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Security lighting is a great way to protect your home from intruders, yet when they are not  working properly they can be a real headache! Malfunctioning security lights may stay on longer than they should, and not turn on when they should turn on, or face a number of other issues that stop them from working properly. Below is a list of the most common security lighting issues we’ve encountered.

They Won’t Turn Off

Motion sensor lights are intended to come on when they detect movement and shut off after a few minutes when movement stops. In some cases, motion stops and the lights stay on, generally as a result of a spike in current.

If your motion sensor lights won’t shut off, the first thing to do is check to see if the time interval has been changed. Most motion sensors let you set a length of time for the light to stay on, typically anywhere between 30 seconds to 10 minutes. If the interval has been changed and the lights are staying on too long, change it back to the time you desire.

If that doesn’t work, go outside during daylight, and see if there is anything in range of the motion detector that may be continuously moving, such as a flag. If you don’t see anything, try shutting the lights off at the breaker, then restarting them.

They Won’t Turn On

Lights that won’t shut off are unpleasant enough, but what about lights that won’t turn on? One common cause when this happens is that artificial light is coming in from another resource and is simulating daylight, and stopping the sensor from working properly. Try to find where that light source is coming from and change the direction of the sensor to avoid that artificial light source.

They Flicker

The fundamental issues behind constantly flickering lights vary depending on a number of factors, including whether the problem is only occurring with a single bulb or more than one at a time. If it’s only a single bulb, thoroughly check it to see if it’s secure in its fitting. If it is, try replacing it with a new bulb. If that doesn’t work, call an electrician.

They Don’t Work in Bad Weather

This one isn’t as common as the other issues, but in the past we’ve had customers whose security lights have been faulty when the weather was rainy, or snowy. This is ordinarily the result of low quality motion sensors, which can be unpredictable in extreme hot or cold weather.

Security lighting is generally reliable and will provide years of safety at low energy costs. But if your security lighting is giving you headaches, call McCurdy Electrical Services today!