Garage light help!?

You could use a motion detector fixture that turns the light on when the door is opened. Sounds like you need to add a light/switch, tho.

Thank you for responding Janet. I tried one that is really dim. I probably need to call an electrician to do a light switch.

Before you get your light switch installed, ask to have, instead of a standard on/off switch, a timer swapped in to the receptacle instead. This will allow you to have light in the garage without having to go back outside to turn it off, then go into the house without light. It will turn off by itself, 'hands free'.

These timers come in different styles and durations of minutes. You can save some $ by purchasing your choice, then have your electrician hook it up, instead of paying for their time pr hour to go to the store and buy it for you.

Ah, yes, I understand now. There is one scenario that I think might work for you.

- Install a motion sensor light on the outside of the garage, which it pointing to where the back door opens or to where you will be stepping out of the house on your way to the garage. You will have to play with it a bit using two people to walk and set it, after dark to get it to point and pick up the motion exactly where you need it to come on. You can then set it for the number of minutes that the light stays on before it goes out.

Motion sensor lights come in various styles and in different strengths. Do not get the 'dusk to dawn' style. The degree to which the day is cloudy or sunny will interfere with their proper functioning. Get a style that has exposed bulbs, so that you can switch them out with bulbs of higher lumens if more intense light is needed. Also, if the style has bulb covers, get one with clear glass, rather than amber, frosted, or plastic, which will cloud up and discolor.

Once you get to the dark garage, position one of the above timers close enough to the door so that you can see the switch (being aided by some of the light from the outdoor sensor fixture) to turn the lights on. If it is still too dark in the garage to see the light switch, what you can do is have a double receptacle installed instead of a single. The second is an electrical plug.

Plug in a small LED 'night light'. This will facilitate seeing the inside light switch. The timer will still operate the lights on the inside of the garage, the same as outlined in my first answer. The outdoor sensor light will turn off on its own, according to how many minutes you have preset it to stay on.