DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hello all,
I’m thinking about replacing my conventional bathroom ceiling light with one with a built in motion sensor (such as an Energizer with microwave sensor). I’m assuming this would render the pull cord switch redundant but if so what should I do? Should I retain it as an “override” switch? If I dispense with it could I simply replace it with a junction box in case I want to revert to a conventional arrangement in the future?

You have several choices.
1) Undo the pull cord (Near the switch itself is a means to remove the remainder of the cord)
2) Change it to a suitable box with lid
3) Remove the switch cable completely

Do make sure your new light is suitable for a bathroom.

I Personally do not like timed or sensor lights since they will always switch off at the most inconvenient time.

Thanks Mr White.
The bathroom ceiling has been over boarded and finished with pvc cladding and it’s a single storey flat-roof extension so access to cables is limited. One of the reasons I am considering this approach is because the pull cord is not near a joist and I’m concerned that I will not be able to reattach it securely enough. So, to be clear, I could connect the switch cables to a box, effectively closing the circuit permanently so that there is continuous power to the ceiling fitting and the on/off will be controlled by the ceiling light’s sensor? I hear what you say about these lights turning off when you don’t want them to but the timings are adjustable and moving about a bit should be enough to reactivate...

I personally prefer to have the option to isolate or at least turn off lights to change bulbs, or to remove from main circuit if a electronic unit fails. So would swap ceiling pull switch for simple on/off switch if in the right zone so I can switch of light in just that room to work on it.

However a plug in ceiling rose would do same thing, so it's up to you how you do it.