What are motion sensor lights?
Motion sensor lights are lights that turn on when they detect human, pet, car and even tree movement, without a person needing to manually use a wall mounted light switch. They can be installed in residential or commercial environments but are particularly effective in larger commercial environments where manual control of lighting in a particular area tends to be neglected. Motion sensor lighting is especially beneficial in areas where lighting is rarely required, such as fire stairs.
Types of sensors used for sensor lights
There are different types of sensors used for motion sensor lights. The different types are heat detection sensors, light change sensors, signal blockage sensors, and contact sensors. Heat detection sensors (also referred to as passive infrared sensors) cause motion sensor lights to turn on when they detect a sudden change in temperature. It may come as no surprise that these are the most widely-used home motion sensors. Light change sensors are sensors that turn on lights when a significant enough change in lighting is detected, such as when it gets dark outside. Signal blockage sensors cause sensor lights to turn on when something physically blocks the signal of the sensor, because this indicates that there is movement. Lastly, contact sensors are sensors that activate sensor lights when something makes contact with a relevant object, such as a window or door.
Benefits of sensor lights
Sensor lights have a multitude of benefits. They not only reduce CO2 emissions and are great to use for security reasons, but also save money by conserving energy use and reducing maintenance costs. Of course, another big positive is that no touch is required to turn on motion sensor lights.
Where do I place my sensor lights?
Before placing your motion sensor lights around your home or workplace, determine your purpose for using them. If you are installing them for convenience purposes, you may want to place them in every room around your home. For security purposes, be strategic about where the lights are placed. Lights could be placed around the perimeter of the property (indoors and outdoors), at possible entry points, in the garage, near outdoor walkways around the property, and in high traffic areas such as hallways.
For help installing motion sensor lights at your home or business, consider getting in touch with Cassidy-Davies Electrical. Contact us by calling 03 357 4179 or by emailing us at office@cdelectrical.co.nz.
Author: Aimee O’Hagan
Image credit: Freepik
