Garage motion lights
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 17
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
Garage motion lights
I'm going to hookup two Vaxcel wall lights , one on each side of my garage door.These lights have motion sensers and can also program when they can go on and off. There's a walk through door on the side of the garage. I will install a light above that also. All three areas are roughed in ( a wire is coiled out the siding ) and they all go to one circuit in the electrical box. My question is, should all three lights be the same with the sensors or if I use the two lights with sensors next to the garage doors would the light over the walk through go on and off with the lights with the sensors ?
#2
Normally each light with a sensor will operate independently. To gang two or more you would need to modify the wiring and the single motion sensor may not be able to handle the additional load.
#3
Welcome to the forums!
The sensors and programming built into any light fixture should only control that fixture - nothing upstream or downstream. Since you say each light has its own feed roughed in, that should ensure that they're isolated from each other. Interference with a photocell, from light coming from one of the other fixtures, is a slim possibility.
The sensors and programming built into any light fixture should only control that fixture - nothing upstream or downstream. Since you say each light has its own feed roughed in, that should ensure that they're isolated from each other. Interference with a photocell, from light coming from one of the other fixtures, is a slim possibility.
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 17
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
All the wires seem to be connected together. When I opened the electrical box there is one fuse or circuit for all three lights. I'm guessing that the best configuration would be to get all three lights to be the same. All having a motion senser and timer , since the light over the walk through is around the bend. Would this be the best set up ? Thanks
#5
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: KS
Posts: 1,893
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
Some of the new motion detecting porch and post lights (with DualBrite sensors) have a red 'interconnect' lead similar to AC smoke detectors. They can be set up in a 'master/slave' configuration, where one motion controls all lights, or in a 'dual/triple master' where motion detected by any sensor controls all lights. They also have the capability to control up to 200w of additional lighting. These are the ones I have, so I can vouch for their operation, but I'm not familiar with Vaxcel, whether or not they use the DualBrite sensors. Interconnected operation does require 3 conductor cable though.
#6
I'm guessing that the best configuration would be to get all three lights to be the same. All having a motion senser and timer , since the light over the walk through is around the bend. Would this be the best set up?
Unless your programmable fixtures have "a red 'interconnect' lead similar to AC smoke detectors," as JerseyMatt's do, they can't control any other fixture. Even if they do, you would have to wire them to be interconnected, and connect the red lead. So long as you don't do both of those things, no fixture can control any other.
All the wires seem to be connected together. When I opened the electrical box there is one fuse or circuit for all three lights.
Which Vaxcel light fixture are you installing? Can you post a link to the installation instructions for that fixture? How are the controls for the wiring set up? Do you have two switches - one for the light at the walk-through door and one for the garage door pair - or only one switch, or more than two total?
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 17
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
I'm confused
About twenty years ago I built my garage. I'm a better builder than a electricion. I drilled a hole through the particle board and siding , ran the wire out the hole and coiled it for the lights. I realize now that when I had a chance a mounting box should have been installed. There are two locations, one on each side of the garage door. Today, I uncoiled the wires and noticed that coming out of one hole is one wire and the other hole has two wires. Don't know why I did that. Here is my plan ; With the two wires, The one wire put a nut and tape over it ,not to be used, use the second wire for my light. Since there are no boxes, use a shallow box that I can screw on the face of the particle board. Is this plan feasable? What kind of box would you call it? thanks
#8
The location with 2 cable is power in and power out. I doubt you will be able to abandon the one cable.
The shallow 1/2" deep pancake boxes do not have enough room for two cables. You would need deeper boxes. The boxes could be surface mounted if you use weatherproof boxes. The boxes could be flush mounted and the fixtures mounted over them. The are also siding mounted boxes.
Try aifittings.com for the siding boxes.
The shallow 1/2" deep pancake boxes do not have enough room for two cables. You would need deeper boxes. The boxes could be surface mounted if you use weatherproof boxes. The boxes could be flush mounted and the fixtures mounted over them. The are also siding mounted boxes.
Try aifittings.com for the siding boxes.
#9
If I understand correctly, you have had NM cable (aka romex) coiled up in the weather for 20 years and now you want to use it?
I think a very careful inspection is in order; possibly replacement of this part of your garage wiring.

#10
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 17
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
There is a walk through door on the side of the garage with two wires also. These wires are white with wires inside them. When you say the second wire cannot be abandond what should I do with it? Did you think the two wires meant one white and one black? Not the case here, this is a wire that you would use to hook up to an outlet. I have two of them in the same hole.
#11
Wires are the conductors inside a cable or raceway. Cables are an assembly of wires or conductors inside an overall sheath or jacket. You are saying wires but you mean cables.
You are going to need both of the cables for your wiring to work. One supplies power to the location. The second cable continues the circuit to other locations.
You are going to need both of the cables for your wiring to work. One supplies power to the location. The second cable continues the circuit to other locations.
#12
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 17
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
That explains why out of the three areas ,two have two cables and the third last one only has one. Now I need to give the cables a closer look. The one gentleman suggested that since it has been exposed to the weather for about twenty years that it might have to be replaced. What do I look for to determine if it is good enough to keep?
#13
What do I look for to determine if it is good enough to keep?