Automation is revolutionizing the modern era. Human beings are in the pursuit of ways in which things work automatically.
This imagination has inspired the thought of home automation and even industrial automation.
If you’re not familiar with the word ‘automation,’ then I will give you a little example.
Imagine you enter your home, and lights turn on automatically, and the air conditioner adjusts its temperature according to the temperature outside. Yes, this is a glimpse of automation.
Turning on LED lights when you open your door is basically an automation of your LED lights. I will tell you several ways to do that and also explain them.
Different Ways To Get This Job Done
There are a lot of methods depending upon the budget, expertise, and equipment available to perform this job.
Some of you would be opulent enough to afford sensors and high-class equipment while other of you might want to know a procedure that is cheap and easy.
Below are some general ways pointed out for you:
- Using sensors, connectors, and LEDs.
- Using a push-button, LED bulb, switches, and wire connections (cheap)
- Using magnetic switches
There can be many other procedures, but I will explain to you the above three, which are quite popular.
1. Sensor-Based System
Using this approach, you need to have a door open/close sensor that is usually in the form of a wire with input and output ports along with sensors.
You might also need a connector to attach the sensor’s ports with power supply and LED. Follow the steps below to have it done:
- Take a door open/close sensor and identify its input and output ports (there is usually a tag).
- Connect the input port with the power supply with the help of the connector and output port with the LED.
- Now fasten the sensing probe/probes (depending upon the single door or double door) to the edge of any door frame so that when the door closes, the probe almost comes in contact with the door.
- For a clean outlook, affix the wires properly.
- Now try to open/ close the door and see the results.
The sensor turns the lights OFF when the door closes while turns them ON when it opens.
If you don’t have the connector, you can peel off the wires and connect them by identifying the positive and negative terminals first.
2. Using A Push-Button
In this particular approach, you have to perform some wiring connections with an LED bulb, push-button, and two switches (commonly used in houses). Follow the steps below to go with this method:
- Make a common connection between the switches.
- Connect one of the terminals of one switch with the supply while the other as a common connection mentioned in the first step.
- Connect the other two terminals of the second switch with the push button (one live and one neutral).
- A wire from the neutral connection of the push-button is then connected with the bulb fixture.
- The other bulb fixture’s terminal is connected with the supply.
- Hence, the connection is completed.
- Now, affix the push button in such a way that it always gets pushed by the door when the door gets closed.
- Also, keep both switches turned on. In this way, only the push button will control the bulb.
While performing this job, I would recommend that you first consult an electrician.
Also, make sure that all your power supply is turned off before starting the procedure.
Make sure to correctly follow the steps in order to achieve good results. This method is cheap compared to the one with sensors’ use.
3. Magnetic Switch Approach
A simple tool called a magnetic switch helps in turning the LED lights on and off based on a magnetic contact.
The components that you need to follow this approach are power supply lead, magnetic switch, interconnecting cable, and an LED strip. Follow the steps below to begin:
- Plugin the power supply lead into either input of the magnetic switch.
- Now connect the one end of the interconnecting cable into the open connector of the magnetic switch.
- The other end of the interconnecting cable should now be connected to the input port of the LED strip.
- Now the LEDs will respond to the magnetic contact of the magnetic switch. When the magnets are close, the lights will turn off while they’ll turn on when the magnets are away.
- Now nicely fasten the magnets of the magnetic switch with the door and the door frame.
- Try opening and then closing the door to see the results.
This is a very efficient approach and is usually used in closets, pantries, and places with doors. It is quite simple, and anyone can install it.
A magnetic switch costs you about 4 to 5 dollars or even less while the connecting cables are cheap. So, this approach is in between expensive and cheap.
Some Basic Guidance
There are many other methods, and some of them are very general yet complex in installation.
If you are doing it yourself, then you should choose a method that is safe and not much tedious. Also, keep a factor in mind that the components are available to you around your place.
While performing the procedure, do consider safety measures. Generally, while dealing with greater voltages, try referring to an electrician first.
Also, turn the power supply off before starting. While if you are doing it at a smaller scale using batteries, you don’t have to worry a lot about those things (take minor precautions).
Conclusion
Automation can be done at many scales. As you go in more depth, it becomes even more complex.
But it is quite interesting. If you really have an interest in automation, try doing these little things yourself. I have tried to come up with the best possible information that you should know before automating your LED lights.
Now without further ado, go and purchase the parts that you want to use to make your LED lights turn on when the door opens.
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