Upgrading your property with motion sensor lights is a smart move. These lights can alert you if an intruder approaches your home, and they’re a convenient addition for parking at night.
If you’re running into problems with motion sensor lights that don’t turn on, there are a few steps you can take. Read on for some helpful advice from our expert electricians.
How Do Motion Sensor Lights Work?
Motion sensor lights use sensors to detect movement. The lights come on when the sensors detect a person or object moving.
The motion sensors used to detect movement can vary from product to product. While some motion sensor lights rely on active infrared sensors, others use passive infrared or PIR sensors. Your light fixture might also use photoelectric sensors or microwave technology, but infrared radiation is more common.
Occupancy sensors can keep you safe at night. These lights will detect your presence and automatically emit light if you’re parking or walking outside.
Motion sensor lights are energy efficient because they shut off automatically. You can use up to 75% less energy compared to traditional lights.
While motion sensor lights aren’t as bright as floodlights at 12 to 100 lumens instead of 700 to 1,300 lumens, they can still work as an effective deterrent against intruders.
The sensors can go bad, and movement detection will no longer work.
The bulbs might stop working and no longer emit light even though the device works properly.
Electrical issues, such as a damaged power cord or faulty battery from solar motion lights, can prevent the device from working correctly.
Issues like power surges and power outages can also cause a motion detector light to stop working.
If you’re running into problems with your motion light fixture, turning the device on and off again is one of the first things you can try to reset the lights. If this doesn’t work, your best option is to give us a call and have one of our professional electricians troubleshoot the problem.
How to Troubleshoot a Motion Sensor Light
The following steps will help you troubleshoot your vacancy sensors.
Check the Sensor
Are there objects blocking the sensor? Check the sensor’s surface and wipe it with a clean cloth to remove dirt and debris.
Replace the Light Bulbs
While LED lights can last longer than other types of bulbs, a power surge or defective circuit can still cause them to stop working. The bulb may wear out over time or sustain damage if an object falls on the light. Check the light bulbs and replace them if needed.
Adjust the Settings
Check your owner’s manual to see if you can adjust the sensitivity setting of your motion lights or adjust the detector mode. If the setting is too low, the sensors might fail to respond to slight movements.
You can also try adjusting the duration settings. A light that glows for a few seconds might not be beneficial, and a light that stays on for several minutes can go through its battery quickly if you’re using solar-powered motion lights.
If you can, expand the range setting to improve the efficiency of your outdoor security lights.
U.S. Electric: Dependable Expert Electricians
If your lights are still not working after cleaning the sensor, checking the light bulbs, and adjusting the settings, give us a call.Our expert electricians at U.S. Electric will be able to find and address the root cause of the issue. Give us a call now to get your motion sensor lights working again!
Electrical issues, such as a damaged power cord or faulty battery from solar motion lights, can prevent the device from working correctly. Issues like power surges and power outages can also cause a motion detector light to stop working.
When troubleshooting a motion light, start with these: Clean the motion sensor. Stationary tools like outdoor (or even indoor) lighting tends to accumulate a considerable amount of dust and debris, and this could be your only real problem. Locate the sensor on your motion light and check it for a layer of grime.
Turn your light switch on and off quickly, hitting each position four times.When the light comes on, turn the switch to the off position and wait five to seven seconds before turning it on again. The light should remain off and the motion detection unit should be reset.
Heaters and Sunlight: Heaters and sunlight can also set off a motion sensor. These sources can cause a sudden change in temperature, which the sensor picks up.
In order to respond to movement, these light switches are always on standby and thus consume some amount of phantom energy. So unless you're forgetting to turn off your 60-watt light bulb 14 hours a day every day for a year, the cost of purchasing and powering the standby light switch isn't worth the investment.
The sensors can go bad, and movement detection will no longer work. The bulbs might stop working and no longer emit light even though the device works properly. Electrical issues, such as a damaged power cord or faulty battery from solar motion lights, can prevent the device from working correctly.
Motion sensor light lifespans vary, but they typically last around 10,000 to 100,000 hours of operation before needing replacement. Why do motion sensor nightlights sometimes turn on even when nothing is there to trigger it?
One of the quick tricks you can try is to quickly turn the motion sensor ON, OFF, ON to override the motion detection and make the light stay on. To go back to motion detection mode, turn the motion sensor off, wait for about 10 seconds, and then turn it on again.
Most motion detectors utilize Passive Infrared (PIR) technology to detect movement. As a result, they can track the activity of moving objects that generate infrared light. Anything that produces enough infrared energy and a temperature shift can trigger the motion detector.
Normally the switch is kept on all the time. The motion detector monitors ambient light (daylight) and then activates when it's dark enough, and motion is detected. If you turn the switch off and on within a second or so, the light will stay on, and this overrides motion detection.
Clean the sensor. Use a soft cloth moistened with a cleaning solution such as window cleaner. Remove accumulation of dust and mildew, as well as any insects and spider webs from the fixture and bulb. Pay particular attention to cleaning the lens of the infrared sensor that switches the light on when motion is detected.
If your motion sensor light doesn't turn on at all, it could be that the bulb is damaged. Try replacing it with a brand new one and see what happens. If it works perfectly after that, then great! If not, it might be time to consider getting a professional in to take a look at it.
However, while motion detector lights are designed to work smoothly, they can fail sometimes. They also have a limited lifespan. Some models can last up to 100,000 hours, while others may have a shorter lifespan. If you notice anything wrong with your sensor lights, it's best to call in an expert to lend you a hand.
Do My Motion Detector Lights Need a Switch to Work? Seeing as motion detector lights were created to turn on without you having to flip a switch, you do not have to have a switch to have motion detector lights. Having a switch that attaches to your lights, however, expands your lights' capabilities.
Yes, most sensors will have the ability to override the sensor function altogether and operate the light manually, as necessary. This is done by turning the light switch OFF – ON – OFF – ON in quick succession. The light will then remain ON and will not go OFF until you manually turn it OFF at the switch.
However, while motion detector lights are designed to work smoothly, they can fail sometimes. They also have a limited lifespan. Some models can last up to 100,000 hours, while others may have a shorter lifespan. If you notice anything wrong with your sensor lights, it's best to call in an expert to lend you a hand.
It might be because they are connected up to an old movement sensor! Some older style motion sensors are not compatible with LED light bulbs, which may be causing your new motion detector lights not to work properly.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
