Garden lights

[robbieee]

Hi all,

Wanting to get garden lights installed for my front garden steps as they are really dark at night.

Thinking of a PIR sensor at the top for when we go out the house at night. And also a PIR sensor at the bottom for coming into the house. Would this work ok with two PIRs?

Also can you get ones on a timer so its only active for when its dark or will the PIR sensors do this?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

How far is it between the door and bottom of steps and is there a direct visual path/route between them? If so and distance is no greater than 12m, most standard PIRs will detect at that range, and dusk till dawn settings will stop the light from activating during daylight.

 

[robbieee]

My stairs curve round about 12-15 meters so thats why i am thinking i need a PIR at the bottom and at the top also.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just put in a couple of time delay switches, one at the top, one at the bottom.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Would you need two lights then, will the curve hinder luminance?

 

[robbieee]

I want lights all the way up the stairs. maybe 6-8 lights (one for each step)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

LED lighting like that will cost between 0.1 & 0.3p/hour to run. Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer - the cost of a couple of PIRs, or switches will take years to get back.

 

[john4703]

LED lighting like that will cost between 0.1 & 0.3p/hour to run. Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer - the cost of a couple of PIRs, or switches will take years to get back.

Easier to use a photo-cell switch that switches on at dusk and off at dawn. Something like the Screwfix Standalone Photocell Product Code: 11330.
I have three entrances to my garden and have six lights controlled by three PIRs and that works for me but I may change to LEDs when the lamps need replacing.

 

[JohnW2]

LED lighting like that will cost between 0.1 & 0.3p/hour to run. Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer - the cost of a couple of PIRs, or switches will take years to get back.

I couldn't argue with that arithmetic, as far as it goes, but how does one factor in (if one is concerned about such things) the 'cost' of 'unnecessary light pollution'?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

LED lighting like that will cost between 0.1 & 0.3p/hour to run. Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer - the cost of a couple of PIRs, or switches will take years to get back.

Easier to use a photo-cell switch that switches on at dusk and off at dawn.

That's what I said.

Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer.

The timer function doesn't make anything harder, but if you know you won't ever want the lights on after a certain time, you can at least have them cut off some of the time in winter. Although thinking about it, the same economic calculation applies - will you ever get back the extra cost of the timer function?

 

[john4703]

use a photo-cell switch that switches on at dusk and off at dawn.

That's what I said.

Just put them on a dusk-dawn timer.

Sorry BAS I misunderstood you, I can remember the old time switches that were set to switch on at sunset and off at sunrise, a massively complicated bit of kit that needed to be ordered for a specific longitude and then set to the correct date, I thought you were suggesting such a switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ah - OK, I see. No - I meant the ones which come on at dusk, and then go off at dawn or after X hours, whichever is the sooner. Problem is if you want them to be on until, say 02:00, that means a 10 hour delay in the winter, so unless you want to fiddle with the timer as the seasons change, they stay on tool long for most of the year.

These days something which kept track of the time, and date if you wished, would be a PoP. You could make one yourself with a Raspberry Pi. You'd have to be driven by motives other than cost saving though - expensive controls which made sense with incandescent lamps, and possibly so with fluorescent lose that justification with LEDs.

So if you're concerned about light pollution you might have something, but the best solution would be switches, then the lights are never on unless needed - still think that would be the best idea for the OP if he doesn't want them on all night, as passing wildlife can't work switches. I've got some lights to go up on the side of my house, and I'll use one of these:

I can see the Raspberry Pi idea appealing to people who just like to build stuff like that.