So, my house has some driveway lighting that is controlled by an illumination sensor on the west side of my house. Previously, it would only turn the lights on around dusk; the lights would turn off about an hour after sunrise.
Lately, it’s not working so well, lights are staying on longer than they should. Since my new found hobby is smart-home-all-the-things I got to thinking what I could do to let smart things control it.
It’s a single gang box and I’m tempted to put a micro switch in there - HOWEVER, all my lighting is LED and I can’t seem to find a micro switch that works with LED. Every single one I’ve found indicates it’s for heavier loads.
Below are 2 pictures of the existing sensor. I am fine with just disconnecting it and letting ST manage everything. Range is not an issue at the switch’s location.
I covered my light sensor with a piece of black electric tape (so the circuit is always on). And then replaced the bulbs with ZigBee Bulbs that are automated with ST.
I had to get an adapter and remove the ballast to make it compatible.
Is the input voltage of that sensor 120v? You could just replace it with a smart switch and then put a outdoor cover on it. Then use Smart Lighting to turn switch at sunset and off at sunrise.
I ended up ordering a “GoControl Z-Wave Isolated Contact Fixture Module - FS20Z-1” off of amazon along with a new cover plate that’s just blank. That should do the trick. Looks like it works well with LED, according to the manuf.
Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of smart light bulbs. I’ve had too many LEDs burn out over the years well before their rated lifespan for me to spend more money on them.
I would just recommend that you make sure that you have a waterproof seal for the blank faceplate. You want to make sure that water running down your wall doesn’t seep into the box and short it out.
