One of the most useful additions you can make to your home are motion lights. These are lights that you place outside your home and are attached to a motion sensor. When the sensor detects any movement they turn on automatically and flood the area with light. This is a great way to conserve energy and save on your electricity bill since the lights will not need to stay on all the time. They are also a great deterrent to troublemakers so they add some level of security to your home. Most of the time your motion lights will give you years of no problem service. But there are some things you can do to do your best at maintaining outdoor motion lights.
The most important step in maintaining outdoor motion lights is to make sure that the motion sensor is kept clean. Most motion lights have a passive sensor that will detect infrared energies. How effective those sensors are at detecting infrared energy is what will determine the effectiveness and usefulness of your lights. The lens of these sensors can become covered in debris and dust over time, so keeping them cleaning is a vital step when maintaining outdoor motion lights. Any debris will reduce the effectiveness of your lights. The manufacturer of the lights should have provided you a schedule for cleaning the Fresnel lens, but if you live in a very dusty, dry area then you may want to clean it more often.
Another method for maintaining outdoor motion lights is to ensure they are watertight. Most people know that water does not mix well with electricity. When you have outdoor lights they will be exposed to all kinds of moisture at all times. They are very hardy lights and designed to survive harsh outdoor environments but they are not invincible. Over a period of time the watertight parts of the lights may begin to leak. When you are working at maintaining outdoor motion lights you need to be sure they keep their waterproof integrity. Follow the instructions for maintaining outdoor motion lights and change the waterproofing parts of the lights as soon as they begin to show signs of wear.
Finally when maintaining outdoor motion lights you need to remember to maintain the photocell. This is only applicable for solar powered lights, which are becoming increasingly popular. These kinds of lights have a photocell that allows them to turn on when the natural light is gone and stop turning on when the sun comes back up. This is a very important step in maintaining outdoor motion lights or they won’t work properly. If dirt or a leaf is covering the photocell then the light might stay on all the time and then it will drain the battery. Ensure that your lights’ photocell is clear of any obstructions regularly or you may end up with a light that doesn’t work correctly.
