I have 3 pendant lights in my garage that are controlled by a switch that’s at the garage door end and as I have a car in there it’s not easy to get to the switch – car is as far over as possible to the wall the switch is on and right against the garage door.

I have a couple of led’s lights on pir’s so when I go in the garage from the back door they come on. But I’d like an easier way of switching the pendant lights on.

I could run another switch but I’d need conduit across the wall, Hive bulbs are possible but wifi isn’t great in the garage.

Easiest option is probably a remote control light switch with a fob.

There’s a load on ebay but they all appear to be from china and look a bit dodgy plus looks like you need to fit some sort of electronic box in the ceiling rose.

Anyone got a decent remote switch then?

String and a rocker switch? 😆

Why not just replace the the switch with another pir?

Why not just replace the the switch with another pir?

I don’t always want them on though and if I’m at the back door end of the garage then the lights would likely go off as I’d be out of the range of the pir, and there’s a car blocking its line of sight.

Would a long finger pointer fix your 1stworldproblem? 😛
😉

Bit low tech for me 🙂

Move the switch, or put a 2nd switch on.

Move the switch, or put a 2nd switch on.

As I said if I did that I’d need to run conduit right round that wall. It’s a possible solution but a switch I can operate via a fob is probably the easiest option.

Replace the lights with inbuilt PIR? Leave the switch on permanently.

PIR’s aren’t ideal – I don’t want them on all the time and the ceiling is quite high so I have pendant lights on long cables.

I use some inbuilt PIRs like that one in the pic where the previous owner had run switches to stupid places. Love them. No problem leaving on all the time, the power consumption is (supposedly) very low, not that I’ve checked or anything. Sometimes switch off at the wall when away on hols etc.

Sensitivity etc can be adjusted so they only come on when it’s dark enough and the automatic switch-off probably saves more power than they cost in being left active all the time. Though being LEDs it’s peanuts anyway.

Incidentally, do all old people still refuse to use efficient lights or is it just my lot? I know the early generations of low-energy bulbs were a bit crappy but these days LEDs are really good.

Ok with using your phone? Bluetooth light bulb?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/THESUPERLEGENDS-Bluetooth-LED-Light-Bulb/dp/B00K2339FS

mmm the bluetooth bulb might be an option, that would mean I could control the 3 lights independently.

I already have 2 lights on pir, I don’t want these ones on pir too 🙂

If you are going to spend the time and effort.

Wifi extender (or hard wire one if you have to)
Phillips Hue
Amazon dot

‘Garage light on’

I have my kitchen lights and lamps set up on groups. I’m still chuffed with it 3 months later.

Varilight

I’ve got a couple of the more expensive LED dimming versions that I’ve had no issues with.

Couple of good options there, but after looking at Bluetooth bulbs then a bluetooth switch would make sense. Which brings me a back to a multitude of cheap tat on ebay.

This for a tenner

http://www.diy.com/departments/vezzio-b22-45lm-led-light-bulb/1327117_BQ.prd?ppc_type=shopping&ds_kids=92700021506095143&utm_source=google_cpc&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=PX_GSC_Home_and_Decor_BandQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwx8fOBRD7ARIsAPVq-NlLmC0mqxItIwtxvl6VrTuJb70z2XGa-C-zOb7ThLPbCPbrbH-KaWMaAqV_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COvliN750dYCFQOHUQodaPAGqg

Good thinking but at 45 Lumens I don’t think it’ll provide much light 🙂

This one might be worth a punt though

I wonder if the remote can control more than one lamp

one of these ?

remote dimmer

You need to supply the remote; but if your anything like me must have tons hanging around from long forgotten appliances…

Just like above poster – I had a remote dimmer in the lounge in an older house, might refit it it’s somewhere. You just programmed it to an ir remote. Needed dimmer compatible bulbs though.

You can get things tailored more to what you want like this:
https://www.alertelectrical.com/knightsbridge-ip66-5-way-remote-switch-box-ip665g.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5cj15-7S1gIVa7HtCh11eAmMEAQYDyABEgI6XfD_BwE

3 gang one is £40.

I have the Varilight dimmer suggested above a few times. Works fine! Fairly cheap at B&Q. Pretty sure it came with a remote although I’ve always used it with my Harmony

Bluetooth bulbs to phone app? Although don’t know why you wouldn’t want all the garage lights always to come on PIR when it’s dark, if I was a maniac axe clown, that’s where I’d be waiting for you. Flux, satechi, sunlabz, maybe some options are available in b&q / maplins.

Look at IKEA Tradfri. Nice bright lights, idiot-proof remote control that you can stick on the wall.

Another vote for the Ikea lights. My father in-law wanted something to do a similar job and I picked one up for him. It is perfect for the job and was just a case of screwing the bulb into the pendant and off you go!

Have a look at mi-light wifi bulbs. You can control them from your phone or you can buy standalone battery operated switches.

Search for Sonoff. They do remote switches for cheap, and they are very good.

I was going to suggest IKEA, stuff looks good, only reason I didn’t is OP says poor WiFi in garage, so wasn’t sure it would work without WiFi.

don’t know why you wouldn’t want all the garage lights always to come on PIR when it’s dark, if I was a maniac axe clown, that’s where I’d be waiting for you

I already have two lights on pir’s on the wall and I don’t want the pendant lights on pir’s for various reasons – don’t want them on all the time, depending on where I am in the garage only 1 would come on, etc.

The ikea lamps look perfect. Doesn’t mention wifi on the detail so assume it isn’t needed.

I can’t believe you’d go through all this faff and expense rather than just put another switch in. 30min job and very low cost and you’ve got a perfectly reliable solution. The mind boggles.

The ikea lamps look perfect. Doesn’t mention wifi on the detail so assume it isn’t needed.

No wifi needed

I can’t believe you’d go through all this faff and expense rather than just put another switch in. 30min job and very low cost and you’ve got a perfectly reliable solution. The mind boggles.

Faff? I’d say replacing three bulbs then pairing them to a remote was far less faff than running conduit round the wall and putting another switch in. 5 minute job v 60 minute job, £60 is hardly going to break the bank and I get a far tidier solution. Hope that unboggles your mind 🙂

Ikea it is. Ta