Kitchen pantry sensor lighting

[Jothetaxi]

We would like to add an LED lighting strip in a corner profile to the underside of the lower shelf (against the back).  I bought a Luxomat PD9-1C-92902 sensor to link up for the lighting.  The builders electrician did not complete the job and a new electrician has stepped in.  Had a conversation with him about the placement of the sensor, which would preferably at the top underside of the unit, towards to the back edge.  We have concerns that it may:

1) not detect movement if too far back or

2) would the sensor detect people through the gaps in the doors when they are closed and turn on and off.

 

Has anyone used one of these in similar situation? 

 

I looked at the switches that link to the doors but they wouldn't work as there are two pantry doors and it gets complicated to link up the two.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas?  sadly it is a retrofit now.  Not a serious issue but would be good to have light here during the darker winter months.

Thanks.

[Nickfromwales]

Reed switches would work nicely, with the magnets rebated into the tops of the doors and the reed switches into the heads, just off centre of each side of the middle of the opening. 
 

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/magnetic-proximity-switches/5308927
 

Will need to switch the lighting via a small relay as these can only do 0.5a max, but these can be completely hidden and work for the double door arrangement. 

[Spinny]

I'd have thought by suitably placing the PIR (e.g. on the side panel) it will be triggered by the movement of the doors themselves without having any visibility through any crack between the doors.

 

A lot of these things just seem simpler using the smart home approach. Then you can move the wireless battery powered sensor around until it reacts as you wish, and choose whatever logic including delays, conditions etc to control the light. Lots of LED strip controllers available with wireless smart home integration. The following sensors readily available...

PIR

Contact sensors

Tilt sensors

vibration Sensor

presence sensor

lux sensor

 

I always wonder why have the LED strip at the back of the shelf rather than the front. Things under a shelf are illuminated by reflected light incident from the front, and can just get silhouetted when lit from the rear.

 

Unless you are going to open the cupboard in a dark room you could use a lux sensor inside the cupboard to detect the increase in light when you open the cupboard doors.