Electrical question

   / Electrical question #1  

greenthumb

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I am not sure how to explain this so I will use my non engineering non electrical rambling. We had our house resided and on one end over the garage we had a motion light that we put a new fixture up to look better with the siding. the way the old light worked was that is came on if someone/thing went in front of the garage which is the main drive of our house. I could also turn it on from the inside of the house with a switch. by the garage door if it was not on. When the siders took the old light off they showed me some relay looking thing that was in the electrical box and of course I had no idea what it was (the guy who built the house did some different things that I believe I have most of all corrected) I chucked it up to that. Well after they put the new light up the switch inside the house does not do anything with the light. The light still comes on with motion but that is it. Was that box some sort of relay? Should I even pursue replacing it or leave it we never had any trouble with the old light or electric but I would not know where to even start looking for a relay like that. I assume the relay fed the switch witch tripped the light on when the inside switch was turned on. I hope someone can at least give a little direction from this ramble
 
   / Electrical question #2  
While it is dark out try you switch, if it is on, turn off for about a second then back on. I think you should be able to control the light from the switch without some extra relay in there. Do you still have the destructions that came with it? Terry
 
   / Electrical question #3  
Almost sounds like what the ceiling fans have, a remote that controls the fan speeds and the dimmer, it's 110 volt but sends a RC signal so many wires between the fixture and the switch are not required.

Never seen anything like that for a motion light though unless it was an old style, the new ones can be turned on overriding the motion sensor by turning the switch to off and back on within 2-3 seconds.

Should have an electrician look at it, especially if you want to be able to use the switch, but also to make sure the siders didn't do anything wrong.

JB.
 
   / Electrical question #4  
It sounds like a remote switch. The relay was a RF receiver that was wired in to the light circuit. There probably was not a wire running from the garage switch to the light box. Open up the switch box (make sure the power is off) and you will probably find a strange looking switch. Larger than a normal switch with a wire going to nothing, the antenna, it sends RF to the relay. It may even have a battery.

Did you keep the relay like box? If so it probably can be rewired back in to the light circuit on the roof. I have installed such devices quite a few times when there is no way to wire in a switch. The light box is always hot or on.

Cary:cool:
 
   / Electrical question
  • Thread Starter
#6  
thanks for the replys so far. a few things I left out. one I did not keep the swtich. two the relay switch they showed me was wired there is a wire coming from the direction of the house swtich thanks
 
   / Electrical question #7  
thanks for the replys so far. a few things I left out. one I did not keep the swtich. two the relay switch they showed me was wired there is a wire coming from the direction of the house swtich thanks


If it is a RF remote it would have wires to it so batteries would not be needed at that end, and also wired to the light. The RF signal would go from switch to light "over the air"
The switch end could also be ac powered or battery remote, but probably ac since you would of needed to change batteries at some point.

As was mentioned the reason for a remote switch would be that the wire to the light could not be switched because the hot wire was taken from an existing circuit and would of been more work to run another wire to that switch.

If that's the case there would be a sending remote in that switch box, also good chance that the light and the switch are on different circuits so two breakers would need to be turned off, be careful.

An electrician would figure that out quick.

JB.
 
   / Electrical question #8  
Have you taken the light switch off the wall to see if it wired in? If not then it's most likely the "remote" scenario others have described.

Another possibility is it could an X-10 style remote switch. This would be connected the house wiring.
 
   / Electrical question #9  
yes you need the relay...heres why...the motion detector on your light acts similar to a photocell. the main power wire goes to the light fixtures detector, when that detector is tripped it pulls in the relay completing the circuit letting the light come on. the relay needs voltage to work...therefore a second feed from the light switch goes to the relay, so when you turn the switch on it send power thru the relay to the light...does this make sense? it would be a little easier to show you than explain it in writing. i do recommend an electrician though if you are not comfortable. let me know if i helped at all.
 
   / Electrical question
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I took the light switch off the wall in the house and everything is wired in the box in the house
 
 
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