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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
E
Member
Any ideas here. When Mrs old lady turns on the bathroom light (flouresecent medicine cabinet light) the outside motion sensor light will come on (not always but often). Same lighting circuit.
Ok I'll listen now!

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
G
Member
Mrs. Old Lady's bathroom light is 1)ungrounded, or 2) grounded to the neutral, Maybe 3) Starters going bad if it's that old.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
poltergiest?

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Is it an electronic ballast? Some of the circuitry in those PIR motion sensors isn't very well protected against noise on the line.

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 300
M
Member
If it's one of those lights that can be turned on, off, and reset by flipping the light switch off, waiting the proper amount of time, and flipping it back on, these things are prone to react to anything else on the circuit.

I don't know a fix other than to pick a different style of floodlight.

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Member
How old is the house.
Did someone miswire the bath switch to the effect that when the switch is turned on it energizes 2 or 3 loads (improper pigtailing)If the motion detector is wired to the load side of the bath switch, it will come on when the bath light comes on, but only if it's own switch is closed.

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 270
E
Member
Sounds like an interference problem...I once had a "gfci tripping" call that turned out to be caused by a dining room dimmer switch. It didn't consistently trip out the gfci. It depended on how quickly the dimmer was operated.
Try a new starter for the medicine cabinet light?

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 1
Broom Pusher and
Member
I know this will sound silly, but I am thinking towards a few simple things such as:

<OL TYPE=A>

[*]Is there a Mirror which may possibly be reflecting Infrared Light towards the PIR sensor?,

[*]Is the PIR sensor aimed directly towards a window for this room?,

[*]Is the sensor Tweeked to the limits - such as highest sensitivity and farthest range,

[*]Could the lady be scarring a Cat when she turns on the light - thus making the Cat run away?,

[*]Could the lady simply not realise that the PIR controlled lights were on before she turned on the others?

[*]Could the Wind be responsible for false triggering the PIR sensor? - like blowing trees / leaves and reflecting Infrared light.

[*]Have Mulder and Scully been called out to check into this yet?...had to throw that one out!
</OL>

If these simple methods do not yield results, try analysing the circuit[s], then call for an exorcist [Linked Image]

Scott S.E.T.


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Member
Hey, Scott...


That is really "thinking out of the box".
Excellent!

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 1
Broom Pusher and
Member
Thanks Rojo-Sy! [Linked Image]

Escott,
Did this ever get fixed / explained / exorcised?

Scott S.E.T.


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
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