# How to install sensor light to closet with minimal cost



## hinewmomhere (Jul 21, 2021)

Hi Folks!

I'm new to this community! I'm almost embarrassed to be sharing this seeing how advanced the DIY's people are sharing in this community. Who knows, it might inspire someone. I'm a new mom with some extra time here and there while the baby's sleeping. I found a side hobby which is to make small improvements at home! Nothing fancy though. I love how most of newly built homes nowadays have this automatic sensor light where when you open your closet door or cabinet, there's a railing light that brightens up. I decided to go on a mission to do this! I checked out a few home department stores but couldn't really find what I wanted. There were sensor lights that I found but it seemed soooo much trouble. I either need a power outlet inside the closet/cabinet(what closet or cabinet would have a power outlet inside?) or need to drill holes and stretch a power cord within the walls to the nearest power source. It turns out it could cost me hundreds to close to a few thousand to hire someone to do this! I'm a new mom and definitely don't have that kind of money to spend. I looked online for hours and found the perfect solution. I found this I could buy online https://homeidealab.com/products/rechargeable-sensor-light and it was exactly what I was looking for, an automatic sensor light that was meant to be used in a closest/cabinet. You can find this on Amazon as well but I couldn't find any cheaper ones. The best part is it doesn't need me to drill holes, no expensive installation, and it's made ready to use. I only have 2 closest that I want to light up with automatic sensor light and it cost me less than a hundred bucks. The beauty of it all is that I don't need to drill any holes and difficult wiring.











The package came with 1 sensor light, a metal plate, and a usb wire. This is how it works: The bottom of the metal plate has an adhesive sticker and what I did was stick the metal plate to where I wanted the sensor light to be in my closet. The back side of the sensor light is magnetized so all I need to do is place the sensor light to the metal plate and it will stick together. Now to the best part, the automatic sensor light is USB charged! No wiring









Now the Pros and Cons:

Pro - Affordable, easy to install, no wiring required, no mess, 3 modes you can choose from, very bright. It's rechargeable so if it runs out of battery, remove it from the metal plate and charge it with a usb charger. I've used it for over a month now, haven't had to charge it since the first charge. Pretty wide application, I'm thinking of adding some smaller ones to the stairs as well.

Con - It can run out of battery where you'll need to recharge it(for those lazy ones out there). Whereas professionally installed may cost more but they're hooked up to a power source so that there's always power. Depending on how big your closet, stair well, or wherever you're trying to add a sensor light in, you'll need to purchase a few of these sensor lights. I used 1 for my walk in closet but if you have a bigger closet, you may need 2? There's also a time delay with the lighting tool. I'm not sure what the industry standard should be but when I'm within distance of the sensor light in my closet, it takes maybe around 2-3 seconds before it lights up?

All in all. It was a pretty good investment for me. Did what I need it to do, at a low cost, no difficult installation, and no mess!

My closet with auto lighting!











Thanks for reading folks! I'm a proud new mom!


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## Norm202 (Apr 17, 2021)

You should be proud! You did what was appropriate for your situation. As time goes on and finances get better along with your knowledge you may want to get a bit more involved with running powered wires for future. It's not hard, but does require a firm knowledge of electricity and local codes. Same goes for minor plumbing problems. If you want to continue with DIY projects you will want to buy some quality basic tools. We can advise when the time comes.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

I use the same type of thing in my coat closet. Battery lasted over a year before I had to recharge. YMMV depending how often you open your closet door!


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## argile_tile (Aug 1, 2020)

And if the mouse in your house begins to like hiding in the closet: he will be so BUSTED when those automatic LED turn on and off!


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