Little-Lectric

Any problems connecting a light that has a built-in photo cell to a central photo cell? I need to replace some fluorescent wall packs that are controlled by a central photo cell. The current lights don't have built-in cells, but the new ones do. Other than the photo cells detecting at a different level/time I can't think of any other reason why they wouldn't work, can you?

Ddill

Reason number one is it's a hack thing to do. Good luck servicing them. If your installing new fixtures, why don't you just unhook the new photo cells?

wildleg

it will turn them off (if I am understanding that the central photo cell operates a contactor which powers the lights ?), but it won't necessarily turn them on at the same time, and some will turn themselves off early


why don't you just defeat the built in photocells ?

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erics37

When I run into that I just bypass the wall pack photocell. Probably a listing violation but whatever, at least it'll work right.

HARRY304E

The master photo cell will turn on with 1 to 5 lumens of light left at that point power will go to all the lights.

When there is no power the photo cells are in the normally closed position if the individual photo cells sence enough light then they will shut off after the time delay setting till it is dark enough for them to turn on again.

So you really don't have to do anything with the individual photo cells unless you want all of them to turn on and off at the exact same time.

When the master photo cell turns on all the lights will have power at the same time same when it shuts off.

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electrictim510

Not trying to be the grammar police, but damn that's a huge run-on sentence.

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HARRY304E

Yeah i got a little carried away...

I split it up a little....

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Little-Lectric

Thanks to you all!
I haven't got the new lights yet and don't know how they are wired. I thought about bypassing the inclosed cell but didn't know if it would be easy to get to the wiring from the sensor.
The lights do not have to come on at the exact same time, just sometime before morning.

erics37

Most of the CFL wallpacks I've dealt with just have a little button-type photocell mounted in there. Just cut some zip ties and you'll find the power and switch leg leads.

Electric_Light

If the master control can work regardless of load level (i.e. can work with ballast loads) then the downstream photo cell shouldn't matter. If the master cell is the type that requires magnetic ballast or incandescent load, the downstream cell will cause a malfunction.

Opaque tape would bypass the cell without voiding any listing.

Little-Lectric

Master control will work with or without ballast load.

HARRY304E

That would not make one bit of difference the down stream photo cells are just single pole switches in the circuit.

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noarcflash

it'll work fine. why void a warrenty by altering the fixture. future troubleshooting may be more involved, but that's only a problem for the inexperienced.