Outside security light broken

happy_miser

We have two security lamps that both operate on the same circuit when triggered. However one of them isn't working, even though I've changed the 500 watt bulb (the original bulb didn't look blown) - the lamps are only 15 months old. The sensor on the faulty lamp still works as it clicks when I step in front of it and triggers the 2nd light to come on.

Does anyone know what could be wrong please. Is it beyond repair?

monkeyboy72

This may sound really obvious and apologise if it was the first thing you tried but my lamps have dials underneath which allows you to adjust for darkness and light, maybe somehow it has been turned all the way round to maximum setting so wont come on??

happy_miser

Thanks Monkeyboy, but the dials haven't been changed they are still on the original setting.

Malestrom

Put the bulb from the working lamp into the non-working lamp, you could have got a duff 'new' bulb. Or if you have a multimeter, test the new bulb for continuity to make sure its alright.

securityman

If the bulb is ok, i would get one of them 240v screws drivers that light up when on 240v. Then touch the screw driver on the tag that goes on the light to see if your getting power out. If not then open the back of the light and test the feed (will be red or brown) for power.

Just work your way down till you find the problem.

happy_miser

Thanks, will try these suggestions out when I can get someone to go back up the ladders as I don't have a head for heights. Will report back with results.

Aussie

There could be a few reason's for this, but lets get what you know out of the way first.

I think you have power at your non working light because, you said that it clicks when you walk infront of the motion sensor. It wouldn't do so if there wasn't any power there.

As Malestrom said, check that you haven't bought a duff bulb. Or try the working bulb out of the working light, in the non working light. If you have the sort of light that I'm thinking of and the bulb is a thin and long, like a pencil. When you put the bulb in, it has to sit on the little metal prongs. If you don't have both sides sitting on it, it won't work. It's easy to not put it on right and think that you have.

If you've done the above correctly and it's still not working, at this stage try the new bulb that you haven't seen working yet, into the working light. If it comes on, then we can look at something else in the light.

Prove with a testing meter that there's live and neutral and earth supplies coming to your fitting. Have a general look at the connections while it's switched it off, check to see if any cables have come out or are loose and tighten them up if they have.

If everything is indicating that it should be working and it still isn't, there's not much left to look at. Yes the sensor may be picking up your motion and that's why you can hear the clicking sound, but the little sensor device is not putting out power on the output side or you have a loose/disconnected termination where the internal light fitting cable joins the two little metal prongs.

You can either pull the light fitting apart and check that the cables are connected and test if the sensor is outputting power and if there is continuity in all the internal cables and they are fine.

By now I would assume that you would have found the problem, if you haven't there is not much really if everything is indicating that it's "ok" that you can do.

As these lights are mass produced and they normally don't cost a fortune, they are normally not of a high quality, most people would say..... it's not worth the hassle or the expense paying someone to check it all out, or attempting it yourself if you're not sure what you're doing. (yes everybody knows the new rules, about not doing DIY electrical work. I don't want to get into that debate. You asked for some help and we're all here to help each other and save money)

If at any point you find what you think is the fault, and none of the above works, let us all know then we can advise you further.

Edinburghlass_2

Aussie, fancy a w/end in Edinburgh to fix all my little electrical problems, only one of which is an outside light that doesn't work

beefster

I do.......... I would bet that the new lamp is not installed correctly as saif earlier. Ensure the raised ares on the contacts goes into the recess at the end of the lamp.........

I can come up on the festival w/e!!!!!!!

Aussie

edinburghlass wrote:

Aussie, fancy a w/end in Edinburgh to fix all my little electrical problems, only one of which is an outside light that doesn't work

Only if we're having a barbie and the baby guinea pig is thrown in...not in the barbie of course

My price for electrical work is one fault fix = one party

happy_miser

Many thanks for your advice Aussie. I totally agree that they are relatively inexpensive, but if it is only a simple fault I want to have a go first. Any replacement needs to match the other lamp as they are both fixed to the house and I wanted to avoid having to buy two new ones.

In the past I'm sure I've disgarded faulty items that, with hindsight, could have been repaired, but I didn't have this fantastic site to refer to then.Will post back soon.