Install Motion-Sensor Lights
Today's simple 5-step guide will teach you how to install motion sensor lights around your home to keep it more secure.
How Do They Work?
Motion sensors pick up movement by sending out infrared waves, and detecting changes in temperature in around a 240-degree semicircle up to 60 feet away. When a change is detected, the lights will stay on for as long as you programmed, then turn off. Most thieves don't like being in the spotlight, so it is a great preventative measure of home intrusion.
Where To Place Them
You want to place them in strategic spots 8-10 feet high around your house; mainly in areas preceding entry points in your house. This includes low windows, front and back doors.
Drill A Hole
Buy your lighting and sensor fixture to determine how it will attach to your house, and drill the appropriate sized hole through the siding and wood.
Run Electric
In your attic, choose a junction box closest to where you'll place the light, and cut power to that circuit.. Make sure you won't overload the circuit, Run additional wire from the box, to the outside. Make sure the wire is grounded.
Mount the Box
Mount a proper-sized, waterproof electrical box in place. Make sure to place a rubber gasket between the box and the light mount to make sure it's air-tight.
Mount the Light
Connect wires with wire connectors and finish wiring, and then mount the light to the box. Make sure the lights aren't too close to the sensor, else it will interfere with the performance. Set the controls, then turn on the electric, and keep testing it until you have it the way you need it.
