The Insteon Motion Sensor is a model 2420M as you see here. The 9 volt battery and mounting stand are included.

Insteon Wireless Motion Sensor 2420M

Removing the battery cover reveals five jumper pins and Set button. Installation and operation are simple, the Quick Start Guide is available here with the details.

Insteon 2420M Motion Sensor - Rear View

The motion sensor LED is quite bright and flashes when in “Link” mode after pressing the Set button. It also flashes when motion is detected. The LED brightness is configurable on a 0 to 100 scale through the ISY-99i Administrative Console, with 0 (zero) turning off the LED.

Motion Sensor LED

Access Point Wireless Phase Coupler

The 2420M motion sensor is an RF only Insteon device and requires a Access Point RF receiver/phase coupler to communicate with the Insteon power line network. It’s simple to “link” the motion sensor by pressing the Set buttons on both devices per the product instructions.

Customizing the Motion Sensor Settings

The motion sensor Timeout, LED Brightness and Darkness Sensitivity can be customized via the ISY-99i Administrative Console. I left the timeout at the default of 1 minute, set the LED brightness down to 10 because the default value 75 is too bright at night, and left the Darkness Sensitivity at the default of 35.

Linking the Motion Sensor

The motion sensor is linked only to the Access Point wireless receiver. I did not link the motion sensor to the ToggleLinc light switch because I will have an ISY-99i program decided what to do with the motion sensor events.

Insteon Network Overview

Now that I’ve installed the ToggleLinc switch, wireless motion sensor, Access Point wireless coupler, PowerLinc power line modem and ISY-99i home automation controller – I’m ready to begin programming the ISY-99i.

This is my Insteon network so far (click on the image for larger view):

Insteon Network Overview - Porch Lights Automation

Motion Sensor Programming

My requirements for the porch light program are:

1. The porch lights will turn on for 10 minutes when motion is sensed from 30 minutes before sunset to 15 minutes after sunrise.
2. The motion sensor can be overridden by “double clicking” OFF, i.e. pressing the ToggleLinc switch OFF quickly two times, to keep the porch lights off indefinitely. This is useful when I want to look at the stars or for Halloween when the scene should be kept dark to view the decorations.
3. Manually turning the ToggleLinc switch ON will turn on the lights indefinitely and re-enable the motion sensor program. When the switch is manually turned OFF, the motion sensor program takes over again by default.

In practice, the common scenarios are:

• Lights are controlled by the motion sensor by default.
• If I turn the switch ON, the lights stay ON until I turn them OFF.
• If I want to keep the porch lights off for a time, I double click OFF the light switch.
• When I come back inside, I flip the light switch ON/OFF once to re-enable the motion sensor.

An program upgrade would be to include a reset program to run, say, at 30 minutes past sunrise everyday to turn OFF the lights and re-enable the motion sensor in case I manually overrode the lights and forgot to turn them off. Hmm, I think I’ll add this feature – see the update later in this article.

The motion sensor program flow chart is:

Porch Light Program Flow Chart

The ISY-99i program code is kept in a Folder named ‘Front Porch Light’.

Folder Conditions for 'Front Porch Light'
Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run.

If
   - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')

Then
   Allow the programs in this folder to run.

Comment:
The programs in this folder are:
1) 'Porch Motion Sensed'
2) 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes'
3) 'Porch Light Switched On'
4) 'Porch Light Switched Fast Off'

===========

Program Content for 'Porch Motion Sensed'

If
   From    Sunset  - 30 minutes
   To      Sunrise + 15 minutes (next day)
   And Control 'Porch Motion Sensor' is switched On
   And (
         Status  'Front Porch Light Switch' is not On
         And Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' is False
       )

Then
   Run Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' (Then Path)

Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

===============

Program Content for 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes'

If
   - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')

Then
   Set 'Front Porch Light Switch' On
   Wait  10 minutes
   Set 'Front Porch Light Switch' Off
   Run Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' (Else Path)

Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Comment:
Turns the porch light on for 10 minutes. A program is used such that
the 'Wait' isn't reinitialized by new events triggering If conditions.

================

Program Content for 'Porch Light Switched On'

If Control 'Front Porch Light Switch' is switched On

Then
   Stop program 'Porch Motion Sensed'
   Enable Program 'Porch Motion Sensed'
   Run Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' (Else Path)

Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Comment:
This program returns control to the motion sensor and reinitializes
the conditional logic flags.
Run Program (Else Path) to reset the motion on/off flag.

===============

Program Content for 'Porch Light Switched Fast Off'

If Control 'Front Porch Light Switch' is switched Fast Off

Then
   Stop program 'Porch Motion Sensed'
   Disable Program 'Porch Motion Sensed'
   Run Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' (Else Path)

Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Comment:
Double tap (Fast Off) disables the motion sensor such that the
porch light stays off until the switch is manually turned on again.
Purpose of the 'Run Program ... (Else Path)' is to reset the motion
on/off flag.

Bonus Program

I added this new program to turn off porch lights at dawn and reset the motion sensor control in case I manually overrode the motion sensor and forgot to turn OFF the lights. This ensures the motion sensor code is is ready for the next night.

Program Content for 'Porch Light Daily Reset'

If
   Time is Sunrise + 30 minutes

Then
   Set 'Front Porch Light Switch' Off
   Run Program 'Porch Light On 10 Minutes' (Else Path)
   Enable Program 'Porch Motion Sensed'

Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Comment:
Turns off the porch lights 30 minutes after dawn and resets the
program flags in case the lights were manually overridden and left
on all night.

This is how the programs are organized in the ISY-99i Admin Console (click for a full size image):

Porch Light Programs in the ISY-99i Admin Console

For more information on the ISY-99i, the Universal Devices Wiki page is an excellent resource.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

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I bought this 4-light vanity from Lowes for about $100.00 because it matched the towel racks.

4 Light Vanity in the Box

The vanity mounts to the wall as follows:

1. The blue “old work” junction box is fastened to a hole cut in the drywall.
2. The mounting plate is fastened to the junction box via two screws provided with the vanity light as indicated by the red circles.
3. The vanity base slides over the two metal studs in the mounting plate and is held in place by two threaded cap balls, as indicated by the two long red arrows. (The bottom hole in the vanity base is hidden from view in this photo.)

Vanity Light, Mounting Plate and Junction Box

Mounting the Junction Box for the Vanity Light

The vanity light is located about 10 inches above the mirror for a pleasing look and high enough that I’ve cleared the 2×4 horizontal bracing between the wall studs.

Vanity Light and Switch

To locate the junction box:

1. With a level, mark a six inch long horizontal line at the height where the junction box will be located on the wall relative to the top of the mirror.
2. Take down the mirror to avoid damaging it.
3. While standing on a step ladder, mark a 6 inch long vertical line above the center of sink using a long straight edge and level as shown in the photo below. The result is a ‘plus’ + sign for the center of the junction box. (Note the mounting screws for the mirror at the extreme left and right of the photo.)

Marking the Center Line of the Junction Box

Hold the junction box face down against the wall over the center lines. Now trace the outline of the box on the wall.

Junction Box Face Down over the Center Lines

In the above photo, notice that the Junction Box has a flat rim that will sit on the surface of the wall when the hole is cut to prevent the box from falling through. If the hole is cut using this circle, it will be too large.

It just so happens the diameter of the metal mounting ring is the size of the body of the junction box. I therefore center the ring and trace it’s outline on the wall per the photo below:

Trace the Mounting Plate

The smaller diameter hole is cut with a Rotozip spiral saw:

Hole for the Vanity Light Junction Box

and the junction box fit is checked as shown – perfect!:

Fitting the Junction Box in the Drywall

Back in the ceiling crawlspace, the is the view of the junction box cutout in the drywall. The hole can just be seen as the bright spot at the lower right above the 2×4 bracing. It was simple to feed the NM 14/2 electrical wire through the hole from here.

Drywall Cavity for the Vanity Junction Box

The new 14 gauge wire from the crawlspace junction box is fed through the hole.

Wire Drop for the Vanity Light Junction Box

The wire is fed through the back of the junction box, the outer jacket remove the ends stripped as shown. Notice the “wings” on the old work junction box. The wings will grab the drywall as the screws are tightened.

Junction Box and Wire

To mount the junction box:

1. Align the accessory screw holes horizontally as shown with the center lines as shown.
2. Tighten the three wing screws until they “grab” the drywall. Don’t over tighten as it can crack the drywall.

Junction Box Fastened to the Drywall

Align the mounting ring such that the two threaded studs are perfectly vertical and fasten the mounting ring with the two screws provided with the light kit as shown below. Next, wire nut the pigtails of the vanity light plug to the black (hot) and white (neutral) wires as shown.

Wire Nut the Vanity Light Plug

These next steps requires three hands… while holding the vanity light bar, plug in the pigtail to the light and tuck the wires inside the junction box. Then slide the base plate over the two threaded studs and screw on the metal ball caps.

Vanity Light and Junction Box Wiring

Vanity light mounted to the wall.

Vanity Light Bar Mounted to the Junction Box

The glass shades and light bulbs are attached and the circuit breaker turned on

Vanity Light and Switch

Now it’s time to “Let there be Light!” Wow! What a difference good lighting makes to bring out the colors in liven up a room! Hmm, I need to paint that door white.

Vanity Light - Hey Mikey! It Works!

Good lighting makes everything look nicer:

Bathroom under the new Vanity Lights

The job is now 99% complete! Click here for Part 17.

Hope you found this helpful,

Bob Jackson

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Vanity Light and Switch

The following photo is the situation before I started the job – compare with the finished job above.

GFCI Wall Outlet

The key materials needed for this project are (from left to right):

• Light switch – I chose the square rocker style.
• “Old work” junction box for the light switch.
• Metal “new work” square junction box with cover.
• NM cable connectors (brown bag).
• Round “old work” junction box for the vanity light bar.

Junction Boxes and Light Switch

Electrical Safety

Educate yourself before working with electricity and know the basics of the Building Code requirements. You can get yourself shocked, killed and/or burn down the house. If you’re unsure or uncomfortable with electricity and residential wiring, hire a licensed electrician.

Before you begin:

1. Identify your the electrical wiring configuration. Know which wires are connected back to the main electrical panel and which are branch extensions.
2. What is the existing load on the circuit you plan to use for the new line extension? If there are too many devices (loads) on the circuit, you may need to run new wiring back to the main electrical panel and install a new circuit breaker.
3. Make a wiring diagram of the “current state” and “future state” (a.k.a. before and after). This will help to prevent getting your wires crossed. (Pun intended).
4. Turn off the power at the main electrical panel by switching off the circuit breaker. Is the power off? Check the circuit with a test probe or meter. Are you sure it’s off? Check again.

Before and After Wiring Diagrams

This is wiring diagram for the bathroom before I started work. I was lucky that the GFCI outlet was on a “home run” circuit back to the main electrical panel and had just one branch circuit to the other wall outlet beside the sink. Click on the diagram for a full size view.

Bathroom Wiring Before Installing the Vanity Light

The new wiring diagram is illustrated below. The changes I had to make are:

• Install a junction box in the ceiling crawlspace to make the various new circuit connections.
• Remove the original wiring to the GFCI outlet and run a new line from the junction box to the GFCI. It’s necessary to remove the original wiring because there wouldn’t be enough slack to make the new splice connections at the junction box when I cut the wire in two.
• Install the junction box for the light switch and run a new wire.
• Install the junction box for the vanity light and run a new wire.

Click on the diagram for a full size view.

New Wiring Diagram for the Vanity Light and Switch

First, I shut off the circuit breaker and disconnected the line side wires (i.e. coming from the electrical panel) from the GFCI outlet. The line side wires are at the top of junction box.

Removing the GFCI Outlet

Line side wires (top) disconnected. The load side (bottom wires in wall box) feed the 2nd electrical outlet by the sink.

Line Side Wires Disconnected

Construction string is duct taped to the line side wires. The line side wires will be pulled up from the ceiling crawlspace and cut to provide power to the junction box in the ceiling crawlspace.

Construction String Taped to the Line Wires

Before pulling the line side wire into the ceiling crawlspace, I measure and cut a hole in the drywall for the light switch junction box. A carpenter’s level is used to ensure the box is plumb and the outline traced on the wall with pencil.

Positioning and Tracing the Vanity Light Switch

This is the position of the light switch box traced on the wall, ready to be cut out with a Rotozip spiral saw.

Junction Box Traced on the Wall

The cutout for the light switch junction box. The Rotozip cuts drywall like butter.

Drywall Cutout for the Light Switch Junction Box

This is a key point - the line side wires from the GFCI are pulled out of the GFCI junction box and out of the hole for the light switch as shown below. The reason is the new wire run for the light switch will be pulled with the old line wire into the ceiling crawlspace. If you miss this point, you’ve created significant extra work for yourself because you’ll have to fish the light switch wires from scratch.

Line Side Wires Pulled out of the New Hole

The new run of NM 14/2 electrical wiring (that’s Non-Metallic 14 gauge, 2 conductor with ground wire) for the light switch is duct taped to the GFCI line side wires. The wire is being spooled from a box (not shown).

New Wiring Duct Taped to the Old Line Side Wires

Working now in the ceiling crawlspace above the bathroom, this is the line side wire that will be pulled up from the GFCI outline with the new wire for the light switch.

Line Side Wire in the Ceiling Crawlspace

After removing a wire staple inside the wall above the GFCI junction box, I was able pull the new light switch wire into the attic crawlspace with the construction string. The old line side wire is to the left of the duct taped joint.

Light Switch Wire Pulled into Ceiling Crawlspace

A “new work” metal junction box is used for the splice connections in the ceiling crawlspace. NM cable connectors will protect the wires from the sharp edges of the knockout holes and clamp the wires in place for strain relief.

Metal Junction Box and NM Connectors

Four knockouts are removed from the junction box, one for each of the new wire legs per the wiring diagram. NM connectors are installed and the junction box fastened to a ceiling joist with two wood screws.

Junction Box Mounted with Screws to a Ceiling Joist

The old run of line side wire cut to length and mounted to the junction box as shown. A new length of NM 14/2 wire is duct taped to the construction string to be pulled to the GFCI outlet.

Line Side Wire Clamped inside the Junction Box

The new run of wire pulled down through wall and out of the GFCI junction box. This is why the construction needed to be pulled up with the old line side wire from the GFCI, such that the new wire could be pulled back the same pathway – thereby avoiding tedious job of fishing a new wire. Also, the new wire for the light switch is hanging out of the hole in the drywall.

New Wire Run Pulled to the GFCI Outlet

Next, a generous length of new wire is spooled off in the ceiling crawlspace to reach the vanity junction box that I’ll install shortly.

The four wires are labeled as shown with permanent marker and clamped to the junction box. About 8 inches of wire extends inside the junction box to make the splice connections.

Junction Box Wire Runs

Following the wiring diagram, the ground wires are twisted and nutted together. I generally make the ground connections first for safety. I’m using nuts rated for four (4) to six (6) 14 gauge wire.

Ground Wires Nutted Together

Per the wiring diagram, the hot wires for the 1) line side, 2) GFCI outlet and 3) vanity light switch are twisted and nutted together. You can see why labeling the wires with permanent marker is so important to keep track of everything. The white (neutral) wire from the vanity light switch is relabeled as hot by coloring the end with a black permanent marker. You can also relabel a neutral white wire as as “hot” by wrapping it with a black electricians tape.

Line Side (Hot Feed) Wires Connected

The hot wire to the vanity light and return hot wire from the light switch are nutted together as shown below.

Vanity Light Switch and Vanity Light Hot Connections

The remaining neutral (white) wires are twisted together with needle nose pliers and held with a wire nut. Remember, “righty-tighty and lefty-loosy” when twisting and nutting wires.

Making the Neutral Connections

Tightening the wire nut on the neutral (white) wires.

Tightening the Wire Nut

Bend and fold the nutted wire connections into the junction box such that the metal cover can be attached as shown:

Wires Folded into the Junction Box

The lid is attached to the junction box with the two screws provided with the box.

Attach the Lid to the Junction Box

The new wires are fastened within 12 inches of the junction box with insulated electrician’s staples. The staples should be hammered in just enough to prevent the wire from slipping, but not so tight that it pinches the insulation or kinks the wire.

Completed Crawlspace Junction Box Wiring

Here’s a look back at the ceiling crawlspace and the location of the junction box. I fastened a piece of plywood to the ceiling joists so I’d have a place to sit while wiring up the new junction box. This simple plywood seat made working in a cramped space much more tolerable. Click on the image for a full size view.

Ceiling Crawlspace above the Bathroom

Connecting the GFCI Line Side Wires

With the crawlspace wiring completed, work moves back to the bathroom. The GFCI ground connection is made with a “pigtail” (short piece of wire) to the line- and load side grounds and nutted together.

Reconnecting the GFCI Line Side Wires

The line side hot and neutral wires are “backwired” to the GFCI outlet. I prefer backwiring when possible because it’s neater. “Backwiring” means the outlet is designed with small holes for the wires to enter through back of the outlet.

Line Side GFCI Connections

In Part 15 of this series, the the light switch and junction box for the vanity light are wired.

Be careful and take care,

Bob Jackson

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