Sensor security lighting

[Monument]

Was considering getting one of these for the gate side of the house which is in darkness both on approach and exit. They only cost about $30 and there is a wide range. Had one years ago which plugged into existing outdoor light socket. Trouble with this range is that they all require a licensed sparky to install. I find it a bit hard to believe that people a buying these cheap items and then paying up for a sparky to install it (unless you have a mate). I think they encourage weekend sparkies. Anyone put one in themselves? Wouldn't be a big job but I'm sheepish when it comes to fiddling with mains power.Arlec $29.90 - electrician required.

[Jason]

Hi @Monument,

Welcome to Workshop. We look forward to reading about your projects and plans. Feel free to post anytime you need a hand. However, I'm sure all community members on this occasion would advise you to avoid any D.I.Y. electrical work. Always get a qualified electrician to complete any electrical work on your home. If you are not a qualified electrician, then performing electrical work is not only illegal but very dangerous.

All the best,

Jason

[royq]

Hi @Monument,

I'd give it a go if it was just being wired into a power point again because the circuit is all setup and fused etc. I'm never too keen on tapping into existing circuits etc though, that's about where I call a sparky.

Cheers, Roy

[ranny]

Well they have now the sensor lights with batteries operated on special $20 - i am going to install 2 of them tomorrow at my front fence and at the back in the driveway . 

You dont need sparkie for that ones...and they are led lights much more effecient on the battery 

[Electron]

I can only give strong support to Jason's comment about the use of a qualified electrician; in addition to his comments, most manufacturers won't honour a warranty claim if an installation isn't carried out by a qualified electrician. A few tips about sensor lights, though. PIR sensors have a number of "zones" in them and work by detecting an object, at a different temperature to the background, moving from one zone into another. Therefore, to get the maximum sensing distance, an object needs to move across the face of the sensor; side to side. They will still work when an object is directly in front of the PIR and is moving toward it, but the PIR won't detect the object until it's quite close. They also work best when there's a reasonable temperature difference between the background and the object being detected; in Darwin, the difference between background and a human body can be quite small. Most PIRs have an adjustable lux level (how dark it has to be before operating) and a timer (how long the light stays on for after activation); the ones that also have a sensitivity adjustment as well do tend to work better. Some PIRs have an override function that's activated by quickly turning the light switch on, off, and on again; that's handy if the sensor light is replacing a non sensor one and there are times when you want the light to stay on. That override gets cancelled when the switch is turned off; a sensor light without that function requires an extra switch wire to achieve an override. The particular type sensor light being discussed here will work but you're certainly not getting a top of the range product at that price.

[Jason]

Thanks for joining in the discussion @ranny.

Here's a link to the product you mentioned - https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-6-5w-led-spotlight-with-sensor_p4410965 

It is listed as "When it's gone, it's gone" so you might want to be quick!

Let me extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're pleased you could join us and look forward to reading all about your projects and plans. Feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something to share.

Jason

[Jason]

Many thanks for your input @Electron. Are you a sparky? It certainly sounds like you've got a great deal of knowledge and experience that you can share with our community members. Many thanks for joining us, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your posts soon.

Please let me know if you have any feedback about how we can make Workshop more useful to you.

Jason

[Vicki65]

---

@Jason wrote:

Thanks for joining in the discussion @ranny.

Here's a link to the product you mentioned - https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-6-5w-led-spotlight-with-sensor_p4410965 

It is listed as "When it's gone, it's gone" so you might want to be quick!

Let me extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're pleased you could join us and look forward to reading all about your projects and plans. Feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have something to share.

---

Jason

 Thanks for posting the link, as a single person getting a 'sparky' is too much for me. So i will get one in the link. I hope Bunnings bring in Afterpay. Lost my CCard.so unable to order online yet.

Is their a section to review Bunnings products on this site.

[Jason]

@Vicki65,

Bunnings doesn't currently have customer reviews on their website but Workshop members are certainly welcome to post reviews here. 

Jason