Security Light Installation

[StrikeEagle]

I recently came across this site while looking for ways to increase my home security. Many thanks for all your help and ideas. So far I've reinforced the exterior door jambs, installed door and window security alarms, placed laminate over key windows (that stuff is expensive and need to save up for more), and put a dead bolt on the door leading to the garage.

One thing I'm not too smart about is the lighting. My backyard only has a single light next to the backdoor that is easily accessible from the ground and is poorly placed, failing to illuminate much of the property. I'd like to install some type of motion flood lights just beneath the roof overhang on the corners.

My question is: how do you hook them up to the house wiring? Can you just find an outlet, run some wire behind the wall, and splice in to it? I consider myself fairly handy, but I don't have much experience with electrical work.

[TacAir]

An electrician with a fitness card will save you from having the insurance agent give you quote for a home replacement....

[Kutter_0311]

An electrician

^^Hint^^

I've been looking at stuff like this for my mom's place. There are lots of cool options, but you need to have them put in by an electrician. Are they cheap? No. Would it be more expensive to replace your house, everything in it, and 1 or 2 of your kids after a bad wiring job starts your house on fire? Meh, that's up to you

While you're adding motion lights outside, add some inside, too. It'll help with target ID...

ETA link to interior motion light's for target ID

[JFlagg]

An electrician would be best, but not necessary if you have just a little wiring experience, and can read instructions. I wired up security lights on my garage just using the instruction book that came with the lights, they only use two wires, so it's easy as hell...

[colinz]

My question is: how do you hook them up to the house wiring? Can you just find an outlet, run some wire behind the wall, and splice in to it? I consider myself fairly handy, but I don't have much experience with electrical work.

An electrician should be able to run a new cable from the existing light switch by your backdoor to the new light fitting under the eave.

[KnightoftheRoc]

My question is: how do you hook them up to the house wiring? Can you just find an outlet, run some wire behind the wall, and splice in to it? I consider myself fairly handy, but I don't have much experience with electrical work.

An electrician should be able to run a new cable from the existing light switch by your backdoor to the new light fitting under the eave.

This would work, but I'd personally go another route.
I do night security, and exterior lighting is one aspect of my job. Not that they do it, but I've been arguing for a while (nearly 6 years now) that the exterior lights should NOT be on switches accessible to the residents- at present they are regular switches next to the doors going outside. I'd like to replace the switches with ones like they used in my high school, which took a little "wrench" type of 'key' to operate, and to install automatic sensors for turning them on when it gets to a certain level of darkness. For a home, I'd go with motion sensors, instead. either would give you better energy savings and security than manually switching them on, and if you put them all on a single breaker circuit, a buzzer or other audible alert could be installed on that circuit so any light that goes on makes the signal go off, warning you of activity out in the yard.

Without it, you could easily sleep through the approach of a burglar, who now has his way well lit. Manually lighting the yard means you have to know he's out there first- you can see the FAIL in this, I hope. Setting the lights up under the eaves is excellent placement, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind- neighbors being first and foremost. Make sure you aim the lights so that your neighbors aren't suddenly sunbathing in their bedrooms- having an electrician install the lights will take care of this, if he's any good, as well as the other issues pointed out above this post. The other is coverage- install enough lighting that there is overlap between lights. And, maintenance- who's changing the bulbs when they burn out? If it's you, be sure you have a means to reach the lights safely- this means a tall enough NON METALLIC ladder, or being able to reach the light easily from an upper window. Or, it means having the electrician back on a regular basis- it's cheaper to have him change ALL the bulbs in one visit, than it is to have him keep coming back.

The failures I see at work with our lighting are a lack of attention to maintenance- I write up bulbs that are out, but am not allowed to change them (there's one light that hasn't worked the entire time I've been there), and attention- they get turned on manually as the on-shift guy does his rounds, at whatever time he happens to think of them- some nights I go in at 10PM, and there are still lights out because he forgot them, or didn't bother doing rounds. This is call for disciplinary action, but doesn't fix the problem of it being dark in an area. Automating both aspects with automatic switches (light sensor or motion sensor), and a regularly scheduled maintenance visit addresses both issues at minimum cost and down-time.

[Tater Raider]

I'd also recommend a low-light switch in series. Doing this ensures the lights don't turn on during the daytime because a rabbit hopped across your driveway.

Doing your own wiring is easy as pie, but very dangerous. Here's some things to remember:

TURN OFF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER/REMOVE THE FUSE!!! - pretty self explanatory
Make sure others in the house know to stay away from the breaker box/fuse panel - again, safety
Test the wiring to make sure it's a dead circuit before getting into thing that can kill you - yep, safety first, second, and third
Wire nuts make the whole thing damn near idiot proof if you follow the above
No bare wires should be exposed when finished, not even a little bit

Also do me a personal favor and make sure you have the right tools for the job.

Now if any of this gives you pause, have a pro come in and do it. If you are the least bit unsure, have a pro come in and do it. If there is a tiny bit of doubt as to your ability to do it right the first time, have a pro come in and do it. Yes, it's dirt simple to do wiring right, but it's very easy to screw up if you aren't on the ball and the consequences of screwing it up have not been exaggerated by anyone near as I can tell.

[KnightoftheRoc]

I'd also recommend a low-light switch in series. Doing this ensures the lights don't turn on during the daytime because a rabbit hopped across your driveway.

Doing your own wiring is easy as pie, but very dangerous. Here's some things to remember:

TURN OFF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER/REMOVE THE FUSE!!! - pretty self explanatory
Make sure others in the house know to stay away from the breaker box/fuse panel - again, safety
Test the wiring to make sure it's a dead circuit before getting into thing that can kill you - yep, safety first, second, and third
Wire nuts make the whole thing damn near idiot proof if you follow the above
No bare wires should be exposed when finished, not even a little bit

Also do me a personal favor and make sure you have the right tools for the job.

Now if any of this gives you pause, have a pro come in and do it. If you are the least bit unsure, have a pro come in and do it. If there is a tiny bit of doubt as to your ability to do it right the first time, have a pro come in and do it. Yes, it's dirt simple to do wiring right, but it's very easy to screw up if you aren't on the ball and the consequences of screwing it up have not been exaggerated by anyone near as I can tell.

ftfy

[raptor]

There is good advice here. In my yard I have "ambient lighting" which goes on at dusk off at dawn. It is low level and provides nominal illumination using either LED or CFL bulbs. To this there are motion sensor par 38 flood lights aimed so that as I walk the path from the house they go on in front of me. BTW do not use PAR 38 CFL on motion sensor fixtures. They are slow to power up and develop full brightness. Use simple halogen bulbs on motion sensors lights.

Then there is a set of flood lights on the roof line front, back and side that are controlled with manual switches. These are power hogs (about 1.8kw) with all of them on and rarely used but the logic is simple. If I need light; I want a lot and I want it now. To hell with a flash light.

Installing these can be DIY but honestly unless you have done it before I suggest paying an electrician to do it right and safely. It is simple but it can be dangerous if you not careful.



I am going to throw out another alternative only so that you have some choice. I have found these solar powered LED lights to be quite useful as long they can get 10 hours of sunlight. They do dim over time at night but they are useful to illuminate areas where running conduit is a PITA like the far back yard. While this picture has a ground spike they also come with a regular mounting plate so you can attach them to a fence or a roof line with a few screws and be done with it.

They work better if you replace the nicad batteries with rechargeable Li ion AA batteries.



Again these are more for ambient light purposes but any light sometimes is better than no light.


I have tried several of the solar powered flood lights with motion sensors on them. I have yet to find one that works well for less than $350. For that cost you can simply run conduit.

That said I did recently purchase this home depot and so far it seems to be performing ok in that it does go on and off and the light output is bright but the beam throw is limited. It also is not very weather resistant since the solar panel is not hard wired to the battery. Never the less it is an option.

[Tater Raider]

ftfy

I'm killing my spellchecker - it messes up when replacing badly spelled words. Thanks. Edited.

[colinz]

I'd also recommend a low-light switch in series. Doing this ensures the lights don't turn on during the daytime because a rabbit hopped across your driveway.

I figured the Op was talking about installing a sensor light fixture with an inbuilt PIR sensor. Most of the ones I've seen have had adjustments for range and sensitivity.

Test the wiring to make sure it's a dead circuit before getting into thing that can kill you - yep, safety first, second, and third

As an addendum to this:
Prove your circuit tester works on a known live circuit.
Test the circuit in question.
Prove the circuit tester is still working on a known live circuit.

Yes, it's dirt simple to do wiring right, but it's very easy to screw up if you aren't on the ball and the consequences of screwing it up have not been exaggerated by anyone near as I can tell.

Not as far as I've seen on here, and I can back up that the 50/60Hz shuffle hurts.

More to come...

[colinz]

My question is: how do you hook them up to the house wiring? Can you just find an outlet, run some wire behind the wall, and splice in to it? I consider myself fairly handy, but I don't have much experience with electrical work.

An electrician should be able to run a new cable from the existing light switch by your backdoor to the new light fitting under the eave.

This would work, but I'd personally go another route.

I was only talking about running the cable from switch plate to the new light fitting, the assumption on my part was that the Electrician would have enough brains to fit a replacement switch plate suited to the needs of the owner.

Not that they do it, but I've been arguing for a while (nearly 6 years now) that the exterior lights should NOT be on switches accessible to the residents- at present they are regular switches next to the doors going outside. I'd like to replace the switches with ones like they used in my high school, which took a little "wrench" type of 'key' to operate,

Analogues are commonly available in NZ.


Another sensor light control option is this...

One position is wired so that the sensor lights run automatically, the other is wired so that the stay on. Easy to do, and doesn't require the rediculous 'turn off, then on, then off, then on while standing upside down and holding your breath to activate the manual mode' that some products employ. The switch mechanism replaces a standard toggle switch in the plate.

and to install automatic sensors for turning them on when it gets to a certain level of darkness. For a home, I'd go with motion sensors, instead. either would give you better energy savings and security than manually switching them on,

Just for clarities sake, daylight sensors are known as Photocells, and PIR sensors used on security lights usually have a photocell/similar function so they don't constantly trigger during the day. The sensor doesn't even have to be a part of the fitting, or even mounted anywhere near it, it just makes the wiring a tad more complex is all.

and if you put them all on a single breaker circuit, a buzzer or other audible alert could be installed on that circuit so any light that goes on makes the signal go off, warning you of activity out in the yard.

Also available in NZ.

240VAC buzzer that replaces a switch mechanism in a standard switch plate. Again, the wiring gets a touch mroe complex, but it's easily doable to add one into the circuit.

And, maintenance- who's changing the bulbs when they burn out? If it's you, be sure you have a means to reach the lights safely- this means a tall enough NON METALLIC ladder,

Good point, but I beg to differ on the ladder construction.

Fibreglass ladders are expensive and heavy as all frak, wooden ladders turn into useless pieces of poos rapidly, and there is no need for a homeowner to be changing lamps on a live circuit. An aluminium ladder will be fine for changing lamps in this situation, with minimal electrocution risk to the user, as long as the blardy circuit is isolated.

I write up bulbs that are out, but am not allowed to change them...

There's some pretty good safety and liability reasons as to why you aren't allowed to change them, but it's a pain in the ass for sure.

Automating both aspects with automatic switches (light sensor or motion sensor), and a regularly scheduled maintenance visit addresses both issues at minimum cost and down-time.

1000% agree.

[Aeacus]

Depending how much light you feel you need look at this Wireless LED Spotlight with Motion Sensor and Photocell.

I installed one over a side door that was going to be a major pia to run a wire to. The motion light has a photo cell so the light won't come on during the day. 3 D cell batteries power it for over six months according to a couple reviewers, ymmv. It's about as bright as my 2 d-cell husky led light from home depot, more than bright enough IMO to deter anyone from coming around that side of the house. Goes off quicker than my other wired motion light, but it stays on as long as it detects motion.

Not as good as a wired light but since you can attach it anywhere, it definitely has a niche.

[Kutter_0311]

I do night security, and exterior lighting is one aspect of my job. Not that they do it, but I've been arguing for a while (nearly 6 years now) that the exterior lights should NOT be on switches accessible to the residents- at present they are regular switches next to the doors going outside. I'd like to replace the switches with ones like they used in my high school, which took a little "wrench" type of 'key' to operate, and to install automatic sensors for turning them on when it gets to a certain level of darkness. For a home, I'd go with motion sensors, instead. either would give you better energy savings and security than manually switching them on, and if you put them all on a single breaker circuit, a buzzer or other audible alert could be installed on that circuit so any light that goes on makes the signal go off, warning you of activity out in the yard.

Security-wise, this is what I've been trying to tell my wife and my mom.

There are effective ways to do things, but many don't understand the reasoning.

[Creepinjeep]

I was an electrician for 10 years and I agree with Knight. Motion sensor lighting needs not be on a switch. If you feel comfortable tapping into an outlet or a wire in the attic, while adding a junction box, more power to you. A service call usually costs around $100 for an hour i'd imagine, seeing its been a while since i did it..Maybe a lil less. But its really not that big of a deal just to put a male extension cord end if you feel you need to go that route, however i wouldn't put it on the exterior for risk of someone unplugging it.

[StrikeEagle]

Thanks for the feedback and I'll be sure to heed the words of safety. I agree it should have limited on/off access by the homeowner. The motion light for our patio is connected to the light switch by the back door. Sure enough, when I do remember to check the switch it has been turned off by my wife.

The addition of a buzzer is a great idea! Our door alarms chime whenever they are opened, which is nice with little ones around. Is there something that you could add that would chime a time or two when the motion lights are activated and not emit a continuous sound?

[KnightoftheRoc]

Thanks for the feedback and I'll be sure to heed the words of safety. I agree it should have limited on/off access by the homeowner. The motion light for our patio is connected to the light switch by the back door. Sure enough, when I do remember to check the switch it has been turned off by my wife.

The addition of a buzzer is a great idea! Our door alarms chime whenever they are opened, which is nice with little ones around. Is there something that you could add that would chime a time or two when the motion lights are activated and not emit a continuous sound?

I found a neat little item while in the commercial AC business- it's a timer circuit that can run on voltage anywhere from 24VAC to 240VAC, made by MARS. Ask for a MARS timer at your local HVAC supply house, and chances are extremely good they'll not only know what you mean, but have it in stock. Once powered, it runs for whatever time you set it for, and then activates a relay which is built in. This can be wired with push-on connectors to either turn on or off at the end of the timer sequence, and will only run one time once powered up. Cutting the power to it re-sets the timer. It's a very dependable item, and I've used them quite a bit. I've only had to replace TWO of them in over 20 years of doing this, so that should tell you something.

Using the MARS timer to operate an audible signal powered by the same voltage (probably 110VAC) means the wiring is easy (the timer comes with instructions, last I saw), and you can experiment to see how long you want the buzzer to run. Another nice aspect to this, is that you can wire TWO devices to it, so the buzzer comes on, and when it goes off, the lights in the bedroom come on, or something like that. You're using this to set a delay, but the delay period can be having a device doing something, so it get's used a lot for sequencing operations in machinery, like a rooftop AC unit.

It's a simple, yet elegant answer to the problem, and can be used to create a rather impressive display for security, if you want to go that route- an audible alarm, followed by flood lights covering the entire yard would certainly give an intruder pause. Or, scare the living shit out of the neighborhood possum!

[Kutter_0311]

Another nice aspect to this, is that you can wire TWO devices to it, so the buzzer comes on, and when it goes off, the lights in the bedroom come on, or something like that. You're using this to set a delay, but the delay period can be having a device doing something

Nice! That's certainly a handy feature! I think I'd set the secondary function for 'hallway/entryway lights' for means of threat assessment/deterrence, based on discussion in another thread...