#Do dusk to dawn lights save electricity install
#Do dusk to dawn lights save electricity download

You could easily just have the light constantly switched on. The whole point of a dusk to dawn sensor is ensuring that your light only comes on when you need it. Why Does My Dusk To Dawn Sensor Stay On All Day? Unfortunately, because the dusk to dawn sensor is a switch itself, there’s no way to wire an additional switch in so that the light is always on unless you remove the dusk to dawn sensor or can disable it. If your light switch on the circuit is off, then the sensor (and lights) just won’t work at all. So, if you have your own switch in the on position, the dawn to dusk sensor will work correctly, turning the light on or off depending on the ambient lux levels.

#Do dusk to dawn lights save electricity install

If your dusk to dawn sensor doesn’t have an on/off switch, then you could install a switch on the circuit itself, but that switch will essentially be controlling the sensor, not the light. So if the power source is constant, the light will always be on when the sensor is switched off. Leave this switch in the on position, and the dusk to dawn sensor will work as it should, switching off any attached lights when the sunlight is bright enough.įlick the switch into the off position, and you’re disabling the sensor, not the lights.

This will be located on the unit itself, or if you have a smart sensor, it’ll be in the app. Some dusk to dawn sensors will have an on/off switch that acts as an override. Once that’s done you should be able to control the lux sensitivity levels as much as you need to.

#Do dusk to dawn lights save electricity download

When setting it up, you’ll just need to wire up the light, so it’s powered on and then download the relevant app to your smartphone or tablet.įrom there, you’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one, and then there’ll be an option to pair it with your light. The final type of dusk to dawn lights are the easiest to set up because once installed, you can play with the settings to your heart’s content without climbing a ladder or removing the light from its position. If you feel the light is coming on too early or too late, make a slight adjustment and test it again. The best thing to do is install the light and check how it works with the default settings. These dials usually let you adjust the lux level – the amount of light needed for the sensor to activate and turn off the light it is attached to. Sometimes these dials are flush with the sensor and are designed to be adjusted using a flat-head screwdriver inserted into the slot in the middle. They will either take the form of toggles/switches on the sensor or dials. Some photocells will have adjustable controls (Amazon). When the ambient light drops to dusk levels, the photocell will detect this and close the switch, activating the light.

When it’s light, the sensor will be trigged, which will keep the internal switch open, preventing the current from activating the light bulb. Once wired into the circuit, it will work immediately. Setting up basic dusk to dawn lights is as simple as wiring them into your electrical circuit and ensuring the photocell isn’t covered by a permanent shadow. Smart dusk to dawn lights with app controls.Dusk to dawn lights with adjustable controls.Basic dusk to dawn lights that can’t be adjusted.The setup process for dusk to dawn lights varies depending on what you’ve bought. Reasons why it might be staying on all day.Let’s take a look in a little more detail at: Some can be disabled so that the light constantly works if you want it to as well – again, controlled with a switch on the sensor or via an app. Some dusk to dawn sensors can be adjusted using dials or switches on the sensor itself or with a smartphone app. They work using a photocell that detects the ambient lighting levels – when things get too dark, they close their internal switch, which means power can flow to the light fixture, switching it on.īut what do you do if the light isn’t working properly, or it’s switching on too early or too late? Dusk to dawn lights are a great way to save energy for outdoor lights.