One of the office spaces I used to work in was interior to a building with no windows. It also doubled as a communal area since the department copier and all-important coffee pot resided there, so lots of foot traffic came through throughout the day. During a seasonal closure for maintenance and upgrades, occupancy sensors and motion light switches were installed in many areas, particularly those with frequent, yet not constant activity. Think restrooms, supply closets, and copy rooms...meaning my space was now equipped with a fancy, energy-saving occupancy sensor.

When I first entered the room, it seemed fine since the lights came on automatically. After settling down at my desk to start working, however, things took a turn. After about five minutes of working the lights went out. I stood up to go check the switch, and the lights came on again before I even took a few steps. I resumed working and it happened again a few minutes later. It dawned on me that this sensor must be activated by movement. This time, I flailed my arms around like a crazed sports fan and VOILA! On come the lights! Since I was the first one in, this light dance went on for a while before the regular activity around the coffee and copier helped keep the lights on. A few calls to the maintenance folks eventually resulted in my occupancy sensor being changed out to one that wouldn’t regularly require vigorous arm exercises!

You see, the first sensor installed was an active occupancy or motion sensor, meaning it emitted sound waves that bounced off moving objects (people) to activate the lights and then turned off after a certain amount of time when no motion was detected. While I was moving around, lights stayed on. As soon as I sat to work, I didn’t move around enough to keep the lights on. Hence the disco arms! 

After the sensor was replaced with a dual-technology sensor, my arms got a much-needed rest! The new sensor combined both active and passive infrared technology (PIR) and kept my lights on. Passive infrared technology detects radiation (or heat) from living things (ME!). However passive detection alone can have false triggers from electronics, reflections, insects, etc., and objects can obstruct its detection capabilities, so installing the dual sensor meant that both motion and heat were needed to keep my lights on. That was the perfect solution for me and my space. However, in some cases, more simple single PIR technology sensors may do. 

Fortunately, there are many different types of sensors including wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, and high-bay. Depending on the square footage of the area, you may need to combine several sensors. 

Keep your lights on (and turn off) when you want with motion and occupancy sensors from 1000Bulbs. Our lighting experts are available by phone or chat, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST. Just call 1-800-624-4488 or try our convenient pop-up chat feature at the bottom right corner of our web pages.