Exterior Motion Detector Lights
Motion Detecting Lights are a great way to improve security and safety around your home. Not only can they ward-off any would-be intruders, they can also light-up dimly lit entry areas providing safe access to your home. Installation can be straight forward when replacing an existing light with a motion detecting one, however if there is no existing wiring a licenced Electrician has to be called in.
The detection units are of the infrared type, picking up heat that is radiated from moving objects. Most lights can be set to stay on anywhere from one minute right up to twenty minutes after the light is triggered. A photocell is used to deactivate the light during daylight hours.
The infrared detector has a semi-circular view of up to two hundred and forty degrees and can have a range of up to seventy feet or twenty one metres. If an all-in-one detector and light arrangement doesn’t suit your needs there is also lights available with a remote detector, this way the light can be placed in a different place from the detector. The wires used to connect the two are typically of a low voltage and easy to install.
If you opt for do-it-yourself installation the instructions supplied with the light will have all the information required to successfully install the light. A couple of things to keep in mind is that the light will need to be mounted 6 to 10 feet or 1.8 to 3 metres from the ground for best results and the key to having the light come on only when needed is to adjust the detector so that the light isn’t set off by passing traffic or people walking past your house. There is nothing more annoying than having the light come on for no apparent reason!
In the next post we are looking at the Basics of Home Alarms - what components are required and some of the different options you have.