# HEADACHE!! Wattstopper DSW-301 Dual Tech Wall switch sensor



## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

Had a headache installing 3 of these DSW-301 switches today. It seems like the ultrasonic sensing does not work as it is supposed to. Any time the ultrasonic mode was used to detect the lights would just stay on. If the sensitivity was turned down the lights would turn off while someone was in the bathroom stall! 

The point of me spending $80 per switch was so that they would sense through the bathroom stalls and stay on. The only way for me to get them to work now was to keep things in PIR sensing and just use a super long 30min delay. 

Ofcourse the goal is to have the lights off sooner than later once the bathroom is vacated. If I wanted just simple PIR to turn it on and stay on for 30 mins I would have bought a simpler $20 sensor.

Can anyone suggest a brand that works through bathroom stalls.


----------



## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Correct me if I am wrong but those are the units that detect in PIR mode and then use the ultrasonic to keep them on.

Did you contact tech. support? They are pretty good there.

If you have the ability, install the ceiling mounted models....they work flawlessly.


----------



## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

Yup they detect in PIR when someone enters the bathroom and anytime I have it use ultrasonic to maintain the lights on, they just stay on and never turn off. I can turn the sensitivity down but then it won't detect the person in the stall and ends up turning off.

I did contact tech support and spent an hour with them hitting the dip switches and trying all sorts of things. They said sorry and just to return them!

I do have the ability to install ceiling mount but thats gonna additional labour. I can just swap these out for simple PIR sensors and set them for a lengthy time line and the customer will be happy with that. The "tech junky" in me really wants these to work properly and Wattstopper doesn't seem to keen to make good on their junk product.


----------



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

You know I just had the same problem two days ago! I have 4 bathrooms I installed these in, they would work initially in test mode but then fail to work 20 minutes or so later when they defaulted back to normal operation. I would walk in the bathroom, the PIR and ultrasonic leds would flash but the lights wouldn't come on for some reason. I called tech support, he had me do soft resets on all of them by holding in the manual on button until I heard three beeps, then go back through test mode and all that again. Same story, worked in test mode, but not when they defaulted back to normal. I've previously installed quite a few of these Wattstoppers with very good luck, not this model number though, so I decided to swap them out with their DSW-100 model. 

By the way their tech support line is a joke too, you call and get the "estimated wait time is 29 minutes" so I leave the phone on speaker and start working. Twenty minutes later I'm stilling listening to the on hold music and the damn message is still saying 29 minute wait.


----------



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

sparky250 said:


> Had a headache installing 3 of these DSW-301 switches today. It seems like the ultrasonic sensing does not work as it is supposed to. Any time the ultrasonic mode was used to detect the lights would just stay on. If the sensitivity was turned down the lights would turn off while someone was in the bathroom stall!
> 
> The point of me spending $80 per switch was so that they would sense through the bathroom stalls and stay on. The only way for me to get them to work now was to keep things in PIR sensing and just use a super long 30min delay.
> 
> ...


 as posted above the sensor should be placed in the ceiling preferably over the stalls

pir detects heat signatures while ultrasonics depend on sound waves (sonar)
sonar will bounce off of objects (stall walls and doors) and if the sensor does not detect movement it will shut off
learned this while working on mosler motion detectors for a bank
in a situ like a restroom straight pir is usually a better option


----------



## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

Well this stumps me. Ive read so many articles and seen companies boasting that ultrasonic is perfect for bathrooms as it will emit through the stall to detect motion.

So should I go strictly PIR over the bathroom stalls and close enough to pick up the door? Or PIR/Ultrasonic.


----------



## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

The detection is "human activity" if you have a true camper in there, nothing is going to detect them. These people go into stealth mode and nothing can detect a slight scrolling thumb movement through multiple stall walls.
If they are roosting for longer than 10 minutes without movement, they kinda should have the lights go out on them.


----------



## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

That's what the owner on my project told me as well, "if my employees are in there longer than 15 minutes, that's their fault."


----------



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

Cow said:


> That's what the owner on my project told me as well, "if my employees are in there longer than 15 minutes, that's their fault."


tie a shock collar to the seat and set it to go off at 15 minute time limit:laughing:
at work our cell phones have to be put in our lockers (no exception)!


----------

