Falcon67
Well-known member
Before I go get a better one anyway. You'll like this. I have 3 Heath-Zeinth motion lights on the shop. They are on a common wire run, wired in parallel, controlled by a single switch. One of these puppies has picked up a strange problem. If the lights lose power at night, or I switch them off and back on later, this one unit starts to cycle on and off every 30 seconds or so. Does not matter how long they are off - minute, hour, etc. To "fix" it, you leave the lights off until daylight, then turn them on. All fine in operation after that unless the circuit loses power. Switching during daylight has no effect. Sensor points out into an open area - no night triggers like branches, hot walls, dogs or other activity. In fact, one sensor on another light has to shoot around a gutter down pipe and it works fine. Sensitivity setting and time on changes have made no difference.
I thought this was temp related since I first noticed this light doing the trick in the summer, when it was still 90s at night. It's be hot enough at night that the sensors would not work because they could not see body heat against the background heat. But we lost power the other night when the cold front came through and it was 62F when that happened. When the power came back on about 20 minutes later (this was around 5am) the light started it's cycle. It might still be heat related since the wall just behind and going away from the light is the one we just painted to lower the wall temp from 180F. The sensor is close enough that the radiant heat could possibly be cooking the sensor.
Also done all the normal checks for voltage at the fixtures, etc. This one happens to be the first one on the wire run. The circuit is Light 2, which also supplies the work room ceiling light power.
Bonus - this is the second light in the same position that has started this nonsense. Which again could be a cooked sensor thanks to localized heating. It's the only light with west sun exposure.
The only thing I haven't done is something I just thought about - to cover half the sensor. The sensor can "see" the window of the dining room at about a 45 degree angle. The window is dark at night and the blinds closed. I've tested with the dining table light on and the blinds open, and the other way - no effect. These sensors see heat, so I can't see how a dark window could simulate a heat source, but who knows.
I'm thinking cheap azz light/sensor and will shop for a better quality light when I get a chance. If you can think of something I haven't tried, I'll try it!
I thought this was temp related since I first noticed this light doing the trick in the summer, when it was still 90s at night. It's be hot enough at night that the sensors would not work because they could not see body heat against the background heat. But we lost power the other night when the cold front came through and it was 62F when that happened. When the power came back on about 20 minutes later (this was around 5am) the light started it's cycle. It might still be heat related since the wall just behind and going away from the light is the one we just painted to lower the wall temp from 180F. The sensor is close enough that the radiant heat could possibly be cooking the sensor.
Also done all the normal checks for voltage at the fixtures, etc. This one happens to be the first one on the wire run. The circuit is Light 2, which also supplies the work room ceiling light power.
Bonus - this is the second light in the same position that has started this nonsense. Which again could be a cooked sensor thanks to localized heating. It's the only light with west sun exposure.
The only thing I haven't done is something I just thought about - to cover half the sensor. The sensor can "see" the window of the dining room at about a 45 degree angle. The window is dark at night and the blinds closed. I've tested with the dining table light on and the blinds open, and the other way - no effect. These sensors see heat, so I can't see how a dark window could simulate a heat source, but who knows.
I'm thinking cheap azz light/sensor and will shop for a better quality light when I get a chance. If you can think of something I haven't tried, I'll try it!
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