Occupancy sensor

[Max Headroom]

Hi I have three sets of lights in one room (a dining room in a nursing home 18' x 38' with a slight pitch 2/12 on the ceiling with gable ends. The sets are 8 luminairs + 6 luminairs + 3 ceiling fans with light kits. I have 3 controls in a 3-gang box, two will be dimmers with manual on/off function and a control for the fans/lights which is radio controlled. One 20 Amp circuit feeds everthing. I might need to install an occupancy sensor for the inspector and I'm wondering how to integrate that into my system. Is there a inline dimmer that can communicate with an occupancy sensor(s) via a wireless connection. There was at one time a Leviton Integrated room control which is still in place but I don't know if I could use just the occupancy sensor part of it as for dimming it uses 0-12v dimming. https://www.leviton.com/en/products/brands/all-brands/irc Thanks for any help,

 

[Krusscher]

Can't you use a relay to break just the switch leg and let the dimmer do its job separately?

 

[Max Headroom]

Can't you use a relay to break just the switch leg and let the dimmer do its job separately?

Where would the relay be installed, in this photo I plan on running two switch legs, my power and a nuetral. In the square box above I have 3 MC cables, one from the breaker and onrun back to the IRC in an attic area (it's no longer wired into the IRC but loops back to the set of 8 lights), then the third cable mc 12/3 goes to the ceiling fan and the other set of 6 lights. Are you thinking I install a box somewhere like in the EMT in the photo for the relay/switch legs, Thank you

 

[Max Headroom]

Where would the relay be installed, in this photo I plan on running two switch legs, my power and a nuetral. In the square box above I have 3 MC cables, one from the breaker and onrun back to the IRC in an attic area (it's no longer wired into the IRC but loops back to the set of 8 lights), then the third cable mc 12/3 goes to the ceiling fan and the other set of 6 lights. Are you thinking I install a box somewhere like in the EMT in the photo for the relay/switch legs, Thank you

Sorry I meant to say, I plan on running two switchlegs, my power and a neutral in the EMT,

 

[Krusscher]

could use a power pack like this https://www.rexelusa.com/p/72880/se...-277-vac-15-24vdc-2-pole/745975809608/pp20-2p with a occupancy sensor to switch your 2 switch legs. I am guessing your fans are hard wired? If they are all piped in might be able to get creative and switch just the light kits with a power pack as well

 

[Krusscher]

or just switch all power to your fans with a power pack I guess

 

[Krusscher]

Why did you get rid of the IRC? I missed that part of the OP. Should be able to use it still the same way as a power pack.

 

[Kansas Mountain]

Lutron can do exactly what you're asking for. Their Vive capable hard-wired Maestro switch can be manually paired with a wireless occupancy sensor.

https://assets.lutron.com/a/documents/369904_eng.pdf

 

[Max Headroom]

Why did you get rid of the IRC? I missed that part of the OP. Should be able to use it still the same way as a power pack.

Somebody had wired it up some way that the only way I could get the light to brighten up was to return power on the egc, I think might have happend was the irc was for lights that were repalced by some inexpensive Amazon LED's and also an additional set of lights with a surface mounted raceway system/Legrande Wiremold, all of them had been run up into the attic into the irc and nothing worked right, eveything was too dim. so i bypassed the irc and both sets worked fine. now we are changing all the lights adding the fans an splitting 14 amazon lights into 6+8 . In this photo you can see some of the lights and the wiremold. The IRC might be ok , I dont think it was wired in correctly so it might be ok, I was thinking to try and use it but not to interupt at the switch leg but interupt power from the breaker using the Leviton occupancy sensors which were originally part of the system? I think I can reconfigure my wiring realitivly easily (I'd rather not) but if that's going to work, fine. Thanks

 

[Max Headroom]

Lutron can do exactly what you're asking for. Their Vive capable hard-wired Maestro switch can be manually paired with a wireless occupancy sensor.

https://assets.lutron.com/a/documents/369904_eng.pdf

Thanks, this looks very interesting, I haven't bougt my switches yet either. Do you think this would handle a room this size 18' x 38'.

 

[Max Headroom]

Lutron can do exactly what you're asking for. Their Vive capable hard-wired Maestro switch can be manually paired with a wireless occupancy sensor.

https://assets.lutron.com/a/documents/369904_eng.pdf

OK so I need some time to study this system but just off the cuff could you tell me if I have the general idea of how this goes together? I'm thinking the sensor just mounts on the wall or ceiling (it's wireless and probably has a battery?) then it talks to a device somewhere in the near vicinity which then sends a command (does it use wi-fi) to the wall mounted switch/dimmer which then dims the lights to whatever the inspector is happy with or just shuts them off, so do I wire the switch like a normal switch, I will have a neutral in the switch box. Thanks

 

[Krusscher]

OK so I need some time to study this system but just off the cuff could you tell me if I have the general idea of how this goes together? I'm thinking the sensor just mounts on the wall or ceiling (it's wireless and probably has a battery?) then it talks to a device somewhere in the near vicinity which then sends a command (does it use wi-fi) to the wall mounted switch/dimmer which then dims the lights to whatever the inspector is happy with or just shuts them off, so do I wire the switch like a normal switch, I will have a neutral in the switch box. Thanks

The electrician at the college before me was a fan of these and I've had some trouble with them. To be fair she tried to use them in situations they shouldn't have been used. I think distance wise you should be ok but you said your lights are 0-10v dimming and I don't think those switches can do that? I might be wrong but they should still dim with the switches, might have to check manufacturer instructions on the lights to see if that's ok.
The occupancy sensor is battery powered and sends a wireless signal to the switch which would be wired like a normal switch.

 

[Max Headroom]

The electrician at the college before me was a fan of these and I've had some trouble with them. To be fair she tried to use them in situations they shouldn't have been used. I think distance wise you should be ok but you said your lights are 0-10v dimming and I don't think those switches can do that? I might be wrong but they should still dim with the switches, might have to check manufacturer instructions on the lights to see if that's ok.
The occupancy sensor is battery powered and sends a wireless signal to the switch which would be wired like a normal switch.

OK thank you for that, the lights/drivers are not 0-12v dimming so we are ok there, one set of lights (8 of the existing group of 14 will total out at 208w of LED's so I will need a dimmer switch that can handle that, also I saw that there seems to be a couple of different model's of sensors in the Lutron family, are you pretty familliar with what they offer? I will have a neutral if that makes things any easier or changes my options. Thank you.

 

[Strathead]

With the wall open my first question isn't really important. Look in to Wattstopper DLM or Sensorswitch nLight controls. With the wattstopper, you can have a dimmer for each zone, a low voltage switch if necessary for the fan, (or put the fan in a separate box.) Up top you will have a 2 relay (or 3 relay room controller(if you are controlling the fan). And your occupancy sensors. The switches, room controller and OCC's are all connected together with CAT5 cable. Your switch leges and 0-10v comes from the room controller (pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller). You can also add daylight sensors if required. A little more pricey, but will easily function the way you need it to.

 

[Krusscher]

I am not incredibly familiar with them but I am sure someone on here has used these. It's going to vary project to project on what you need and what sensors work.

 

[Max Headroom]

With the wall open my first question isn't really important. Look in to Wattstopper DLM or Sensorswitch nLight controls. With the wattstopper, you can have a dimmer for each zone, a low voltage switch if necessary for the fan, (or put the fan in a separate box.) Up top you will have a 2 relay (or 3 relay room controller(if you are controlling the fan). And your occupancy sensors. The switches, room controller and OCC's are all connected together with CAT5 cable. Your switch leges and 0-10v comes from the room controller (pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller). You can also add daylight sensors if required. A little more pricey, but will easily function the way you need it to.

With the wattstopper, you can have a dimmer for each zone, with the Luron Maestro would I be able to have two dimmers in the same box (one for 8 lights and the other for the remaining 6 lights, on-off and dim, and then have both switches controlled by the same wireless OCC's?
Your switch leges and 0-10v comes from the room controller (pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller). OK but we are not using lights that are 0-10v dimming, does this change how you would design this system?
(pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller) what would determine whether or not I would need a "class 1 capable controller" I have a place in an attic area for the controller but would have to install the relay ahead of the switches, would there be a problem with that? That would disconnect all lights and fans with one relay.

 

[Strathead]

With the wattstopper, you can have a dimmer for each zone, with the Luron Maestro would I be able to have two dimmers in the same box (one for 8 lights and the other for the remaining 6 lights, on-off and dim, and then have both switches controlled by the same wireless OCC's?
Your switch leges and 0-10v comes from the room controller (pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller). OK but we are not using lights that are 0-10v dimming, does this change how you would design this system?
(pay attention to class 2 vs class 1 wiring since you may need a class 1 capable room controller) what would determine whether or not I would need a "class 1 capable controller" I have a place in an attic area for the controller but would have to install the relay ahead of the switches, would there be a problem with that? That would disconnect all lights and fans with one relay.

Don't know enough about the Lutron, but someone mentioned 0-10V sot that is why I addressed it. Wattstopper makes room controllers with line voltage dimming, and the class II issue is about installing the 0-10 wires in the same conduit as the switch legs, so you don't have that concern.

 

[Max Headroom]

Don't know enough about the Lutron, but someone mentioned 0-10V sot that is why I addressed it. Wattstopper makes room controllers with line voltage dimming, and the class II issue is about installing the 0-10 wires in the same conduit as the switch legs, so you don't have that

Wattstopper makes room controllers with line voltage dimming, that's a brilliant idea, so similar to an inline dimmer only controlled remotely? That way if my luminairs were not 0-10v dimming this would be compatible and probably have the same or close to to the same functons as the Leviton IRC that is there now which requires 0-10v. Would the low voltage wiring still be necessary from the switch/sensors, etc. or is this also wireless?
Thanks

 

[Strathead]

Wattstopper makes room controllers with line voltage dimming, that's a brilliant idea, so similar to an inline dimmer only controlled remotely? That way if my luminairs were not 0-10v dimming this would be compatible and probably have the same or close to to the same functons as the Leviton IRC that is there now which requires 0-10v. Would the low voltage wiring still be necessary from the switch/sensors, etc. or is this also wireless?
Thanks

I believe they have the DLM series line voltage dimming systems in a wireless format, but I haven't had need to use them yet. You can get with your local rep, who looks like ALR, through Graybar or another distributor and you will likely find they are very knowledgeable about exactly what you need.

 

[Max Headroom]

I believe they have the DLM series line voltage dimming systems in a wireless format, but I haven't had need to use them yet. You can get with your local rep, who looks like ALR, through Graybar or another distributor and you will likely find they are very knowledgeable about exactly what you need.

I believe they have the DLM series line voltage dimming systems in a wireless format, but I haven't had need to use them yet. You can get with your local rep, who looks like ALR, through Graybar or another distributor and you will likely find they are very knowledgeable about exactly what you need.

OK I thank you for that advise, I think that's a very good idea.