Strip off 12 in. Mike is a past president of the CLCA and currently serves on their local Board of Directors. Mounting an outdoor motion sensor light to your home can help you feel safer, as your outdoor space will light up whenever someone approaches your house. Outdoor security lights are a great safety feature for your home, but flood lights that are constantly on can consume a lot of energy. Here’s a list. This electrical wiring question came from: Chris, a Homeowner from Aubrey, Texas. But take your time. • For best results mount the sensor switch to detect objects The ideal height for your motion sensor light is 6-10 feet off the ground in a position where the motion crosses the sensor rather than moves straight toward it. The second lists the number of wires in the cable (plus the bare ground wire). The other cable 'light' is connected to the light fitting. Test the lights in the room to make sure they are really cut off from power. But if you have lots of drilling to do, buy an auger bit. A motion sensor light switch will automatically detect when someone enters the room and turn on the lights. They’re not designed to control other light fixtures and are available in a limited range of styles. If you have a single light, just eliminate the wiring that feeds the second fixture. Install junction boxes so they’re flush with the exterior surface of the wall. Typically, the sensor will detect motion best if you place it 6 to 10 ft. above ground level. Your system must have a switch that can turn off the power to the sensor and light fixtures. A motion sensor light offers peace of mind and safety when it lights up a dark driveway, sidewalk or yard. A remote-style motion detector is a better choice. You will tighten the copper ground wire down around this screw by simply loosening the screw, looping the ground wire over it, and tightening the screw back down to make constant contact with the wire. In this story, we'll show you how to install a remote motion detector to your outside lights. Installing a motion sensor flood light it typically simple and straightforward. Be sure to buy cable that’s the same gauge as the existing cable. The wattage rating of the sensor must be at least as high as the total watts of the fixtures. With over 30 years of experience, Mike specializes in sustainable landscape practices. To cut a hole in any type of siding, drill a 3/8-in. The shortest route isn’t always the best. Just screw the receiver into a light socket and mount the sensor anywhere you like. A motion sensor is really just a switch and you generally wire it only into the hot leg of the circuit, not the neutral. These can be screw terminals or other types such as Wago connectors. spade bit works fine. Now you will have to run a single “always hot” (black 14 or 12 AWG) wire to the motion sensor power input wire or terminal from the terminal on the light switch that … Variety of motion sensor light wiring diagram. If you notice anything unusual in the wires in your electrical box or inside your walls (such as burned or uncoated wires), contact a certified electrician immediately. Electrical shock can occur if the power is not off. First, look at the existing cable you’ll use to power the sensor and lights. Before you run electrical cable to the junction boxes, you have to determine how you’ll wire your system. Gently push the wires back into the box. Apply for an electrical permit at the local inspections department so an inspector can check your work. You can also run the cable to a fixture and then to the sensor (Figure C). How to Install Exterior Motion Sensor Li... How to Install Exterior Motion Sensor Lights. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Mike holds an Ornamental Horticulture degree, C-27 Landscape Contractor and D-49 Tree Service Contractor licenses, and Permaculture Design, California Naturalist, International Certified Professional Pond Contractor, and Pond Building certifications. A remote sensor automatically lights up dark sidewalks and yards. It sends a radio signal to a receiver that switches on a light. Once you’ve ensured it works, place a thin line of silicone caulk around the edge of the fixture to seal it up. box is adequate for all the wiring configurations we show here. To be doubly safe, have a wire tester handy and test the wires connected to the old light to ensure no power is running to them before you actually touch them. A simple, effective, … The motion sensor came with directions and wiring diagrams (I know because i used to sell them and have installed many.) • Since the ZV810N is sensitive to temperature changes. Always start by attaching ground wires. Step 2 Last Updated: December 1, 2020 Enviroscape LA’s work has been featured in PONDS USA Magazine, Pond and Garden Lifestyles Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. You can also tape a sign to the door of the electrical panel box stating "Keep Out - Working on Electric!" It’s tempting to rush through this part of the project so you can see the results of your work. A wiring diagram is a simplified conventional pictorial depiction of an electrical circuit. Occasionally, especially on older homes, the hot wire may be a color other than black or red such as yellow. There are some limitations to this system, though. Is the light switch left on when the light is set from dusk to dawn? Wiring a Motion Detector Head to an Existing Light Fixture Here is an existing fixture that can have a motion detector head added to it to provide automatic sensor control during the night time. The wiring is a little more complicated than it is for most electrical projects, but even a novice can handle it by following the wiring diagrams we provide. We won’t detail the most basic aspects of electrical work, so you may need to do some further reading. Replacing your existing yard lights with ones that contains motion sensors will not only enhance security but provide needed illumination automatically when you come home at night. With other sensors, you have to check the wattage rating in the specifications. If there’s a specific corner you want the sensor to stop reacting to—such as a dog’s dog run beside the house—you can place a small piece of electrical tape on that corner of the sensor to stop it from receiving the data. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f3\/Install-an-Outdoor-Motion-Sensor-Light-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Install-an-Outdoor-Motion-Sensor-Light-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f3\/Install-an-Outdoor-Motion-Sensor-Light-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1146293-v4-728px-Install-an-Outdoor-Motion-Sensor-Light-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"