Outdoor Motion Light Stays On

[NETexas]

I have four outdoor flood lights on the back of the garage and house. Each has two led bulbs with motion sensor. They come on when motions detected and shut off after a few minutes. They also have a solar sensor to prevent them from coming on during the day.
Last year one just stayed on all the time and would not reset. I replaced it with a new one. Yesterday another one is doing the same thing. Is there a way to repair it or is it best to just replace? Thanks for you input.

https://images.homedepot-static.com...e-defiant-flood-lights-dfi-5412-wh-64_600.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Kaizen]

You can replace the motion sensor. Probably about the cost of the whole unit though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dogdog]

I never have luck with homedepot or lowes brand motion sensor lights... All my homes are replaced with the Costco ones. and have been happy with them since 2007 or 2008...

The latest one is their LED ones very good.. just read the box if it is just motion or it is motion+dust to dawn... I like just motions, so I can put a timer on it.

https://www.costco.com/home-zone-motion-activated-security-light.product.100667791.html

I swear I only paid $29.99 for it at the ware house... but hey.

 

[reader2580]

Menards sells just the motion sensor portion for $18. No guarantee it would work with your light fixture.

 

[HenryAZ]

I had a motion activated camera up in the eave overlooking my garage/driveway area. Every day I got several close-up pictures of a wasp.

 

[Mick56]

Try unplugging the light, and then plug it back in.

 

[NETexas]

Thanks, I powered it off for a day and back on. Just stayed on 24/7. So is it the photo cell bad or the motion sensor?!?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[walrus]

Most Home Depot lights are built to hit a price point. replace it if you like the light.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

SOMETIMES a when you have multiple motion sensors (cheap ones) on the same circuit they "play games" with the other ones and cause malfunctions......... I suggest using RAB motion sensors that have been field proven to work unlike the cheap Chinese ones.

 

[BillK]

Do you have the instructions ? I have one that does the same thing every once in a while and there is a procedure you have to follow to "reset" it. I think its basically turn the power off and then back on in a certain sequence.

 

[dogdog]

Thanks, I powered it off for a day and back on. Just stayed on 24/7. So is it the photo cell bad or the motion sensor?!?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

most of the cases it would be the relay inside that is stuck... but you can probably bench test the coil end and see if there are voltage constantly applied to it...

 

[yeldogt]

They are cheap and don't last very long.

think water gets inside .... my builder put up 4 for temp security lights and one is already bad .... under a year.

 

[American Locomotive]

Some motion lights have special modes you can put them in. For example, the motion light on our house is setup so if you turn the switch on/off 3 times rapidly, it goes into "normal light mode" and it just turns on/off with the switch.

You might want to see if you can find the instructions to see if your light supports that feature.

 

[NETexas]

Thanks, I’ll have to try to see if I can fix it when it warms up some. Was -4° this morning in north east Texas.


Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal

 

[NUTTSGT]

Is the sensor iced over or fogged up tricking it into thinking it's dark outside ?

 

[65ranchero]

I had one ( inexpensive) start coming on during the bright of day when I would pass by it mowing the lawn and then it would come on for no particular reason
then after trying to fiddle with the settings ( time on and sensitivity ) it got worse so it got replaced! all plastic and small circuit board.
trashed it and got another cheap one!

 

[NETexas]

Well, I finally took it apart and didn’t see anything burnt on circuit board nor spider web on lenses. Leaned lenses and reassembled. Said to myself reinstall and if it doesn’t work then I’ll buy a new one. Low and behold it has been working fine for over a week. Thanks for all the input.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Kaizen]

Well, I finally took it apart and didn’t see anything burnt on circuit board nor spider web on lenses. Leaned lenses and reassembled. Said to myself reinstall and if it doesn’t work then I’ll buy a new one. Low and behold it has been working fine for over a week. Thanks for all the input.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

It just wanted a little [emoji3590]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[abh46]

I've got a motion detector flood light mounted in a carport, out of the rain and weather. The cheap Home Depot/Lowes lights only lasted about a year before they stayed on all the time. Went through a couple of the cheap fixtures before I fixed it by buying a RAB fixture several years ago. No more problems. They do cost a lot more, but they work.

 

[CJ7VFR]

I have some of the Home Depot/Lowes motion sensor lights as well, and have had them act like the OP has described.

What I found that works for me is to set the ON time of the light to one of the other settings for a few days, and then put it back to the ON time I had it set for before.

By this I mean, most of my lights are set to stay on for 1 minute after they stop sensing motion. After a few years the lights would just stay on all the time and never shut off after sensing motion.

I tried all other options posted here by everyone, and they worked, sort of, for a short time. And then I tried just setting the ON time to something different and the lights always seemed to start working properly again. Only now the light stays on for a few minutes longer.

Then after a few days I set the ON time back to what I had it before, and the light works like is should again.

You already took the light apart and cleaned it, and now it is working again, so you are good to go. But if the same issue happens again, try setting the ON time to one of the other settings and see if that makes the light work again as it should.

Jim