Wuiil Morris Products Hands-Free Lighting Door Switch – For Closets, Dark Rooms, Walk-Ins – Push Button, Cover Plate, Mounting Hardware, Metal Box – AC/DC SPST 6” Wire Leads – 1.25” x 2.75” x 2”

A simple, reliable way to make closet lights automatic

After getting tired of fumbling for a switch with an armful of groceries, I retrofitted my pantry and a small linen closet with this hands-free door-jamb light switch. It’s a mechanical, push-button switch that lives in the jamb: open the door and the light pops on; close the door and it shuts off. No apps, no sensors to aim, just a spring and contacts in a small metal box. That simplicity is the appeal—and in practice, it works exactly the way you hope.

What you get and how it’s built

The kit includes a metal switch box, a cover plate, mounting hardware, and a pre-wired SPST push-button switch with 6-inch leads. The assembly is compact—roughly 1.25 × 2.75 × 2 inches—so it’s sized to fit a standard door jamb mortise without intruding into the doorway. It’s UL/CSA listed and rated at 10 A at 125 VAC or 250 VAC, which is more than enough for any closet fixture, including older incandescent cans and newer LED strips or surface mounts.

The switch itself has a positive, tactile action with a short throw. The plunger is firm, and the return spring is strong enough to resist accidental half-presses if the door brushes the jamb. The metal box is thin but appropriately rigid; edges are finished and the cover plate keeps everything tidy once installed. The included screws are fine for softwood jambs, though I swapped for slightly longer wood screws in one location for additional bite.

Installation: straightforward if you plan your layout

If you’ve ever mortised a strike plate, you can handle this. My steps:

• Map the location. With the door closed, mark a spot on the hinge side jamb where the door face meets the stop. You want the plunger to land squarely against the flat of the door—not on a bevel or molding.
• Check clearances. Make sure the plunger will fully depress when the door is closed. If your door stop is thick, you might need to position the switch slightly proud of the stop to guarantee full travel.
• Prep the opening. I traced the cover plate, drilled a pilot, and used a sharp chisel to create a neat mortise. Go slow—square shoulders help the plate sit flush.
• Run and identify conductors. The switch is a simple in-line device. It should interrupt the hot conductor feeding the light. I pulled the feed and load into the metal box, joined the neutrals together, and used the switch leads to break the hot. The 6-inch leads give you enough slack for clean splices with standard wirenuts.
• Grounding. It’s a metal box—bond it per code with a grounding screw/pigtail to your equipment ground. Don’t skip this step.
• Mount and align. Dry-fit the box, test the plunger’s travel with the door, and adjust as needed before final screws go in. I like to loosely mount, test, then snug everything after confirming the light toggles reliably.

Safety note: Shut off the breaker and verify. Also, closets have fixture clearance rules—if you’re upgrading the light at the same time, make sure your luminaire placement and lens type are compliant.

Time-wise, the pantry took me about 40 minutes start to finish; the linen closet, about 20, since I’d already done the layout once.

Daily use and performance

This is where the door-jamb switch shines. The response is instant and repeatable. Open the door half an inch, the light is on. Close it, and it clicks off without delay. I tested it with a mix of fixtures—legacy incandescent in one closet, a dimmable LED flush mount in the other—and the switch behaves well with both. There’s no ghosting or flicker with the LED load, which you sometimes see with electronic sensors.

Mechanically, it has a crisp, audible click that you’ll notice for the first day and then forget. The plunger face is small and makes reliable contact with a flat-painted door. I added a clear bumper dot where the plunger meets the door on one opening; it quieted the contact and protected the paint without affecting travel.

Fit, door types, and placement tips

• Standard hinged doors: This is the ideal scenario. Mount on the hinge side jamb where the door leaf seals. Avoid the latch side—the bevel and latch cutout can complicate alignment.
• Double (French) doors: Choose the primary leaf that closes last. The switch needs a consistent stopping surface.
• Bi-fold or bypass doors: It can work, but you’ll spend more time on alignment to ensure the plunger sees full travel when the door is “closed.”
• Pocket doors: Not recommended without extra carpentry, since the door disappears into the wall and won’t press the button.

Two practical tips:
- Align for full depression. If the button doesn’t bottom out with the door closed, you risk inconsistent off behavior. Shim behind the plate or tweak the stop if needed.
- Keep the plunger clean. If you’re painting the jamb, mask the inside of the box and the plunger carefully. Don’t let paint or tape residue gum up the mechanism.

Durability and maintenance

Mechanical switches live or die by contact quality and spring design. The action on this one feels robust, with no side play in the plunger and a good return snap. After a few months of multiple daily cycles, mine hasn’t missed a beat. With proper alignment (full press when closed, full release when open), mechanical wear should be minimal. If you’re in a dusty space—think utility closet with a dryer nearby—wipe the plunger occasionally.

One subtle reliability safeguard is to ensure the door actually closes to the same point every time. Settling hinges or a sagging strike can reduce plunger travel. If the door starts to bind or leave a wider reveal over time, re-adjust the hinges or add a strike shim.

Safety and code considerations

• Switch the hot conductor only. Leave the neutral continuous to the fixture.
• Use the included metal box. Don’t bury splices in the jamb without an enclosure.
• Bond the box. A green grounding screw and a short copper pigtail are inexpensive and essential.
• Fixture clearances in closets exist for a reason. Lens-covered LEDs are your friend here.

If you’re not comfortable identifying line/load and working in tight spaces, this is a quick job for a licensed electrician.

Pros and cons

Pros:
- Immediate, hands-free operation with any door opening
- Simple, mechanical reliability—no batteries, no programming
- UL/CSA listing and a sensible 10 A rating for typical lighting circuits
- Compact footprint and included metal box keep the install tidy
- Works cleanly with LEDs, CFLs, and incandescents

Cons:
- Industrial look; the cover plate won’t match decorative switches or fancy trim without custom work
- Requires precise alignment for consistent off behavior on door close
- Not ideal for pocket or complex door configurations
- Short leads are neat but can be tight in a crowded jamb cavity

Who benefits most

If you have a pantry, coat closet, or utility cabinet that gets frequent use, this is an easy lifestyle upgrade. It’s especially nice where hands are often full or dirty—garages, basements, or laundry room closets. In commercial or back-of-house spaces, it’s an inexpensive way to reduce accidental “left on” lights.

If your priority is aesthetics and a perfectly matched wall plate, or your door setup is non-standard, consider a ceiling-mounted occupancy sensor instead. For a straightforward hinged closet door, though, the door-jamb approach is the most natural interaction—open equals on.

Recommendation

I recommend this door-jamb light switch. It’s a low-tech, high-convenience solution that installs with basic tools, plays nicely with modern fixtures, and simply works. The included metal box and hardware make for a clean, code-conscious installation, and daily use is as intuitive as it gets. As long as you take a few minutes to align the plunger for full travel and keep paint out of the mechanism, you’ll get dependable, hands-free lighting every time you open the door.