Outside lights for securi

[barry martin]

Patricia:

R > I would like to install some outside spotlights with motion detectors to R > both provide light for the family coming home at night and also as a R > security issue.

You may wish to consider units with motion and dusk-to-dawn sensors. With the latter the spotlights will be on only during the night hours. No need to be concerned with manully switching them on and off.

In addition to the above you might want to consider a unit which runs at 30% normally and ups to 100% when motion is detected. The duration is user-controllable, or at least with the model we have.

As another respondent indicated, super-bright light is generally not necessary. IIRC we're using 75W floods, so at 30% it's like a 25W light -- more than enough light to see what is going on.

R > The house is vinyl sided, with a porch but no garage. R > I would like to also have a switch to turn them off and on. R > R > I have 2 outside outlet boxes mounted on the exterior walls.

I would guess using an outlet box extender and running conduit to the floodlamp positions. Or run from the attic, mounting from the roof overhang. (Remember not to put too high -- you'll have to replace the bulbs eventually!)

R > I would like to mount one on the corner of the front porch facing the R > driveway and one on the back corner of the house facing the street. It's a R > corner property.

Remember to angle both the sensor and floodlamps down: you don't want pedestrians and traffic false-triggering, nor do you want the light in their eyes.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Did you hear about the cannibal who passed his neighbor in the jungle?

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

I've got motion sensors connected to flood lights all around my house. There's no light sensor. As it is, there's no way to approach any place around my house without setting off at least one of them... generally more than one. I don't have to pay for electricity when there's no action, and bulbs last for years.

The weirdo who lived across the street pulled a gun on the cable man when he came to unhook his illegal connection. The next thing you know, SWAT has set up a perimeter and there's snipers in my yard. Pissed off snipers.... because every time they moved, they set off one of my floodlights. If I had known they were out there I'd have turned them off, but I didn't know.

I suppose the argument could be made that the lights aren't effective if I didn't know they were on, but they're there for deterence and convenience more than anything else. If the barbarians come pouring through a breach, I have other surprises for them inside. But that's another story....

[Harry K]

Definitely install switch(es): The few I have been involved with, both mine and my mother's needed to be turned off to reset them after a power outage. Definitely a hassle trying to find the right circuit breaker and they can't be reset without cutting the power (once it is back on).

Harry K

[Terry]

Reference:

Thanks to the OP and those who have commented to this thread. Although we live in a relatively 'peaceful' area the info fits in with an idea I am now pursuing for lighting our garden to work on a boat during the off-season. Also I've had two switches one at each end of the house, including one in main bedroom for wife if/when I'm away, for the purpose of turning on outside lights for some 30 years but never installed the lights! Question; once triggered how long do the lights stay on and can that interval be adjusted? If too short I may have to modify the circuit? Or, maybe, arrange to just have lights stay on until we 'release' them back to normal motion caused operation? Example; I come home or wake up and observe "Oh, something/someone triggered the lights". (Hmmm! Maybe a cat, an owl or bat, or a sheet of plywood blowing past during a gale!) I'm thinking that 'sort of' 30 to 45 minutes burn time after triggering would be suitable. Possibly undesirable if they only trigger on for a few minutes to have them then 'blink' off? I believe one can program some types by switching the power on and off a certain number of times; all of it being cancelled by any momentary power interruption? Or rig a bypass switch for 'steady on' operation? Any advice much appreciated. Terry.