Installing motion detector lights in the surroundings of your house is a total relief from the fear of thefts, intruders, lousy animals, etc. However, read the article for some motion detector lights troubleshooting tips in case they start malfunctioning.
Today, motion detector lights are considered to be the source of security, or you can say, watchdogs, if you speak about the safety of your own house. They not only help you see through the darkness, but come on with an alarming bang in case of hunches. The best part is that they automatically switch on when they sense any sort of motion, burglary, human, or animal movement in the surrounding area of a residence. They stay on for a while and all the detector alarms go off automatically.
Now, in this time of action, all the chaos that is aroused is good enough to instill fear in the burglar and scare him till the end. Since these lights are so handy and useful to a homeowner and his property, it is obvious to keep a check on its regularity and proper functions, whether they work well or not. If, however, they malfunction, you could try out some simple motion detector lights troubleshooting tips for fixing them.
Troubleshooting Tips
Clean the Lights
As most of them are outdoor motion sensor lights, cleaning happens to be the most valid point though. Clean all its light surfaces with a piece of cloth and a cleaning solution. There can be mildew, debris, dust, light attracted freaky insects stuck into the sensors, and so on. These typical outdoor conditions soil the sensors, dim the capacity of the bulbs to emit proper light, and ultimately give out on the fixture’s normal functionality.
Check the Light Manually
A detector could be blocked due to some good reason eventually providing no power to the light. If you see a blockage, remove the interference that is causing it. Remember, interior lights have detectors on the switches, and the ones that are on the exterior have detectors fixed directly on the light(s).
Dysfunctional Detector
Another possibility can be a bad, dysfunctional sensor. If you find out that the detector or the sensor is gone completely bad and the alarms aren’t functioning well, it’s time to change them. You can only learn about the state of a bad detector by using an electrical meter. This meter will help you know whether there is electricity running through the main power supply box or not. If the power is missing, perhaps the breaker is tripped and if the electric power is present, that means the detector has gone bad. Buy a new one from the hardware store to fix the problem.
Fussy Light Bulbs
One of the most common problems with these lights is that of erratic light bulbs, which burn out over time. They are the main reason motion detector sensor lights do not work half the time. So, if you learn that the light bulbs aren’t working, unscrew them and replace the old for new with the same wattage. After replacement, switch on the bulb and check for its working condition.
Aim and Adjust the Sensor
If the lights do function, but if they do not function at the right time, there is no point. For this reason, you will have to adjust the points of the sensor correctly. Choose the area where you want the light to respond to, then hold the detector at its back and tilt it slightly such that the light sensor directs in your chosen area. Next, set the distance of the light to monitor and slide the Sensory Adjustment Dial to medium, low, or high state, depending on how far you want its light to respond to. Once all this has been decided, slide the switch to next and test the detector for its working condition.
Set the Right Time
There is a choice of adjusting the time of your motion detector lights to remain on even after the object or movement has been detected in your surroundings. The time range is standard, i.e., 30 seconds to somewhere around 10 minutes long. If, in this given time, the lights do not go off, then it’s time to adjust the sensory adjustment dial located on the detector to feed in the right time for the light to stay on.
It is hard to deny that with increasing technology in today’s world, a man’s life is becoming much easier day in and out. And, one of the major contributors are these motion detector lights, which guards a homeowner and his property and gives him sound sleep at night. These tips should come in handy the next time you have a problem with your security system.