Resetting a motion sensor light: I have a motion sensor light on my porch that is stuck in the 'on' position. How do I put it into the motion senor mode? I've switched it off for a few...

twowindsbear

I have a motion sensor light on my porch that is stuck in the 'on' position. How do I put it into the motion senor mode? I've switched it off for a few hours, then back on - it's on all the time. I've switched it off and immediately back on - still always on. Maybe it's time for a new one? Thanks in advance. And of course I don't know the brand & have no idea where the original instructions are hiding.

tramsey Loc: Texas

Maybe if you took a picture of the light it would help

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

twowindsbear wrote:

I have a motion sensor light on my porch that is stuck in the 'on' position. How do I put it into the motion senor mode? I've switched it off for a few hours, then back on - it's on all the time. I've switched it off and immediately back on - still always on. Maybe it's time for a new one? Thanks in advance. And of course I don't know the brand & have no idea where the original instructions are hiding.

I had a problem like that my garage door would not close. It has a beam type sensor to detect objects in the way that stops it from closing. I was going nuts until I looked inside the little "lens hood" on the projector. Gee, Mama Black Widow Spider had set up housekeeping, complete with egg sac inside the hood. So there was always motion and/or an object breaking the sensor beam.

Yes, because we had kids and pets and it was a Black Widow, I cleaned her and her stuff out and terminated her with extreme prejudice.

twowindsbear

tramsey wrote:

Maybe if you took a picture of the light it would help

Here ya go, tramsey. A pic of the light 'on,' a pic of the light 'off,' and a pic of the switch, in the ON position. I've clicked the 'store original' button, too - so you can dl the image for a better look. I'm anxiously awaiting your reply to resolve my situation. THANKS!!!

RiJoRi Loc: Sandy Ridge, NC

It could be something as simple as dirty glass, or even condensation*. Or the sensor has "gone the way of all things".

--Rich
* i knew an installer who was driven nuts by an IR sensor until he visited the site early in the morning, and saw the condensate. A bit of Rain-X fixed it right up.

BebuLamar

Try to clean the sensor. Dirty sensor makes it seems dark all the time.

Boris77

twowindsbear wrote:

Here ya go, tramsey. A pic of the light 'on,' a pic of the light 'off,' and a pic of the switch, in the ON position. I've clicked the 'store original' button, too - so you can dl the image for a better look. I'm anxiously awaiting your reply to resolve my situation. THANKS!!!

This is probably not helpful since my unit is hardwired in place of the old porch light socket. but
But all of my controls about on/off, duration, time of day/night - are on the sensor you show above the light. They are dials hidden under the bottom. The light switch inside the house does nothing but turn the whole unit on (to the set function) or off.
Boris

twowindsbear

Boris77 wrote:

This is probably not helpful since my unit is hardwired in place of the old porch light socket. but
But all of my controls about on/off, duration, time of day/night - are on the sensor you show above the light. They are dials hidden under the bottom. The light switch inside the house does nothing but turn the whole unit on (to the set function) or off.
Boris

thanks for your reply. the controls on the sensor are for sensitivity & duration - NOT switching from motion sensing on/off & always on. My device is stuck in always on mode.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

twowindsbear wrote:

I have a motion sensor light on my porch that is stuck in the 'on' position. How do I put it into the motion senor mode? I've switched it off for a few hours, then back on - it's on all the time. I've switched it off and immediately back on - still always on. Maybe it's time for a new one? Thanks in advance. And of course I don't know the brand & have no idea where the original instructions are hiding.

If the sensor lens is clean, as has been mentioned, did something occur to cause an arc in relay / swiching contacts to fuse them into an always closed position, rather than the normally open position?
That could be difficult to determine if everything in there is solid state, without a mechanical, spring loaded relay.

If there is anything mechanically switched, did a spring fail?

twowindsbear

dustie wrote:

If the sensor lens is clean, as has been mentioned, did something occur to cause an arc in relay / swiching contacts to fuse them into an always closed position, rather than the normally open position?
That could be difficult to determine if everything in there is solid state, without a mechanical, spring loaded relay.

If there is anything mechanically switched, did a spring fail?

The light has worked fine for years. the utility co installed a new electric meter, the power was disconnected for maybe 30 seconds. I've not been able to reset it since.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

twowindsbear wrote:

The light has worked fine for years. the utility co installed a new electric meter, the power was disconnected for maybe 30 seconds. I've not been able to reset it since.

Wow! If those events are connected, it would seem possible there was a surge, or some arcing in the unit that affected components.

Too bad you couldn't have known ahead of time there was that potential result. You could have had power to the motion sensor shut off at your indoor switch while they did the meter work.

-------------------
Is there still any specification tag on the sensor unit housing that shows a brand and model # ?
Maybe there is some wiring / circuit information available on the web that could provide some possible clues, if the meter work situation is the cause behind the constant 'on'.

If a fairly simple part change, or just stuck contact points could get you in business again, it could save you replacing the complete unit.

twowindsbear

dustie wrote:

Wow! If those events are connected, it would seem possible there was a surge, or some arcing in the unit that affected components.

Too bad you couldn't have known ahead of time there was that potential result. You could have had power to the motion sensor shut off at your indoor switch while they did the meter work.

the tech did give me a heads up, so I turned off my 'puter. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna start looking for a replacement, I've grown fond of the motion sensor porch light. Maybe I'll just leave it on. I have a low wattage - <10w - LED bulb in it, it's not gonna put me in the poor house on all the time. thanks for your help.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

twowindsbear wrote:

the tech did give me a heads up, so I turned off my 'puter. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna start looking for a replacement, I've grown fond of the motion sensor porch light. Maybe I'll just leave it on. I have a low wattage - <10w - LED bulb in it, it's not gonna put me in the poor house on all the time. thanks for your help.

👍

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

twowindsbear wrote:

the tech did give me a heads up, so I turned off my 'puter. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna start looking for a replacement, I've grown fond of the motion sensor porch light. Maybe I'll just leave it on. I have a low wattage - <10w - LED bulb in it, it's not gonna put me in the poor house on all the time. thanks for your help.

You and I may have been typing at the same time when i added to my reply a couple spots above,
Did you see the second part i added?

BebuLamar

Does it turn on immediately when you turn on the power to it or it has a second or so delay? If there is no delay and if the switching device is solid state then pretty much that device is failed shorted. Solid state device tend to fail in the short condition (that is it always conducts) with a voltage spike.