Finally got around to adding lights (LED strips) to two of our closets today. (lots of pics)

Why Hubitat Elevation Here's a cool thing I did!
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Keep watching. They went up before and then came back down.

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:thinking: How are you folks powering the strips? Who has electrical outlets in their closets? I wanted to do this, but the only thing besides paying an electrician to put in power was to find an adapter for an existing light fixture. Problem is I can't aford an electrician and 60% of my closets have no light fixture.

Inexpensive ideas anyone?

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Seems to be a sale on. I use these too.

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They are low voltage (wall wart) power supplies usually, or they are power bricks (with an AC cable)... either way the power is via a small'ish wire and plug that can fit through small holes drilled through walls.

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Thanks. I have one closet where that would work. Outlet is on a shared wall. The others are far away and would be somewhat unsightly to string electrical to the outlet.

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If you just want motion lighting there are lots of options on Amazon that are battery powered...I use some in a pantryin the kitchen where getting power to it would be a real PITA. Downside is changing batteries, but once you have light it's pretty great. I use rechargeable batteries in mine. Quick/easy swap.

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I run the DC power supply cable along the baseboard into the closet.

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This, I have a box of 24 gauge white security wire that I often use to supply DC power from a transformer to LED lights. Very small diameter you can easily hide.

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I've had this thread in my list to do since it came out.

Finally going to get on it.

I have power in my closet. I am wondering if it's possible to get a hard wired door sensor or contact sensor - I'm really trying to reduce battery changes as much as possible. Zigbee preferred because I'm told it's faster, but I have both zwave and zigbee in my home.

appreciate if anyone could suggest. I guess I would also use motion sensor but have read they are slower to activate.

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Seems to me you could use one of these:

And a dry contact and maybe achieve what you are suggesting. Not sure, I have a Qubino relay, but not the dry contact.

Perhaps something like this: Source Normally Open Door Contact Switch Door Or Window Magnetic Contact Switch Dry Contact Switch on m.alibaba.com

S

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Holy hell, that's expensive. Konnected nodemcu all the way.... =)

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Would this work for french door type closet opening? I have a closet with 2 swinging doors. Did not want to put in 2 sensors.

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Depending on the door thickness a recessed sensor in one door with the magnet recessed in the other could possibly work:

https://www.amazon.com/Recessed-Invisible-Security-SmartStart-Required/dp/B082PT71MM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=MYTF961IUTYJ&dchild=1&keywords=recessed+door+sensor+zwave&qid=1605885226&sprefix=recessed+door+sensor%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A2RDTQKX07GN6W&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExT0Y2S05FSVBURldYJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjY4MzU4MzVJOVVPNUlBQkZLVyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzMyMzk0MjBLSFc0TEFRQVRZWSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

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Put the contact sensor on the inside of one door at the top or bottom center corner, and the magnet on the other door, same position. Should work fine. Very similar to mounting a sensor on the edge of a door and then the magnet on the door frame. If you open either or both doors the contact sensor will trigger.

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@Maestro_38 I know the Sensative Z-Wave Plus Ultra Thin Door/Window Contact Sensor Strips are very pricey, but they might work. By putting the sensor on the edge of one door and the magnet on the edge of the other door, so if any one of the doors are open the contact is broken and the lights come on.

https://www.amazon.com/Sensative-Z-Wave-Contact-Outdoor-Installation/dp/B01LWMTUI8

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I'm going to be putting LED strips in my wife's walk-in closet, mounting them on the closet units that she's having installed. Going to use Sylvania RGBW LED strips mounted in 90 degree aluminum mounting channels w/frosted PVC covers to diffuse the light. The channels mount w/the lights angled into the closet, rather than towards her. Should be pretty cool. They'll turn on based on motion sensors that I'll install in the closet.

I've done a small test-install in an exsiting standard bedroom closet and she gave it the thumbs up. :slight_smile:

Pics of the test install.

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And yes, that's an original Van Gogh that we keep in on the floor in the closet so that we don't look pretentious. :wink:

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There are corner adapters and the LED strip can easily flex to allow 90 degree turns, so I can run the strips up one side of a unit, across the top, and down the other side.

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Looks real good!

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Thanks. It has high WAF, so we are locked and loaded! :slight_smile:

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Looks great :+1:

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I'm considering doing a hybrid approach to this. I was originally planning to use a dumb relay with a contact sensor (no zigbee/z-wave/wifi), but the problem here is that our closets sometimes get left open. :roll_eyes:

Then thanks to @ritchierich's suggestion, I was considering using the motion sensor option, but I'd like for the lights to be able to stay on for a little while without motion, but also turn off as soon as the door closes. So I think I'd like to use both.

Essentially, the contact sensor's opening would close the circuit on the relay, which powers the motion sensor, which activates the light strip when motion is detected. The lights will turn off after either the timer on the motion sensor ends or the contact sensor closes.

I'm just wondering if the motion sensor will still work as expected if the power is cut to it constantly. Anybody have experience with this?

Edit:
My relays:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WP7C8ZD/

and contact sensors: