Wireless switches

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wirebender

wirebender

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North Central Texas
I have a customer with a horse barn with 37 stalls. Each stall has an 8 foot HO fluorescent fixture above it. The lights come on by rows via timer. He would some way to be able to turn off lights over individual stalls when they are empty to save on energy costs. Hardwiring is possible but difficult at best and probably cost prohibitive.

I'm thinking maybe wireless switches but I've never worked with these and don't know if the number of locations (at least 37) would prohibit this due to interference. Anybody have any info on this?

Thanks
 
I would think by the time you install all those high-dollar switches (which may or may not work?), you've got just as much in it as just wiring individual hard-wired switches.
 
wirebender said:
I have a customer with a horse barn with 37 stalls. Each stall has an 8 foot HO fluorescent fixture above it. The lights come on by rows via timer. He would some way to be able to turn off lights over individual stalls when they are empty to save on energy costs. Hardwiring is possible but difficult at best and probably cost prohibitive.

I'm thinking maybe wireless switches but I've never worked with these and don't know if the number of locations (at least 37) would prohibit this due to interference. Anybody have any info on this?

Thanks
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X10 Modules should work well for that job, if you use wireless, no may never see that customer again, the first time they need to replace battries, your name is in the mud.
 
I would be leary of using wireless switches in damp locations. They are legal to be installed their but they may not last. Lutron definitely does not recommend it however I have installed a homeworks switch outdoors .

To my knowledge there have been no problems with it but when it does go there's 300 bucks. Some of those wireless won't work on fluorescent so make sure they are compatable with the fixture.
 
How would it work if you had an occupancy sensor switch at each location but the timer still being the main source of power. Therefore the occupancy sensors only work when the timer powers them.
 
Consider that you're going to have about 100 bucks (your cost) in the material for each stall, then the decision might make itself clear. Can you run some wire for less than $3700 worth of material? :cool:
 
Thanks for all the responses. I think we can rule out the wireless as not reliable enough, subject to damage and cost prohibitive. Hard wiring would be cost prohibitive, also, because I would have to build a support structure at each location to reach the lighting area.

Pull chain is good idea except there's no way to keep it out of the reach of the horse.:grin:

Occupancy sensors would be ideal, just place them at each light above the stalls. That way they would be out of harm's way. I have no experience with these either.

Can they be set to where a horse in one stall would not trigger the adjacent stalls? Same thing with traffic outside the stalls?

What do they cost?

The lights are about 10 feet AFF.

Stalls are app. 12 x 12.

The sensor must keep the lights on at all times while the timer is on. The lights are mainly to simulate daylight to trick the horse into thinking it's not winter so they can be bred year round.:)
 
Is it possible to install a switch loop fom the fixture to a switch located by each stall door?

Leave each switch off for each unoccupied stall.

37 switch loops? A lot of hardwiring but it may work for this.
 
frizbeedog said:
Is it possible to install a switch loop fom the fixture to a switch located by each stall door?
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Yes, this is possible. the problem is getting the wiring up to the lights. It is open above the stall rails to the roof with no means of attachment directly above the switch locations. To get there I would have to attach a piece of unistrut across the Z purlins at each locations and then come down with another piece of unistrut to the front of the stall. Then I could run EMT inside the unistrut from a bell box with switch and WP cover to the light. Pretty labor intensive which is okay with me, work is work, but I don't think I can sell it.

The occupancy sensors would be an easy sell if they will work under the conditions I stated earlier since then he wouldn't have to depend on the ranch hands turning the lights on and off.
 
I'm all for giving the customer whatever they want, no matter how silly it is, as long as they're willing to pay for it. That said, from a cost-benefit and payback standpoint, this project makes little sense to me.
 
mdshunk said:
I'm all for giving the customer whatever they want, no matter how silly it is, as long as they're willing to pay for it. That said, from a cost-benefit and payback standpoint, this project makes little sense to me.
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That's probably true, Marc. The man just has a problem (high energy costs) and I'm just trying to come up with solutions for him. That's what I do for a living. If it's not cost effective, then he will just have to live with the problem.
 
The ballast will still draw some

The ballast will still draw some

bradleyelectric said:
seems like he could pull the tubes out of the empty stalls and presto! no light on in there.
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The pullchain seems like the best idea so far it would be hard for the horses to pull them with thier hoofs.
 
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