Motion sensor lights are a great way to increase your home's outdoor security setup. These lights only illuminate when motion is detected, but they can occasionally break or become faulty.
In this blog, we’ll teach you how to reset sensor lights outdoors so you can keep your home secure without having to spend time and money on an alternative lighting solution.
Here at Vision Lighting, we’ve got a brilliant selection of security lighting like our bold and bright LED floodlights.
When to Reset Motion Sensor Lights
There are many reasons why motion sensor lights can stop working or become unresponsive. When this happens they may need to be reset or examined.
- Power Outages or Surges: If you experience an electrical surge or your fuse box trips this can cause all your lights to turn on or off. When this happens it may disturb the motion-sensing features you’ve set on your lights. If you’ve got a low-wattage light like a 30W floodlight, too much power passing through the device can cause the light to short.
- Electrical Interference: Too many wireless devices or systems can interfere with motion sensing technology and this may prevent or disrupt your light's functions.
- Settings Errors: Light timers and sensitivity may have been changed accidentally which can affect motion detection.
- Light Age and Condition: Dirt buildup on motion lights can cause obstructions that mean motion is not accurately detected, whilst older lights can encounter issues due to worn-out hardware.
Learning how to reset motion lights outdoors can save you a lot of time and effort and in many cases, this will recalibrate your lights and resolve any issues.
Steps to Reset Your Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
There are several methods you can try when resetting your motion lights and the best place to start is always by learning to understand your motion sensor light. Read the product manual and watch any tutorials available on your specific product.
Turn the power off and on again
The first step is to ensure the power to the motion sensor light is turned off at the circuit breaker. In doing so, you avoid any danger of electrical shocks or problems when resetting the light.
Leave the power off for 30 to 60 seconds. This allows the motion sensor memory to clear and returns it to default settings. Flipping the power on and off quickly will often have no effect so giving the light enough time to reset is important.
After waiting about a minute, turn the electricity back on at the breaker and wait for your light to power on. Once it’s ready, test the motion sensor to see if it's working correctly. If you walk in front of the light and it turns on when motion is detected and then turns off when you walk away, the issue has been resolved.
Manually adjust the settings
If you’re still experiencing issues you might need to adjust the timer or motion settings manually. Typical motion sensor lights feature a button or switch that allows you to adjust sensitivity. If your motion light is picking up too much motion then you should decrease the sensitivity. If it’s not picking up large movements or humans then it needs to be increased. Test out any adjustments and see if they have worked.
The issue could also be with the timer setting. This is what determines how long the light stays on when motion is detected. If the light is active for long enough then you can adjust the timer to 30 seconds or longer. If the light is staying on too long you can reduce the time it’s active.
Clean the motion sensor
It could be that the issue is an external one rather than a hardware issue. Dirt and debris can sometimes get stuck in or on the light which can obstruct the motion sensors and prevent them from working. To rectify this, carefully wipe away any dirt with a cloth.
Powerful lights like a 100W floodlight will produce strong illumination outdoors. If the light is dulled or dimmed, it could be that there is a layer of dirt covering the outside of the light blocking the motion sensor.
When Should You Replace a Motion Sensor Light
If you’ve completed all the troubleshooting and this doesn’t resolve the issue you might need to replace your light. There are a few indicators that it’s time for a new motion sensor light:
Age
Old or outdated sensor lights can break down over time and have outdated hardware. You’re more likely to experience malfunctions with older models like flickering and issues with detecting motion.
Regular Malfunctions
If you have to regularly reset your light and the problems keep persisting this indicates that the issue is with the light itself and it may be faulty as opposed to any sensor or hardware problems.
Physical Damage
Extreme weather or accidents like dropping or knocking a motion sensor can damage them both internally and externally beyond repair. If you’ve cracked or damaged writing or the lighting shell it’s usually better to get a new light rather than repairing individual parts.
How to Prevent Motion Sensor Issues
Here are some preventive steps you can take to help prolong the life of your outdoor motion sensor lights:
- Cleaning: Regularly clean your light, wiping any debris dirt or dust from the sensor that could cause build-up and obstructions.
- Inspection: Check the wires regularly to ensure they are connected properly and are not sustaining any damage during harsh weather.
- Monitor Power: If you regularly experience power cuts or surges in your area then you should consider protective measures to prevent any electrical damage.
Safe and Secure with Vision Lighting’s Motion Lights
Vision Lighting provides a brilliant range of security lighting including motion sensor lights, from sleek LED products to powerful floodlights. All of our lights offer reliable, long-lasting illumination to keep your outdoor space safe and secure.
Unsure what type of lights are right for your space? Our team of experts are available to contact to help you find the ideal lighting solution.