Motion Lights and Security Lights are triggered when the fixture picks up "motion", which is defined as the movement of heat across the detection coverage area.  Keep this in mind when setting up your light fixtures, because false and unwanted light triggers will cause great frustration!

Because motion lights pick up heat across the sensor range, a number of heat sources will trigger your light.  In addition to people and animals, here are other heat sources that many times will cause false positives: 

• Pools of Water (from temperature changes rising off of, and above, the water)
• Air Conditioners
• Dryer Vents
• Fenced-In Animals
• Heating Vents
• Automobile Traffic

There are a number of ways to adjust your security light to avoid and minimize false positives.  If your motion light is coming on when you don't want it to, try some of the following:

1. Reduce the sensitivity using the motion light setting (usually a dial)
2. Use a lens shield, which is included with many motion lights, and provides a cover to block out portions of the sensor, to avoid motion being picked up in certain directions
3. Use the MacGuyver lens shield -- Duct Tape or Black Electrical Tape!  Cover the portion of the motion sensor that is picking up the unwanted heat source
4. Adjust the direction that the sensor faces - usually a simple adjustment with a wrench or even by hand

Good Luck!

The benefits of outdoor motion sensor lights are real, including security, convenience and energy savings.  But I've covered those in other articles, and will probalby cover them in future articles as well.  Outdoor motion sensor lights generally come in two varieties - motion sensor flood lights, and motion sensor decorative lights.  As you can see from our site, there are a number of choices of both flood and decorative lights - but which light is best for you?

This article is intended to outline some of the major differences between these two types of motion sensor lights, and hopefully help you make the decision of which type of motion light to focus on.  Any question, don't hesitate to ask!

Motion sensor lights turn on automatically when they detect motion in the sensor range.  There are many reasons that outdoor motion lights provide benefits over non-motion lights.   These lights provide cost-effective convenience and security.  Listed below are some top security benefits of outdoor motion sensor lights for you to consider - post any others you can think of.

Save money on outdoor protection lighting effects while at the same time, safeguarding your property (and your own personal safety) with floodlights that are activated when movement is detected by a sensor.  Automated motion sensor lights (flood or decorative) are an easy way to conserve energy and save.  

Motion activated outdoor lighting gives the security effect of shock value to would be intruders. When your house is in darkness, it is an easier target for burglary, and would-be intruders are shocked when they're suddenly flooded with light. The result is a deterrent effect, with the criminal choosing an easier target--one that has no outdoor lighting.

Determine the right combination of outdoor lighting around your yard and home can be a challenging task.  With the motion sensor lighting products on the market today, there are many shapes and sizes to choose from.  Well, look no further than the attached Outdoor Lighting Plan for some assistance.  This handy chart is perfect to help you select the right type of lighting for different areas of your home and yard, with a guide to proper light placement and height to get the most out of your setup.  It also gives you a handy grid to plot out and design your lighting placement, and includes some energy savings tips as well!  

Click the "Outdoor Lighting Plan" Link below for this handy resource.  

We are gong to be adding some new motion lights from Home of Decor this weekend.  Home of Decor has been in the ceiling fan, lighting and fireplace business for nearly 30 years, and offers great selection along with strong customer service and product support.  You'll find most of their product come with free shipping, as well as the company's free technical support, warranty and low price guaranty.  Visit Home of Decor now.

If you have seen the movie Predator, then you may remember the scene where Dutch (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) avoids getting captured and killed by the Predator when he accidentally covers himself in mud, which hides the heat from his body. The Predator, using body heat signatures to identify its prey, can't detect Dutch even though looking right at him -- the mud hides his body's heat signature. Well, I haven't tested it (yet?), but the same concepts should apply when trying to avoid detection by a motion sensor light! (if you test this, let me know and I'll post the results!)

In previous articles I have discussed how motion sensor lights work, and how the heat from objects moving across the motion sensing field will trigger a motion sensing light. This article is not meant to give you ideas for sneaking past someone's motion sensor, but instead is to help you better understand how your lights work and possibly help you better place your motion lights to pick up the type of motion you want to trigger your lights. I will plan to set up some testing in my backyard (using my kids - they will love it!) to see how well we can avoid our motion sensing lights--I'll post any results. Here are some suggestions and ideas on avoiding motion sensors (note that these apply to heat-sensing motion detectors like those typically found in motion lights - these do not necessarily apply to sound, beam or other detectors):

Outdoor home lighting provides a number of great benefits - convenience, security, and beauty to name a few. But when choosing outdoor home lighting, there are a number of reasons to choose motion sensor lights over standard, non-motion lighting. This article will highlight some of the top reasons you should choose motion lighting for your outdoor home lighting needs.

• Save money and only use the lights when you actually need them - when motion is detected. Whether coming home after dark, looking for your keys outside a front or side door, or taking your pet out at night, motion lighting will automatically provide light once you move in the motion detector range. You'll save money as a result and get the automatic lighting convenience.