Motion detector light problems

[sperrin]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having problems with the lights above my garage which are on a motion detector. I guess to start, it is a brand new house (about 5 months old), and these motion detector lights have been working without any problems up until now (and I had not changed anything prior to having these problems).

I noticed they were not coming on, but the red "sensor" light was still flashing.

Upon checking closer, if I switch to "test" I can have continuous lighting. But when I switch to any delay in time (1, 5 or 20 minutes) when the lights shut off I can't get them back on. (checking this in the dark, using flashlight to play with light settings).

What should I check now? I've never had a motion sensor before, but I'm sure it's gotta be pretty simple to fix?

Any suggestions / ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

sperrin

[bumtracks]

one here to get it back in sync I have to power it off and being there's no switch I flip the circuit break off a couple of seconds then back on. another here boasts it retains programming for up to five minutes to make up for short power outages,,, well it takes about twenty minutes of no power to reset it to defaults once it screws up.

[Jonny R]

Your motion detector sounds like mine (flashing red sensor light, 1,

5, 20 minutes, etc.)

If it is, then the motion detector uses a photocell light sensor to detect whether it is dark outside or not. If it is dark then upon detecting motion it turns on the light. If it isn't dark then upon detecting motion it only flashes the red LED.

If it is dark, then the motion sensor should turn on the lights when it detects motion. If it doesn't do this, then perhaps there is an issue somewhere that is making your photocell light sensor think that it is always daytime outside? I know that on TEST mode, the lights will turn on after detecting motion whether it is dark outside or not (i.e. it ignores the photocell light sensor).

[sperrin]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies so far.

I turned off the breaker to the lights for a few hours (I was going out) and still no luck when I reset the breaker.

When I've been trying things with the motion lights, it has been pitch black out - we live in the country. I think it must be something with the photocell.

We recently had a very hard rainfall here (set record levels of rain), I wonder if it was wet .. would that likely screw anything up in regards to the sensors in the photcell ?

Any thoughts?

Thanks again.

sperrin

J> Your motion detector sounds like mine (flashing red sensor light, 1,

[Greg]

I have about a dozen motion detectors around here. They go bad all the time. Fortunately Home Depot will take back a bad one and let you get a new one.

[Jonny R]

I don't remember accurately, but I had an old motion sensor light that would either:

1) Bypass the photocell 2) Bypass the motion sensor (i.e. lights always on)

When you would turn the light switch on and off rapidly (i.e. ON-OFF-ON, or ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON) within a 3 second interval.

If this problem occurred shortly after all that rain (hurricane Frances by any chance?), then yeah, it could definitely be a possibility that rain water got in and damaged the photocell, although these things are supposed to be made for outdoor weather.

If all else fails, you can usually buy new motion detector lights at Home Depot or Wal-Mart for pretty cheap.

no luck when I reset the

we live in the country. I

it was wet .. would that

[woo]

replying to Jonny R, woo wrote: Yup, flip the switch on & off a bunch of times. Solved the problem.

[Brian]

replying to sperrin, Brian wrote: I am working on my motion dectector light outside on my garage the senior light blinks red even when I move it around can you give me any tips to fixing it

[Brian]

replying to bumtracks, Brian wrote: I have tried to shut the power off and I turned it back on and the motion light still stays on

[Rod Speed]

Mine have all been fine for decades now.

[gfretwell]

I have some that are decades old and others won't even make it through the typical 5 year warranty. Keep your receipt.

A lot has to do with the sun hits the sensor directly. Sunlight will burn them up pretty fast. In a couple that point south (would be north for Rod) I made a sunshade over the sensor out of aluminum flashing. That seems to help

[Clare Snyder]

That's the GOOD ones. I've seen them fail in less than 3.

[Clare Snyder]

The plastic "lens" over the sensor deteriorates quickly in direct sun. Protecting that can go a long ways. Bugs getting into the housing don't help either - and when the lens cracks they get in a lot rasier - -

I was replacing the one on my south-facing rear wall every 2 or 3 years. I finally spent a bit more and this one is approaching 5 years. The motion detector lights in my shed should last a lot longer as they don't see any direct sunlight.

[gfretwell]

The Heath Zenith head in my family room is almost 33 years old but it never sees the sun.

[Mike_Duffy]

I have a motion detector switch in my shed. I noticed after initial install that a CFL causes it to continuously 'sense' motion. All worked well when I replaced the CFL with an LED.

Actually, I also needed to put a filament (40 W) light parallel to the main LED load in order to provide a virtual ground for the sensor because LEDs cannot present a low enough impedance to enable the tiny current required by the sensor. After all, it needs to have somewhere to put electrons when it is finished with them.

[Clare Snyder]

All of mine are now "native" LED. No bulbs. No sockets. Designed to work that way and a LOT less power for at least as much light.

The only non LEDs in this house are the "globe" type exposed bulbs at the bathroom vanities. I have 3 sets of replacements for them so they will LIKELY remain incandescent for several years yet.