How to Repair a Motion Detector Light

A motion detector light is a security feature which can be installed in to any home. The motion detector light works by detecting motion in the room. This can be a problem if the light is over-sensitive and is triggered by cats, small insects or even by stray dust moving in a certain manner. As well as this problem, which can be overcome, there are a number of other faults which the motion detector light can suffer. Rather than taking it back to the shop, or even replacing with a new one, you can try a few troubleshooting tips and see if you can repair your troublesome motion detector light from this.

Step 1 - Light Won't Turn Off

This is a more common problem than you might expect, particularly after lights have been damaged in some way, for example by an electricity surge. If you find that after resetting all the other electrical items in your home, your motion detector light is still shining (and there hasn't been any motion), then you can conclude that it, too has been affected by the surge, and needs to be reset. Remove the light from the wall, and take out your instruction manual. This should have a list of all the buttons featured on the light, including the reset button. This will usually be red (and might even be marked Reset). Press this until the light turns itself off. If clicking the reset button doesn't help, then you may find that running a cleaning brush over the surface, or even pushing a piece of paper down the side, does the trick.

Step 2 - Light Still Won't Turn Off

Another reason for the motion detector light not turning off is cold weather. As with everything to do with the cold, motion detector lights can be seriously damaged by frost or ice. When frost lands on the contacts, this can make the light freeze, so that it can be stuck on the On position. Remove your light from the wall, and leave in a warm garage, or even by a radiator, until it goes off.

Step 3 - Light Won't Go On

The opposite problem to the ones described above, this can be caused by the same reasons. If you have ruled these out as being the source, then you should consider whether the light contains a damaged photocell, in which case you will need to replace it, or it could simply be dirty. The motion sensor, which triggers the light, should be cleaned regularly to avoid it becoming clogged. You can also simply increase the sensitivity on the sensor, as this will solve the basic problem.

Step 4 - Other Repairs

Sometimes, the easiest repairs can solve major problems. If it seems like the motion sensor light has given up the ghost, then you should firstly try cleaning the sensor, and then remove the old bulb from the light and insert a new one. It is surprising how many times changing the bulb fixes a troublesome motion detector light.