Motion Sensor Lights

Motion sensor lights can be an effective and inexpensive component of your home monitoring system. Home owners and business owners have always been interested in security and safety, often in the form of alarms or security systems.

Even a basic security lighting system can help make your home or business location significantly safer. Most criminals are attracted to easier targets - places with poor lighting, places unlocked, places without alarms. graphic of night lighting

Exterior home lighting, in the form of flood lights, security lights, and motion sensor lights, are a great way to protect your home and ward off prowlers. The placement and location of security lighting can be challenging, since there are so many options. You can select from ground lights and eave-placed lights that can be used to light up a driveway, yard, or patio area.

A motion sensor light is a light that turns on when a sensor is triggered. Some have additional features such as dimmers or alarms. Many people prefer to use these lights outside. Many homeowners use motion sensors as porch lights that turn on as someone nears the front door. Most of these lights are very easy to install.

Place these lights near entrances such as the back and front doors, windows, even near your garage. If an intruder should attempt to enter your home or try to steal your car, the sensor will be triggered. Motion sensor flood lights are perfect for deterring intruders.

Save Electricity Inside The Home

Just as motion sensor lights can be used to provide lighting for the outside of a property, these lights can also be used inside the home. In an effort to save electricity, homeowners and businesses use motion sensor lighting in many circumstances.

These include closets and rooms that are not used very often. When an individual walks into a particular room a light will come on and when they leave the light will go off.

The sensor is programmed so that the light stays on while the person is in the room. Once the person leaves the room, the light will eventually turn off. Motion sensors for lights can be placed in locations such as along a dark stairway or in a hallway so that there is light only when needed.

Useful Features

•Adjustable sensor range/sensitivity to avoid false triggers from street traffic, wind-blown bushes or trees. Sometimes adjusting doesn't work and the bushes or trees need to be trimmed or cut down.

•Photocell to avoid switching on in daylight.

•Two brightness levels: timer-based medium brightness for general illumination (dusk to dawn or dusk plus 3 or 6 hours), high brightness when motion is detected to scare off intruders.

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Wireless Lights

Motion sensor lights are also available as solar powered units (which don't need wiring). Although solar powered lights don't offer enough power/brightness for most jobs, they can be useful for some small outdoor applications.

Advantages

•Easy to install. No electrical wiring needed.

•Will work even if mains electricity supply is cut.

Disadvantages

•Limited power and brightness, usually LEDs are used.

•Requires direct sunlight for the solar panel. Will not work well in shaded areas and during rainy weather or winter.

•Rechargeable batteries need to be changed every few years.

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Home Motion Sensor Light Switches

For indoor use, the motion sensor isn't normally built into lamps. Instead motion sensors are built into

•Standard wall switches, hard-wired by the electrician to ceiling or wall lights.

•Standard wall sockets, for plug-in table lamps and night lights. This offers maximum flexibility, because any existing lights can be used.

Some can be wired as 3-way switches, either with a manual switch (acting as a manual override) or with another sensor. This allows the light to be switched from two locations.

Some pass-through motion sensors don't need any wiring

•Plugging into wall sockets, and allowing other plugs to plug into their electrical socket.

•Screwing into lamp sockets, and allowing lamps to screw into their lamp socket.

As with outdoor sensors, photocells are used to stop the sensor from switching the lights on during daytime. However some rooms are relatively dark even in daylight, causing the sensor to switch the light on. In such situations the sensor should be placed in a brighter corner of the room, or a manual-on/auto-off switch can be used.

Battery-Powered LED Motion Sensor Lights

As with solar systems, battery-powered motion sensor lights use LEDs to maximize the limited electrical power available.

Many are small and light, palm-sized, easy to mount with just double-sided tape. They are suitable for closets, basements, garages and other low traffic areas.

Batteries should be AA or AAA for higher energy capacity. Small button or coin cell batteries will need more frequent replacement.

Problems to look for include:

•Sensors that are too sensitive, switching on when not wanted.

•Sensors that are not sensitive enough, switching on too late.

•Unreliable switches, failing after a few weeks or months.

•Sensors that need to be manually reset after a electrical mains power cut and restoration.

If you have a question or comment about motion sensor lights, contact me here.

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