I want to introduce you to a device that will give you great security features for your home, does not require complicated installation, and costs very little (less than $70 at the time of this article) compared to the safety features it provides. Bear with me for a minute while I explain what this wonderful, innovative, safety device will do for you and your home:

• You place the outdoor motion sensor in an area of your yard that you would like to monitor -- front or back porch area, walkway, outside of garage, etc.
• You then place the indoor unit in your home and plug it into a standard wall outlet. Plug a lamp or other indoor light into this unit. Keep the indoor unit within 100 feet of the location of the outdoor motion sensor.
• When motion is detected from the sensor you have placed in your yard, the light you have plugged into the indoor unit will turn on, and the indoor unit will also emit an audible alarm!
• You can manually override the indoor unit, to control the light directly without the use of the motion detector. Also, the alarm includes a volume control, and you can adjust the amount of time that the light will remain on after outdoor motion is detected.

One of the key benefits of motion detector lights is the energy savings these lights bring.  The light stays on less and only when needed, and less energy is used as a result.

Instead of traditional incandescent light bulbs in your motion lights, consider instead using a CFL - compact fluorescent light - or LED energy savings light in your fixture.  These lights provide energy savings over normal light bulbs.  Keep in mind that these lights provide different lighting effect, so make sure to choose the right bulb for your lighting application.

Also, when using CFLs, make sure to choose CFLs that are rated to work with dimmer switches.  This is because CFLs that are not made for dimmers will typically require the full amount of voltage in order to fire the gasses inside the fluorescent bulb.  If the power gets below the required number of volts, which may happen with certain motion detector lights (for example, using the Dual Brite system), the CFL may not receive enough volts to cause the fluorescent light to fire completely, leading to a flicker effect.  Solve this by choosing CFLs that work with dimmer lights.

Otherwise, you should have no trouble using an energy savings bulb in your motion sensor light, and enjoy the extra savings.

Have an overactive motion detector? The sensitivity level on today's motion detector lights may cause the sensor to trigger too frequently, causing the light to stay on longer than desired, or causing the light to turn on too frequently due to motion detected from an unwanted area.  Here are some tips to fix this problem:

The front door light or front porch light on most homes is not motion controlled.  The light is either on or off, depending on whether someone remembered to flick the switch.  As a result, the light sometimes stays on during the day, or stays off at night - either way, not the best use of the light for either energy cost and conservation or safety.  One easy way to deal with this problem, save money on energy costs and get the safety benefits of a light at your front door that will be on when you need it, is to use a motion sensor light.  These lights come in many decorative styles, colors and designs that are sure to enhance the beauty of your home front.