LevitonDecora 120/277-Volt Wall Switch Occupancy Sensor, ODS10-IDE, Black

This is an excellent product (with a big price tag, though). I like this!!We always use a garage-to-family room door for outgoing and incoming traffic. In addition, a secondary refrigerator is sitting in the garage right next to the door. So, I installed an occupancy sensor switch to control the ceiling fluorescent lights for automatic turn-on and off.The first generation occupancy sensor switch was a Leviton's fluorescent light-compatible product (about $20). It worked fine until I decided to replace the old T12 ceiling FLs with more energy-efficient T8 lights and I found the switch was not compatible and would flicker with the new electronic ballasts.After a long Net search, I tried a Brazix [...] occupancy sensor switch (about $12). The Brazix product uses a mechanical relay instead of a semiconductor switch so that it is compatible with any type of load. The very friendly price tag also attracted me. The only and big problem of Brazix was its poor product quality. I bought a 5-switch set, and one of them was defective and would never turn off (Brazix immediately sent me a replacement). It also lacked sensitivity control. The IR sensor was so sensitive that the one installed in a bathroom "detected" warm air from a HVAC heater duct. Finally, only a year and half after installation, the internal mechanical contact of the one installed in the garage got stuck and I had to tap its housing strongly in order to turn the light off.Next, I found a Cooper occupancy sensor product at a local Lowe's store (about $29). The Cooper product claimed compatibility with CFLs and electronic ballasts. But the reality was that the IR sensor that Cooper claimed to have a "self-learning capability" was so unreliable and the claimed delay time was so inaccurate (always doubled) that I returned the product.After the frustrating periods, I resumed a desperate search for an electronic ballast-compatible product and finally came across the ODS10-ID Decora Wall Switch Occupancy Sensor. The product is equipped with five control switches and adjusters. I only had to re-adjust the ambient light knob to the darkest to fit my application. It works great with the fluorescent lights in out garage. I have not tried it with CFLs, but other reviewers have reported very positive results. The biggest problem with the product is its big price tag. But I now have peace of mind that I have a way to replace the soon-to-be failing Brazix switches installed in other locations.

If you're looking for IR sensor switches to automatically turn on lights when you enter the room, then turn them off when the room is empty, get these sensors and don't hesitate to pay a little extra. They require no neutral wire, but still work flawlessly in 2-way arrangement (two switches controlling the same lights--either sensor turns and keeps lights on when motion is present) as well as with circline and other fluorescent lights with newer electronic ballasts.My first purchase was for sensors found at Home Depot. After installing these, I learned that a small amount of current trickles through the switch to run the infrared sensor, and this low current is enough to cause electronic ballast to try to start--hence the HD sensors caused my fluorescent bulbs to flicker even when no motion was present.My second attempt was my own failure to read the details on Leviton IPP15 and IPP0R sensors. I read the "Manual On" as an infrared sensor with a "manual-on" override switch similar to the ones I bought from HD. These DO indeed work with electronic ballasts, but they ONLY come on via the manual button--then turn off when motion in the room stops.When I bought these ODS10-ID switches, install was a breeze and everything worked the first time. I was very pleased.One very minor disappointment is that the inactivity timeout settings allow for either 30 seconds or 10, 20, or 30 minutes. I'd think a 2 or 5 minute timeout would be ideal, but is not an option.They call the 30 second timeout a "test" mode, which is fine for testing switch operation, but we also found it is ideal for things like a laundry or utility room. You don't stand motionless there and if it doesn't sense movement for 30 seconds, the room is likely empty. We have the 2-way switches set for 10 minutes in the basement.Note: NO NEUTRAL IS NEEDED for these, which is impressive and makes installation a breeze. Somehow, they found a way to run the infrared sensor with a little current without tripping the electronic ballasts. But these sensors are great and my wife smiles at me every time she goes into the basement and laundry room with arms loaded with laundry and the lights greet her without effort.

I agree with many of the reviewers that this is a good motion sensor, reasonably configurable, and looks better than many of the motion sensor switches found at home improvement stores. I use several in my home in closets, laundry rooms, and bathrooms, in order to save energy. They are controlling both incandescent and fluorescent lighting without any difficulties.One improvement that I would like to see: the unit needs two separate "hold" times, one for off, and one for on. Let me explain:Once motion is detected, the light remains on for a specified interval. You may want to set this to short for a closet (which you will likely enter only briefly) or long for a bathroom or laundry room where you may be standing in one place for a long time and don't want to have to wave your hands when the light goes out.Once you are finished in the room, you have the option of turning out the light manually by pressing the switch, in order to save energy. If you do this, then further motion will not cause the unit to activate until after the same"hold" interval has expired. This can be annoying if you re-enter the room where someone has manually turned out the lights within the last few minutes, and your motion does not activate the lights as desired, leaving you to turn the lights on manually.The solution is simple, have two separate "hold" intervals. The first one is designed to keep the lights on during periods of occupancy where no motion is detected. Users may often configure this to 10 or 20 minutes. The second interval is designed to allow you to turn off the lights and exit the room without your motion re-activating the lights as you exit. This would usually be configures to something as short as 30 seconds.