How to Choose and Install Motion Sensor Lighting

Automated night lighting, when and where you lot demand it.

Fourth dimension

A full 24-hour interval

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$51–100

Introduction

A motion sensor calorie-free offers peace of mind and safety when information technology lights upwardly a nighttime driveway, sidewalk or yard. Here's how to install one, forth with tips to forbid it from coming on when you don't want information technology to.

Tools Required

Our pace-by-step photos and tips from our experts provide a general guide of how to do the task. In most cases, you'll merely replace an existing fixture with the new ane. Make sure to turn off the power to the fixture at the main panel before removing it.

However, if you take to run a new electrical line and install a switch, the job can get much more complex. Outdoor electrical lines must be encased in canonical conduit and weatherproof electrical boxes. If yous're not familiar with conduit or the rules for running new electric circuits, call in a licensed electrician.

Prophylactic Notes:

Get an electrical permit from your local section of inspections. Check for special local rules and have your work inspected when finished.

Caution:Don't let your ladder or your body touch lethal overhead ability lines while you're working.

Circumspection: Aluminum wiring requires special handling. If you take aluminum wiring, phone call in a licensed pro who'southward certified to piece of work with it. This wiring is boring grayness, not the boring orange that's feature of copper.

Motion detector lights are easy to install, but each brand has a few dissimilar details, then read the instructions. You'll find the basic information printed on the exterior of the box. Read the box before you buy the unit so you know what you're getting. You'll find more detailed instructions inside the box.

Projection footstep-by-step (ten)

Step 1

How Do Motion Detectors Work?

Motion detectors are pocket-size electronic eyes that detect infrared waves, i.east. heat waves that radiate from moving objects. When the detector senses an object moving across its field of view — especially warmer objects such as people, animals and cars — it electronically turns on the lights.

Nuisance Trips

An outdoor motion sensor light will react to the motion of your dog, an approaching person, a passing car or sometimes even wind-blown leaves. Nuisance "trips" occur when things like that fool the detector and activate the motion sensing lights.

These can exist annoying to you and your neighbors, and some homeowners won't install motion detector lights for this reason. However, yous can solve most unwanted switching-on by adjusting the distance-range setting and advisedly aiming the sensor to limit its field of view.

    • Pro tip: You can narrow the field of view even more by applying record to the sensor.

Step 2

Where to Put Motion Lights

Ideally, it's all-time to mount motion sensing lights six to 10 feet above the footing and positioned so that most movement volition occur across the sensitivity zone, rather than directly toward the detector. For maximum effectiveness, position a motion sensor light to encompass the walks leading to your front and back doors and the driveway. That way the lights will come on when you come home at night. You can too use them to light up decks, patios and potentially hazardous locations such as around stairways and pond pools.

If improved security is a priority, position the motility sensor lights to comprehend all the approaches to your business firm, including fence gates, the patio door, the darker areas of your thou, and around copse and bushes. Expert lighting can't guarantee security, of course, but it's ane of the best low-toll ways to discourage intruders.

Step 3

Shut off the Electricity

  • Plow off the power to the fixture at the main panel, and then test the wires to brand certain the electric current is off.
  • Rub one lead of a voltage tester confronting the ground wire and rub the other lead starting time confronting the hot wire (black), then the neutral wire (white).
  • If the tester lights up in either case, the power is still on. Shut off the correct circuit at the master panel.

Step 4

Install a Larger Box

  • Install a replacement electrical box if your existing box is besides small. Plastic boxes take the size in cubic inches stamped on them.

Step 5

Wire the New Fixture

  1. Mount the motion sensors according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  2. Run the wires through the rubber gasket.
  3. And then connect the neutral wires (white), hot wires (black) and ground wires (green or bare copper) with wire connectors.

Step 6

Mount the Fixture

  • Screw the fixture into identify.
  • Make certain the rubber gasket seals the edges of the box and so moisture can't go in.
    • Pro tip: Apply a bead of clear silicone caulk around the edges if necessary.

Footstep 7

Aim the Security Light Sensor

  • Aim the motility detector sensor and the motion detector light bulb at the field of view you lot want covered. (Afterwards, you tin can aim the detector lower to reduce the field of view if nuisance trips are a problem.)
  • Point the light bulbs to the surface area you want lit. Keep the bulbs as far abroad from the detector as possible.

Step 8

Set the Controls

  • Set the detector'southward altitude range as desired. You lot can also reduce this later, if necessary, to eliminate nuisance trips.
  • Also, set the timer shutoff control. On most units you can choose automatic shutoff subsequently either 1, v or xx minutes.

Step 9

Limit the Field of View

  • Cover a portion of the security light sensor lens with plastic tape if information technology becomes necessary to narrow its side-to-side field of view more than the adjustments will allow.

Step 10

Boosted Installation Tips

  • The embrace of an outdoor electrical box must be waterproof. Seal the rubber gasket carefully. If yous are placing it against a crude surface, caulk it also.
  • Moisture tin seep into the detector and light sockets and ruin them. To preclude this, either locate the fixture nether an eave or other protected area, or buy one with bulb seals and angle the bulbs downward so water can't run into the socket.
  • Heat from the low-cal bulb itself can confuse the detector. Go on the bulb and detector as far apart as possible.
  • Arrange the field-of-view angle and fix the altitude range of your motility detector to avert nuisance trips from normal passing traffic, animals, pools of water, air conditioners, heating vents and wind-diddled trees and shrubs.

Originally Published: May 15, 2022