My 25 yr old mercury vapor(?) outside security light has bit the dust.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a new photo cell operated security light?
Does not have be "decorative" or cheap, I want functional and long lasting.
Don't get the $19.95 one like I did. It has a motion range of only 10 feet at maximum sensitivity. However, close up it is so sensitive, the bugs turn it on when they fly near it. Shoulda bought the one for $79.95. Get one that will accept at least 100 watt bulbs.
Bob
rck posted for all of us....
Uh don't want a motion detector rather photocell activated.
Get a high pressure sodium light, preferably with a "cutoff" shade because there's enough glare in the world already. The amount of area you're trying to light determines the wattage you need; 35W, 50W, and
70W are common, but they go up to 400W. The lamps are very efficient and last for many years without replacing.Best regards, Bob
Why pay to illuminate darkness? Set it for motion, and the 15 minute setting. If you need light that stays on ALL the time, make it some smaller usage lights.
Just MHO, YMMV.
Steve
Most are a combination of both photocell and motion. To use for photocell only, bypass the motion sensor. Even this cheapie has both.
Bob
After buying the cheapie and having it not work so good, I called the electric company and they installed a good one on the pole out front, one year contract at $7 a month includes power. It's up high so there is good coverage and they maintain it.
Bob
Get something with a high pressure sodium bulb. I'm on my third house with mine and about 8 years. It burns all night every night and will save you some money over hte old mercury vapor.
Steve B.
Yeh, but the quality of the light is awful. Mercury is bad but looks like full spectrum compared to Sodium. When my mercury goes, I will replace with fluorescent.
You got a bargain. I just had one done and my utility charged $87 installation and $27/month. Maybe yours was smaller?
It's a standard sodium vapor street light. This is rural Tennessee where things tend to be cheaper than in the big city. The Tennessee Valley Authority pays this stuff. We can also get central heat / ac installed and financed through TVA. Being a hillbilly isn't all bad. They'll even run power to the outhouse.
Bob
Being a hillbilly isn't all bad. They'll even run
But will they put a light in the basement???
I had bought a motion sensor lamp that used two 100-watt halogen light bulbs (the tubular shaped bulbs. Not the cone or satellite-dish shaped ones like the MR16 or GU10s). This was the type of motion sensor lamp that is always on at 25% power, but kicked it up to 100% power when it detected motion. It also looked quite stylish in design since it used small halogen light bulbs (didn't really look like the typical motion sensor security light)
I liked the lamp and the performance of the motion sensor, but those
100-watt halogen light bulbs were a pain in the ass. They would burn out every 3-4 months, and are expensive and difficult to find. After a year I had spent close to $35 on light bulb replacements alone, and I was growing tired of having to get the ladder and screw driver every time to change the light bulbs. So I decided to simply buy a new motion sensor lamp (for roughly $40) that used two regular 150-watt incandescent flood lights (same style of motion sensor... always on at 25% power but kicks it up to 100% power when it detects motion). I haven't had to replace a light bulb since I bought it (2 years now) and am quite happy with the light. Although not as stylish as the halogen one, at least it doesn't require me changing the light bulbs every 3-4 months.
There are ballasts and lamps made for the fixture. Replace and have another
25 years.
Do you want security or light? You will get best security with NO light except maybe a motion sensitive light. Burglars love lighted areas, they cannot see in the dark. Crime is higher in areas with 'security' lights.
Actually, most burglaries (contrary to popular belief) happen during the daytime, not at night. Most homes, after all, are unoccupied during the day, but not at night.
As to the comment about burglars not being able to see in the dark, I suppose you think that burglars are just too dumb to think of buying a flashlight?
In any event, the number one factor in whether a home will be burglarized is perceived occupancy. The vast majority (90-95%, depending on the survey) of burglaries occur when the home is unoccupied. If the home appears occupied (and lights can accomplish this), it's less likely to become a target. Sure, the burglar can always ring the doorbell to find out if someone is home, but that's less likely to happen with a home that has lights on at night.
Can you provide a reference to any sort of crime survey that came to this result, or are you just making it up?
Regards,
George Wenzel
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