Lighting – install a photocell on a 3-way switched circuit

lightingmultiway-switch

I have a set of front exterior lights on my house which are controlled by two 3-way switches, one in the garage and one in the front entry way. I would like to install a photocell so that I can leave the circuit on all the time and let the photocell decide when to switch the lights on and off.

I'm finding it very difficult to find a diagram of a photocell in a 3-way light switch circuit. Does anyone know if this is possible; and, if it is, what should the circuit look like? I've looked at various photocells online and they all seem to have three wires coming from them (red, white, and black).

Also, does it matter where the photocell is installed in the circuit? The circuit I'm interested in adding the photocell to has 4 fixtures on it between the two switches. I noticed that the photocells have a maximum wattage rating. I plan on using LED lights in these fixtures to keep the wattage down below the maximum rating of the photocell.

Best Answer

Yes.

The photocell is placed in series with the feed from the panel ahead of the switches. The white is the neutral, the black is the hot feed, and the red is the switched hot. Of course, this makes the circuit inoperable during the light of day and there will be no manual override.

I would install an astronomical timer like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AP92N2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This also goes in series with the switches in the circuit but it has a manual override and does not need to be placed outdoors. The built-in computer calculates the times for dawn and dusk for your lattitude and longitude. Those default start and stop times can be adjusted to your preferences.

Good luck and stay safe!