Adjustable photocell?

[MushCreek]

I'm looking to replace the photocell on my dusk-to-dawn light on the side of my garage. The problem is that the existing one is too sensitive. On cloudy days the light stays on all day. Only during the brightest part of the day does it shut off. Part of the problem is that it's in a shady area, and under the roof overhang to boot. Is there an adjustable photocell I can get? I see some that have a slide to cover the photocell to make it more sensible. Hell, I could do that with a piece of electrical tape. Is there some way I can determine if a given unit will give me what I want without having to buy it and try it?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've seen some with a small reflective "mirror" to shed more light to prevent it from coming on like yours.

If yours is coming on too often and not going off, I think you need more light not less. Got any foil tape or tape a piece of aluminum foil behind/under the sensor in an attempt to give it more light.

Why buy a new unit if the old one just needs a tweak ?

 

[Terry D]

I have never seen a photo cell with adjustable sensitivity. You best bet is to relocate it to a area that sees more light or install a in wall timer in place of the switch and get rid of the photocell.

They say to point a photocell to the north, i believe this to keep them out of direct sunlight, which is not your case. You need more sunlight.

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[joablynn]

There are photocells with options, but normally special order and expensive. I think Hubbell is the last ones I looked at.

An astronomical clock is a much more economical and reliable option, personally I find them much preferable to a photo eye.

 

[MushCreek]

I think it's the individual unit that is at fault. The one on my barn is in a similar exposure, and is way less sensitive. I guess I could just go buy another one, but I'd like to get the least sensitive one I can find. Do they put any kind of specs on these things?

 

[lilredex]

I put one like this in the leg of my outdoor light. It was too sensitive and would cycle when it turned on the light. Tape across half of it corrected that issue.

Have another that peeks out a hole in the wooden siding from inside of my garage ....it is about right but does stay on a bit of extra time on rainy days.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/TORK-12...REC-_-pipinstock-_-204125224-_-207151788-_-N&


Get one and try it. cheap enough.

 

[Bert_]

They usually don't work when they are put in bad locations. I try to put them on the north side of the building or at least facing north. Don't tuck them under an overhang.

 

[Kaizen]

I got some lights at costco which have great led bulbs. Does the same thing. I don’t mind it as it’s probably pennies for the times it happens.


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[earlybirds]

I had the same thing happen with a LED security light I just installed. The thing stayed on all the time unless there was bright sunlight. I just replaced the twist on 3 prong photocell with a different brand. Now it works as it should.

 

[akjose]

The specs you are looking for would be the "foot candles on" and "foot candles off" value. I'll let you google what a foot candle is. Grainger sells alot of industrial conduit or stem mount units and you can see all the specs on those (at least to get an idea on how much they vary). At my work, we use a photo eye to trigger a PLC for another application, we used to use an intermatic one that had an adjustable coil. You could adjust the gap on the coil to slow the on time or make it more sensitive or not. Intermatic has since stopped making those and everything i have come across in the last 2 years has a built in delay (does not matter for what your tryin to do) to reduce bright headlights from triggering it.

There is also an array of photoreflective lenses that you can buy and even some tape. Not sure how they work and what the difference would but or how the tape benefits a photocell but just some things that may or may not help you.
https://www.grainger.com/category/e...tric-switches/photoelectric-sensor-reflectors

 

[MushCreek]

I know what foot-candles are. I guess if I look up a particular unit from a big box store, the manufacturer should have specs like that somewhere. I'll start by trying to look up the particular unit I have now. The thing is, it's not that dark where mine is. Yes, it's on the north, and under a small roof overhang, but there's plenty of light to read.

 

[dogdog]

just get one without dust to dawn photosensor and put it on a wifi timer (mine) or timer switch (old setup). That is what I have at home. good sensor heads are more expensive... and I have never had any good luck with HomeDepot or Lowes brands.

Costco have those wifi switch for sale at $19.99 now. Feit brand...sales ends tomorrow 12/27 I think.

You can try cleaning / check if that plastic piece covering the photo sensor is blocked or dirty... Not the motion sensor dome piece...

 

[MushCreek]

I just looked at a wifi switch that links to your phone. Can these be set to automatically work with sunrise/sunset times? I want something automatic that I don't have to think about once it's set. A straight timer is no good; I want something to approximately follow daylight hours.

 

[cybrdyke]

You might simply have to replace your photocell with a new one. Most photocells are set to trip around 1.5fc. Turning off, however, is slightly different. Twistlock photocells are generally set around 2.5fc, and threaded mount types are 4.5fc. Of course, there's variation among different manufacturers, and also because you're dealing with mechanical parts, there can be tolerance differences from one photocell to another.
Also, the mechanical parts wear over time. The contacts can get carbon over them and this can cause them to not connect as well. The photocell will change it's reaction over time and can become either more sensitive or less sensitive. We call this "drift". Once it's drifted out of it's usefulness, it needs to be replaced.
Dont use a standard photocell on an LED fixture. It will not last more than a few months. Get one that is made to be used on LED fixtures or lamps. Intermatic's EK series is a good example.
If you're looking for a good wifi timer/switch, look at Intermatic's Ascend product. It's a wall switch with Astronomic timing (follows sunup and sundown), and is wifi capable. Pricey, but really good.
CD

 

[AntonLargiader]

I just looked at a wifi switch that links to your phone. Can these be set to automatically work with sunrise/sunset times? I want something automatic that I don't have to think about once it's set. A straight timer is no good; I want something to approximately follow daylight hours.

Yes. I'm looking at my Apple Homekit setup and I can create a rule for my Wemo switches based on sunrise or sunset. I don't see a way to do that within the Wemo app itself, though. So yes it can be done, but probably not by every device and every app.

 

[dogdog]

I just looked at a wifi switch that links to your phone. Can these be set to automatically work with sunrise/sunset times? I want something automatic that I don't have to think about once it's set. A straight timer is no good; I want something to approximately follow daylight hours.

I don't know if there is a sun rise / sun set kit... but the FEIT ones are google/amazon/apple thing compatible.. if there is a module for it then it would probably work fine. For me, I just set two profiles Summer time / Winter time...

Summer time short hours on time

Winter time Longer hours on time

and just load the profiles at the appropriate time of the year. The Lights I got have a motion sensor, just no dust to dawn photo sensor build in, so even if it is on, motion have to trigger it to have it on.

Pretty sure they have a light sensor module to work just for the Alexa or Google home.. But I haven't explore it, Don't like some one listening in my home.. I remember Wemo have a module, but I don't like Wemo, horrible app .

 

[coljar]

I had the same problem with the first one I had on my garage. It was a cheapy from Lowes. When it failed, I replaced it with one of better quality from the electrical supply company I deal with locally and it works perfectly.

 

[MushCreek]

About 10-15 years ago I got talked into a smart switch for an outdoor light. A guy I knew was selling them. Set-up was very complicated. It was stand-alone, not tied into a phone or Alexa-type device. It worked for a while, then kept losing it's mind. I got tired of resetting it and pitched it. One thing I liked is that although it was tied to sunrise/sunset, it had a randomness so it wasn't exact every day. I think the range was +/- 20 minutes, so it really appeared to be being operated by a person.

 

[dogdog]

https://staceyoniot.com/how-to-automatically-turn-lights-on-at-sunset-with-google-home/

Probably almost all of the major apple google or amazon have this routine. and you can set the device to trigger on/off better than any old timer switch,

but again probably not needed.. I still have that old timer that ran off CR123 and later one off 2 AAA batteries... those things were never accurate.


Either that or replace the sensor heads... I think RAB sells one their stuff was highly recommended here... The best one I have encounter so far was the one I got for my parents but that guy (pattern was registered of some where in Boston, MA) have a thing with costco that he no longer sells them Those lights (the sensors) still works after 14 years of outdoor perfectly...

 

[Milton Shaw]

I just used Amazon and searched for stand alone photo cell and came up with several that have a slide/shutter that you use to adjust how much of the photo cell is exposed to light. I have used something like them in the past just wire them into your circuit and adjust them as needed.

 

[Terry D]

I just used Amazon and searched for stand alone photo cell and came up with several that have a slide/shutter that you use to adjust how much of the photo cell is exposed to light. I have used something like them in the past just wire them into your circuit and adjust them as needed.

The slide/shutter blocks off light when there is to much. This is for the light not coming on at all or not soon enough. The OP's problem is the light will not go off. It needs more light.

 

[bbbarracuda]

I don't know if anyone makes such a thing for residential lighting, but I know commercial radio tower lighting controls years ago, used basically a polarized lens you adjusted to determine the level of darkness you wanted your lights to turn on.

 

[ripperd]

I just looked at a wifi switch that links to your phone. Can these be set to automatically work with sunrise/sunset times? I want something automatic that I don't have to think about once it's set. A straight timer is no good; I want something to approximately follow daylight hours.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AP92N2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They make ones (this is just an example) that you enter your location and the date/time and it can automatically turn on and off according to the solar calendar. Used one at our old house. awesome.

No need for any stupid app/cloud/wifi/other ****. Just a solid device, set once, and forget.

 

[bbbarracuda]

I misread the OP. Everyone is correct, you need more light to the sensor. Depending on the location of the light, you could extend the location of the photocell to an area with more light to get a more accurate on/off function. The best spot would be pointing North to open sky.

 

[csp]

I think it's the individual unit that is at fault.

That would be my first inclination and a new one would have replaced it. If the one on your barn works as you like there's no need to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. But it is Garage Journal, that's the SOP here.