Bathroom motion ideas?

Would love some feedback or ideas on my issue.
I recently put smartthings motion sensors in the bathrooms in our home. They are working great! However, we have floor to ceiling glass showers. The motion sensors cannot pick up motion through the glass. So when you're showering, they turn off. I dont want to set the delay longer. Also, I cant put them inside the shower because they will not work normally through the glass either. Anyone have any ideas?

I had same issue. Stuck it to the vent fan on the ceiling where it can see into shower, yet not get wet. Works great.

One inside and one out. You can never have too many motion sensors.

1 Like

I forget if those have humidity or not but if they day you could use elevated humidity to lengthen the delay.

2 Likes

I have a Aeon Multisensor mounted in my ceiling using their mount and had similar problems. Ended up solving this by putting a temperature probe on my hot water line leading to the shower in my crawl space. Then in my rule I look at the temperature of this probe to make sure it is below 90 before it turns off lights with no motion.

Edit I should mention I utilize the temp for an automation of my hot eater circulation pump too so I didn’t add it specifically for the above use case.

The above ideas are all great, or if moisture is a concern, you could consider using an outdoor sensor like the Hue (this would probably look the best) or Zooz (probably an awkwardly large mount, but I don't know your decor). Even most indoor sensors would probably be fine if they don't actually get wet--some have used them unofficially outdoors with little problem.

Some other ideas to consider: is the bathroom or shower door always closed, or just when showering? If either is normally opened, you could use a contact sensor on one (or both) to supplement (or replace) motion. Or, do you have an exhaust fan that you normally turn on when showering? If so and it's connected to (or could be) a smart switch, you could use that to restrict the "off" portion of the automation.

I added a motion detector to be in the shower, Shower motion triggers bathroom lights and shower lights. Bathroom motion only triggers bathroom. That way when your in the shower bathroom will stay on

1 Like

I added a contact sensor to the door. When someone lock the door contact is on and light will. not turn off

2 Likes

Yup, I do all three. If the door is closed, the bathroom lights stay on regardless of motion. Otherwise, bathroom motion just controls bathroom lights and shower motion controls both shower and bathroom lights.

I use 2 motion sensors in each of my bathrooms and create a motion zone. One of the sensors is in the corner above the shower so it can detect motion within the shower and the other is in the main area. When you set them up as a aggregate zone motion on either will trigger your lights.

I solved it by never showering. :wink:

6 Likes

:rofl: Problem solved
I have the main bathroom lights on the motion sensor, and have the motion lighting set to not turn off if the shower light is on.

In each of our bathrooms we have a smart light switch, motion sensor , and a contact sensor on the door. This rule works great for us.

This is the basic Rule we have setup in RM...

Walk into the room and lights come on, and stay on with motion. Leave the room and one minute later the lights will turn off.
But if you close the door (contact sensor is now closed) the lights will stay on until you open the door, and then the lights turn off one minute later.

Having teenage kids who shower too long, I have added a virtual shower switch to turn on for showering. :smile:

Light goes green for a minute. Get undressed and warm up water.
Light goes white for four minutes. Remember to wash behind your ears!
Light goes green for a minute. Rinse and get out.
Light goes amber for a minute. You're still in there?
Light goes red. Get the hell out!!!!

We're showering like Pavlov's Dogs here. Saves a lot of water!!! :smile:

(Sorry, it's not a motion idea)

2 Likes

I remember laughing reading this thread a few years ago :joy:

1 Like

Crap, i have a 2 1/2 year old son who has recently decided he likes showers better than baths. If my wife or I are in shower, he wants in. He would take one in AM and PM if we let him and will randomly walk to shower and ask us to turn it on. He will tell me he is done in bath but never the shower & he gets upset after turning the shower off and having to physically remove him.

It looks like I need to come up with a plan now for when we are no longer watching him as closely as we have to now. I like the idea of cutting off the hot water vs turning off lights.

1 Like

Lock the door.

:slight_smile:

Hi everyone,
I am just starting to plan for a shower + light + fan automation…

The easiest for me would be to place a motion sensor inside the shower, but I am concerned that à cheap sensor like the SONOFF ( I have a few spare ones) would be damaged with the humidity inside the shower. Is there indoor sensors that can do the job and resist 100% humidity?

Another idea would be to use a flood sensor, however I never experienced them, can they react to a shower water jet, or do they need to be completely flooded ?

Lastly, I have easy access to the shower pipe right behind the shower: any recommendation for the type of temp sensor I could attach to the copper pipe, and how it would communicate the temp change to the hub ?

Thanks
Amine

I actually have 2 motion detectors in my bathroom. 1 by the door, second in the shower (Both are zigbee) I have 3 switches in bathroom. 1 (general toilet area), 2 (in shower) 3rd controls fan. If there is motion in bathroom - 1 turns on until motion stops for 2 minutes- if motion in shower both 1 and 2 are on until motion stops for 2 minutes. shower motion triggers fan for 20 minutes. I have never had in issue with water and the motion detector in the shower since it is at the top of the wall ( about 10 ft, point at 45% angle to cover shower stall)

I have cheap IRIS contact and motion sensors in both of my baths and have not had any issues with humidity. I have the same sensors outside in South Central Florida and have no issues with these either (these are outside but pretty well covered from direct rain and sun). I would use the sonoff.