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Subject Author Date
Help diagnose Motion Detector light problem Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC 07-14-2007
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Posted by Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC on July 14, 2007, 8:21 pm
I have a motion detector light outside of my garage that was previously
installed by my electrician.
Here is the way it worked. I had a wall switch connected inside the garage. When
the wall switch was
in the down position (off), the motion detector would go on at night, when
movement occurred outside
and then it would turn off after a few minutes.

However, if the wall switch was up (in the on position), then the light on the
motion detector would
stay on all night and go off in the morning.

Recently, the light on the motion detector would stay on all night and stay on
all also during the
day and never go off.

So I bought a new motion detector and replaced the existing one.

However, when I bought the new motion detector, the same problem occurs. The
light stays on during
the day, so that means there was probably nothing wrong with the physical motion
detector, and I
thought possiblye there is a problem with the wall switch or some wiring.

When I swapped out the new motion detector I notice that there were 3 wires on
the motion detector
(white, red and black). I notice that the wires coming out of the garage outside
where the motion
detector was placed has wires (white, black and red).

I was told from home depot, that the black on the motion detector is my ground.
So I grounded that
wire. I then connected the 2 whites together and connected the motion detector
white and red to the
wall white and red and also connected the black wall wire to the red wires.

So where do you think the problem is occurring and how do I fix this?

If it's the wall switch, what do I do. Do you I just by a new one?

Thanks much,


Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC

Contributing writer for FUTURES Magazine
Author of RECRUITSOURCE PEOPLESOFT EXAM and RECRUITSOURCE SAP/R3 EXAM
Author of POWER TIPS FOR THE APPLE NEWTON and INTRODUCTION TO CSP

NOTE: To send me an email, remove TAKEOUT from my email address:
larryTAKEOUT@seldin.net

NOTE: My web home page: www.seldin.net

Posted by Pat on July 14, 2007, 8:35 pm
On Jul 14, 8:21 pm, "Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC"
> I have a motion detector light outside of my garage that was previously
installed by my electrician.
> Here is the way it worked. I had a wall switch connected inside the garage.
When the wall switch was
> in the down position (off), the motion detector would go on at night, when
movement occurred outside
> and then it would turn off after a few minutes.
>
> However, if the wall switch was up (in the on position), then the light on the
motion detector would
> stay on all night and go off in the morning.
>
> Recently, the light on the motion detector would stay on all night and stay on
all also during the
> day and never go off.
>
> So I bought a new motion detector and replaced the existing one.
>
> However, when I bought the new motion detector, the same problem occurs. The
light stays on during
> the day, so that means there was probably nothing wrong with the physical
motion detector, and I
> thought possiblye there is a problem with the wall switch or some wiring.
>
> When I swapped out the new motion detector I notice that there were 3 wires on
the motion detector
> (white, red and black). I notice that the wires coming out of the garage
outside where the motion
> detector was placed has wires (white, black and red).
>
> I was told from home depot, that the black on the motion detector is my
ground. So I grounded that
> wire. I then connected the 2 whites together and connected the motion detector
white and red to the
> wall white and red and also connected the black wall wire to the red wires.
>
> So where do you think the problem is occurring and how do I fix this?
>
> If it's the wall switch, what do I do. Do you I just by a new one?
>
> Thanks much,
>
> Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC
>
> Contributing writer for FUTURES Magazine
> Author of RECRUITSOURCE PEOPLESOFT EXAM and RECRUITSOURCE SAP/R3 EXAM
> Author of POWER TIPS FOR THE APPLE NEWTON and INTRODUCTION TO CSP
>
> NOTE: To send me an email, remove TAKEOUT from my email address:
larryTAKE...@seldin.net
>
> NOTE: My web home page: www.seldin.net

If it is a "regular" motion detector, the light comes on and stays on
if you turn the switch on, turn it off, and the turn it on again in
rapid succession. This allow you to keep it on if you need it on. Go
shut the light off at the breaker, wait 5 minutes, then turn it back
on and see if it resets itself.


Posted by Joseph Meehan on July 14, 2007, 8:44 pm
Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC wrote:
> I have a motion detector light outside of my garage that was
> previously installed by my electrician. Here is the way it worked. I
> had a wall switch connected inside the garage. When the wall switch
> was in the down position (off), the motion detector would go on at
> night, when movement occurred outside and then it would turn off
> after a few minutes.
>
> However, if the wall switch was up (in the on position), then the
> light on the motion detector would stay on all night and go off in
> the morning.
>
> Recently, the light on the motion detector would stay on all night
> and stay on all also during the day and never go off.
>
> So I bought a new motion detector and replaced the existing one.
>
> However, when I bought the new motion detector, the same problem
> occurs. The light stays on during the day, so that means there was
> probably nothing wrong with the physical motion detector, and I
> thought possiblye there is a problem with the wall switch or some
> wiring.
>
> When I swapped out the new motion detector I notice that there were 3
> wires on the motion detector (white, red and black). I notice that
> the wires coming out of the garage outside where the motion detector
> was placed has wires (white, black and red).
>
> I was told from home depot, that the black on the motion detector is
> my ground. So I grounded that wire. I then connected the 2 whites
> together and connected the motion detector white and red to the wall
> white and red and also connected the black wall wire to the red
> wires.

Why did you need instructions from HD? Where there no instructions with
the detector?


>
> So where do you think the problem is occurring and how do I fix this?
>
> If it's the wall switch, what do I do. Do you I just by a new one?
>
> Thanks much,
>
>
> Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC
>
> Contributing writer for FUTURES Magazine
> Author of RECRUITSOURCE PEOPLESOFT EXAM and RECRUITSOURCE SAP/R3 EXAM
> Author of POWER TIPS FOR THE APPLE NEWTON and INTRODUCTION TO CSP
>
> NOTE: To send me an email, remove TAKEOUT from my email address:
> larryTAKEOUT@seldin.net
>
> NOTE: My web home page: www.seldin.net

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit




Posted by RBM on July 14, 2007, 10:36 pm
It sounds like the switch toggled between a photocell controlling the lights
or the motion detector controlling the lights. Whatever device was
controlling the lights when they stayed in the on position went bad. The
black wire of a motion detector is not a ground, it gets connected to the
feed hot wire, so you clearly wired it incorrectly. At this point you should
probably call back the electrician to diagnose and repair the problem





>I have a motion detector light outside of my garage that was previously
>installed by my electrician.
> Here is the way it worked. I had a wall switch connected inside the
> garage. When the wall switch was
> in the down position (off), the motion detector would go on at night, when
> movement occurred outside
> and then it would turn off after a few minutes.
>
> However, if the wall switch was up (in the on position), then the light on
> the motion detector would
> stay on all night and go off in the morning.
>
> Recently, the light on the motion detector would stay on all night and
> stay on all also during the
> day and never go off.
>
> So I bought a new motion detector and replaced the existing one.
>
> However, when I bought the new motion detector, the same problem occurs.
> The light stays on during
> the day, so that means there was probably nothing wrong with the physical
> motion detector, and I
> thought possiblye there is a problem with the wall switch or some wiring.
>
> When I swapped out the new motion detector I notice that there were 3
> wires on the motion detector
> (white, red and black). I notice that the wires coming out of the garage
> outside where the motion
> detector was placed has wires (white, black and red).
>
> I was told from home depot, that the black on the motion detector is my
> ground. So I grounded that
> wire. I then connected the 2 whites together and connected the motion
> detector white and red to the
> wall white and red and also connected the black wall wire to the red
> wires.
>
> So where do you think the problem is occurring and how do I fix this?
>
> If it's the wall switch, what do I do. Do you I just by a new one?
>
> Thanks much,
>
>
> Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC
>
> Contributing writer for FUTURES Magazine
> Author of RECRUITSOURCE PEOPLESOFT EXAM and RECRUITSOURCE SAP/R3 EXAM
> Author of POWER TIPS FOR THE APPLE NEWTON and INTRODUCTION TO CSP
>
> NOTE: To send me an email, remove TAKEOUT from my email address:
> larryTAKEOUT@seldin.net
>
> NOTE: My web home page: www.seldin.net



Posted by Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC on July 15, 2007, 10:07 am
>It sounds like the switch toggled between a photocell controlling the lights
>or the motion detector controlling the lights. Whatever device was
>controlling the lights when they stayed in the on position went bad. The
>black wire of a motion detector is not a ground, it gets connected to the
>feed hot wire, so you clearly wired it incorrectly. At this point you should
>probably call back the electrician to diagnose and repair the problem


Guys,

I shut the circuit breaker off for 30 minutes. When I turned it on, the motion
sensor light stayed
on. As you said, there is something wrong.

I was hoping that a forum member could tell me the correct wiring of what color
wires goes where
to get the motion detector to behave the way it was working as. Also, to tell
me, where to look for
the problem.

Here is the summary, of how the motion detector used to work and the way, I want
it to work...

1) When the wall switch is in the down position, the lights are triggered when
motion occurs and
shuts off a few minutes later.

2) When the wall switch is in the up position, the lights stay on all the time
at night.


********* begin *******

Can someone explain how a wall switch affects how a motion sensor is working to
produce the above
way, I want it wired and the way it used to work?

********* end *********


So based on this, how do you think the wires should be "wired" and also where do
you think the
problem is occurring.

I am trying not to use an electrician, if I just knew what to change or replace.
Since I already
swapped out the old motion detector for the new one, I know that the problem is
not a faulty motion
detector. The problem is something else.

So you mentioned that the black from the motion detector is not a ground. If I
put this on to the
other black wires, should this fix the problem of that the lights always stay on
and the motion is
being bypassed?



Thanks much,


Lawrence M. Seldin, CMC, CPC

Contributing writer for FUTURES Magazine
Author of RECRUITSOURCE PEOPLESOFT EXAM and RECRUITSOURCE SAP/R3 EXAM
Author of POWER TIPS FOR THE APPLE NEWTON and INTRODUCTION TO CSP

NOTE: To send me an email, remove TAKEOUT from my email address:
larryTAKEOUT@seldin.net

NOTE: My web home page: www.seldin.net

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