led solar security light

led solar security light

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The first thing to consider when choosing motion lighting for your home is what you are trying to accomplish. Security lights should be bright and intimidating. If you have problems with animals in your yard at night, you need something sensitive and perhaps portable, or specialized for scaring animals. If you just want your home to welcome you when you arrive so you aren't fumbling for your keys or using up electricity, you will likely want to focus on aesthetics.

Installing motion lighting is usually a pretty simple affair, since most homes already have lighting wired into the area you would want to put your new lights. If it doesn't, you may wish to consult an electrician, as the project is beyond the scope of this guide, or install lights which don't require wiring. Increasingly, motion lights are being manufactured to run on battery or solar power. If you do have a light fixture where you want your motion lighting, you have two choices: you can either keep your existing lights and add a motion sensor to them, or buy and install a dedicated motion light.

Different lighting has different setup procedures, so check the documentation for any surprises. The first step is to locate the appropriate breaker in your electrical box and turn it off, and then turn off the light switch that controls the light, just to be safe from electrocution. There is a device I like for any time I get into minor electrical projects around the house; a non-contact voltage checker. It is a cheap little device carried by most hardware stores that detects voltage from a distance so you don't find out the hard way.

Unscrew and pull out the fixture, then unscrew the wire connectors and you should be able to remove the old light. Have someone help you hold the new light near the wall and twist the black wire from the light to the black wire from the house with a twist-on wire connector. Do the same with the white wires, and then look for a ground wire, usually bare copper or with green plastic. There should be a screw, often painted green, on the motion light to screw the ground to. Once the wires are ready, tuck them in as you put the motion light up flush with the house and screw it in.

Turn on the breaker and light switch. Most motion lights will give you some sort of indication they are getting power; either a light that flashes when it detects motion, or an LED, or just by turning on. Assuming everything is now working, it is time to make some adjustments.

Wait until dusk and activate the light (most security lights won't trigger during the day). The light and shield should be oriented to cover what you need it to cover and nothing else. It's impolite to point them at your neighbor's window, so while they are on, adjust them so the shadow falls around the edge of the area you need covered.

Some lights have a dial for duration, and one for sensitivity; set these down near their minimum settings. Walk out past their coverage area and wait for the light to turn off, then walk into the area they should be covering and see if they come on. Keep boosting the sensitivity until it is right for your needs. If it is on the front of your home, make sure it isn't triggered by passing cars, either with the sensitivity adjustment, or if the sensor itself can be reoriented, just point it down far enough that its view of the road is blocked. The reason we start at the low end of the settings is that you don't want it to be set off by every windblown tree and moth. If you are installing this as a nocturnal animal deterrent, you may want to set the sensitivity higher.

Once you get the sensitivity set, adjust the duration setting to whatever you think you would like. Your light should now be installed and ready to give you many years of dedicated service.

The best place to start your new lighting project is by browsing through reviews for outdoor motion lighting to pick the light that is best for you, whether you want security lighting, accent lighting, DIY kits, wireless or solar lights, etc. There is a far better selection online than you will find in your local store.

Led flash light switched to solar