Question for MEXICOWANDERER

Not Mex, but my idea is to put an independent indicator light on a photo cell switch. Put the photo cell inside the lighting fixture.

I know, overkill.

No help for the OP here, but a true story your post reminded me of.

Few years ago I made some changes to the kitchen in the house we were living in. The garbage disposal switch was right next to a light switch and I seemed to always hit the garbage disposal instead of the light. (not a good thing). So I wired up the garbage disposal switch so a red light on the switch was on all the time, regardless if the disposal was running or not. It was a reminder for me ... DON'T TOUCH! WRONG SWITCH.

Fast forward a couple more years and we were selling the house. At (their) inspection, that switch failed. (They) did not like it that the light was on all the time. (They) said it was suppose to be on only when the switch was on. I got so mad at that, I just removed the lighted switch completely. It passed then. So I don't care if the next person lost spoons and fingers and scouring pads down that disposal by flipping the wrong switch. The house eventually sold and it's not my problem any more. It still makes me mad thinking about that though. A lot of thought went into that wiring. But to this day, I don't remember how I did it.

Still, your story brought back a ghost memory of my past!

Here is one with a backlit on/off button. Probably can be found for less somewhere besides CW...

https://www.campingworld.com/led-digital-dimmer

If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

DutchmenSport wrote:
No help for the OP here, but a true story your post reminded me of.
...

Just curious, instead of a light, why not put a $0.35 plastic switch guard on the receptacle plate to cover the switch? Works fine in most applications.



No help for the OP though.

On the printed circuit board there will be a circuit path from the normally open contact of the switch to the input to the dimmer circuitry. You would need to tap into that pathway for the "hot" side of your LED and then use the ground wire for the other connection. The input side of the dimmer circuitry will have full voltage, as opposed to the load side which will vary according to the dimmer setting. You will most likely need to gently scrape off the green varnish and carefully solder a lead wire to that pathway.

Maybe my trailer is really that different, but for inside lights can't you tell whether it's On or Off by looking at the actual light?

For outside lights - yes, I can understand the need.

Chris Bryant wrote:
If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

Good idea, but the dimmer slider is beside the on/off switch. Adding a lighted switch would give me two switches to turn on.

STBRetired wrote:
On the printed circuit board there will be a circuit path from the normally open contact of the switch to the input to the dimmer circuitry. You would need to tap into that pathway for the "hot" side of your LED and then use the ground wire for the other connection. The input side of the dimmer circuitry will have full voltage, as opposed to the load side which will vary according to the dimmer setting. You will most likely need to gently scrape off the green varnish and carefully solder a lead wire to that pathway.

That is what I was afraid the answer was going to be. I am not skilled enough to risk ruining the PCB to do that. I will just live with the risk of offending my neighbors by leaving the light on before I try that.

Almot wrote:
Maybe my trailer is really that different, but for inside lights can't you tell whether it's On or Off by looking at the actual light?

For outside lights - yes, I can understand the need.

It is an outside light. Airstream has put an LED light strip under the awning where it meets the side of the trailer. I just would like an indicator inside that I will see when going to bed to remind me that I left that light on.

I have already replaced the light switches for both the outside scare light and the outside step light with illuminated switches. They were just simple snap in switches though.

This is the switch in question:

Instead of adding a pilot light put a dab of red fingernail polish or paint on the edge of the switch that is exposed when in the on position.

prichardson wrote:
Instead of adding a pilot light put a dab of red fingernail polish or paint on the edge of the switch that is exposed when in the on position.

Thanks for the suggestion, but, (there is always a "but") I can already see if the switch is on if I walk over and look at it. What I am wanting is for it to be glowing brightly so when I am getting in bed I see the light across the length of the trailer and say "Oh darn, I left the outside lights on!"