Use the breaker as a switch to reset the light back to motion .

 

[wpod]

What would the power consumption be with an led bulb?

 

[JC1]

When our house was built, one corner flood light, has no wall switch. It is hot all the time( yes i've checked every switch). So for the last 25 years i don;t use it, i have the bulbs unscrewed a bit.
If you leave the bulbs in, a blink in power switches the light from motion sense to full time flood, with no way to reset since there is no wall switch. Thats why the bulbs are unscrewed.

I'm thinking a flood with a remote control might be a quick fix for this. I really don't want to run wiring, and the front door is under the second floor, the flood light in question is on the single story wing of the house, so no way to pull wiring ( slab foundation).

Thinking about this light.

Thoughts?

That sucks when they cheap out like that. In my house I wish a few extra lights were on 3 way or 4 way switches.

If you are not handy then yes wireless makes sense. I would get a hard wired switch if it was my place.

 

[spasm3]

They also make WiFi connected floodlight fixtures that additionally include motion detectors. The choices seem to be almost endless.

Didn't know that, I'll do some searching.

 

[spasm3]

That sucks when they cheap out like that. In my house I wish a few extra lights were on 3 way or 4 way switches.

If you are not handy then yes wireless makes sense. I would get a hard wired switch if it was my place.

I'm pretty good. I do my own wiring, including 240v access in my garage.

It's just there is no practical way to run the wire, without tearing into sheetrock.
The foundation is slab the front door is in the center of the 2 story with the flood on the end of a single story room with a cathedral ceiling.

I really don't want an arbitrary switch in that room for a flood light.

 

[JTK]

Yeah, that's kind of odd, but fine for a dusk to down, photo cell triggered fixture.

Is the box your current fixture attached to mounted under a soffit or in such a way you could easily run a switch leg down from it?

 

[spasm3]

I can't understand how you actually wire a light constantly hot like that and not know it when you are doing it.

It's like I'm out of switch boxes on the truck, screw it , I'll just wire it hot all the time.

 

[spasm3]

Yeah, that's kind of odd, but fine for a dusk to down, photo cell triggered fixture.

Is the box your current fixture attached to mounted under a soffit or in such a way you could easily run a switch leg down from it?

It would look odd. And a switch in that room would be odd. If I can use a remote control option that's better as the light is 25 years old and needs to be replaced.

I don't want dusk to dawn as I hate light pollution, I prefer it dark at night anyway.

I guess my other option is cap the wires and put a solar led unit in.

 

[JTK]

Oh got it. I was thinking it was possibly on the outside wall of a garage, etc.

Like you say, if you don't use it, I'd pull the fixture and screw a cover over the box. Or throw a GFCI receptacle in there for Christmas lights, etc.

 

[djb]

What would the power consumption be with an led bulb?

Since there is already 120 VAC, there is little reason to be especially concerned about power consumption as you might be with a solar powered light

LEDs are typically 1/8 to 1/10 the power for the same light output. For a security light the inherent directionality of LEDs adds to the efficiency. An outdoor security light is going to be daylight white (4000K), which tends to be more efficient. Interior lights are often warm white (2700K) with good color rendition, which tends to be on the low end of that range.

The power used by the motion detection circuitry should be negligible, but I'm sure that some inefficient designs are out there.

 

[spasm3]

Since there is already 120 VAC, there is little reason to be especially concerned about power consumption as you might be with a solar powered light

LEDs are typically 1/8 to 1/10 the power for the same light output. For a security light the inherent directionality of LEDs adds to the efficiency. An outdoor security light is going to be daylight white (4000K), which tends to be more efficient. Interior lights are often warm white (2700K) with good color rendition, which tends to be on the low end of that range.

The power used by the motion detection circuitry should be negligible, but I'm sure that some inefficient designs are out there.

i'm not worried about power, i just don't want it on, going into flood mode. thats why i think the led remote will be the option. that way i can click it back to motion.