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Light bulb sensor???

trobertstroberts Posts: 228
in Residential Forum
Hello,
I have a client that is wanting to have his AMX panel show when a light bulb has burned out. I am wondering if anyone has done this and how. I am thinking I can get an amp probe at each light fixture and get a TED and monitor it or maybe get a bunch of AMX current sensors. Mt fear is, that when the light is dimmed I will get false reading.....Any other idea out there?

Comments

  • viningvining Posts: 4,368
    troberts wrote: »
    Hello,
    I have a client that is wanting to have his AMX panel show when a light bulb has burned out. I am wondering if anyone has done this and how. I am thinking I can get an amp probe at each light fixture and get a TED and monitor it or maybe get a bunch of AMX current sensors. Mt fear is, that when the light is dimmed I will get false reading.....Any other idea out there?

    There's always Niles LS1 light senors or this from Xantech:
    http://www.xantech.com/controls/controllersswitches/controllersswitchers/SMLIT01/
  • trobertstroberts Posts: 228
    vining wrote: »
    There's always Niles LS1 light senors or this from Xantech:
    http://www.xantech.com/controls/controllersswitches/controllersswitchers/SMLIT01/

    Thanks, I will look into that....I just wonder how much the sensitivity can be adjusted. So if the room has a lot of sunlight or other lights will the light sensor still think the bulb is ok....or if the light is dim, will I also get a false reading?

    Any other ideas?
  • nicholasjamesnicholasjames Posts: 154
    For Fun & Profit!

    More advanced lighting systems (aka Lutron, etc) can alert you to a burned out bulb by sensing the failed current once power is applied.

    In the low-end-DIY category you could try something like this: How to build an Arduino energy monitor.
  • trobertstroberts Posts: 228
    nicholasjames wrote: »
    More advanced lighting systems (aka Lutron, etc) can alert you to a burned out bulb by sensing the failed current once power is applied.

    Do you know if this is possible with Lutron Illuminations? This is what is currently installed, but I am unfamiliar with were or how this info can be polled for. Any pointer would be appreciated.
  • nicholasjamesnicholasjames Posts: 154
    troberts wrote: »
    Do you know if this is possible with Lutron Illuminations? This is what is currently installed, but I am unfamiliar with were or how this info can be polled for. Any pointer would be appreciated.

    Sorry, I do not know.
  • jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    I was thinking something along the lines of an Arduino . . . slap a few of these puppies around and attach a photosensor on it. It goes through their cloud service - you could even have it text you when it's not detecting light when it's supposed to.

    https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11395?
  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    troberts wrote: »
    Do you know if this is possible with Lutron Illuminations? This is what is currently installed, but I am unfamiliar with were or how this info can be polled for. Any pointer would be appreciated.

    Not directly, but it can be done. An Illumination system will report the dimming level, and if there is no load, it will come back as zero. So you could check the actual response against what you told it to do, though there would be some work in trapping that for the AMX. I can send you the protocol if you don't have access to it on the Lutron site (it's too big to attach to a forum message).
  • trobertstroberts Posts: 228
    Thanks Dave! I do have the protocol. I have never monitored dimmer levels, cool idea. Thanks! Although I guess that will only work if all the bulbs were blown on that circuit :(
  • viningvining Posts: 4,368
    DHawthorne wrote: »
    Not directly, but it can be done. An Illumination system will report the dimming level, and if there is no load, it will come back as zero. So you could check the actual response against what you told it to do, though there would be some work in trapping that for the AMX. I can send you the protocol if you don't have access to it on the Lutron site (it's too big to attach to a forum message).
    I've never really trusted that claim by Lutron, no load no FB. I swear I've had divices not installed and/or loads not installed and I would get feedback as it the device (dimmer or RPM load) replied or there was a load present. If it did work as adverstised it still only good on one lighting circuit = 1 lamp type of installation. Multiple lamps on a circuit requires all lamps to be out but I still think you can get FB with no load.
  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    vining wrote: »
    I've never really trusted that claim by Lutron, no load no FB. I swear I've had divices not installed and/or loads not installed and I would get feedback as it the device (dimmer or RPM load) replied or there was a load present. If it did work as adverstised it still only good on one lighting circuit = 1 lamp type of installation. Multiple lamps on a circuit requires all lamps to be out but I still think you can get FB with no load.

    Depends on the dimmer. If it has a neutral, it will return what it's set at, now that I think about it in light of what you posted. But dimmers that don't have a neutral don't even have power if the load isn't there, so they report zero. Might be less than helpful to depend on it.
  • TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    I'm thinking you could use an inductive current sensor. Maybe something like the Watt-Nodes. No current when light should be on=burned out bulb.

    Perhaps you could use some of those old-school TV sensor boxes with your own coils??? Sounds like a fun day of tinkering.
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