I live in the last house in a line of townhouse. The HOA wanted me or the guy whose building is at right angles to mine to put up a motion-detector controlled floodlight. I volunteered so that I could turn the light off entirely if I ever sleep outside.
The fixture has broken three times in the last 10 or 15 years. Each time the electrician the HOA uses installed a new fixture, a different model each time. Do you think it likely the electrician uses the cheapest fixtures they sell and that is why they fail so soon????
I sort of thought those generic fixtures electricians use are as good as any others, just cheaper because there is no famous brand name attached, with the advertising costs that go with one.
(The first time, the light wouldn't go on when I walked in front of the motion detector, even though the little red light went on. The second time, nothing went on and I found a burned out connection inside the fixture after the trician replaced it and gave it to me. Now the light goes on if there is a short power failure, even one second, which is fine. but doesn't turn off when the sun comes up the next day. It will stay on 24 hours a day until I notice it. In Baltimore County we get short power failures all the time.)
If the theory the electrician buys cheap stuff is reasonable, I'm ready to buy my own. All that Home Depot sold is Zenith/Heathkit.
Is that good? What would be better?
What would you reccomend, one that uses standard floodlight like they've made for 50+ years, two
150 watt bulbs (probably not, huh)halogen floodlights (they seem to make those now, smaller than regular floods;
or those halogen lights the shape of glass cigarettes or pencils, that fit behind rectangular windows?
If you like the thin halogen lights, which would be better/brighter, One 500 watt bulb, or Two 150 watt bulbs?
Now, if I want to change the bulb, I have to have them call the eleectrician. If I get the fixture lowered a few feet, I'll still have to borrow an extension ladder.
The yard is small but the fixture is 20 to 25 feet up the wall and now barely illuminates the yard when its on.
Thanks a lot.