Q. I have three outdoor lights operated by one switch and I'd like one of them to replace with motion sensing light. I do not want the rest two lights to be ON all night, i just want one light to bi sensor operated over the night. And again, all three are on the same switch. How do i do this?
A. Well.........since all 3 are currently on a switched system (all the same) then you need to rewire the one you want to be "constant" as not to be on the same switch control.
You first need to determine if the wiring goes directly to the switch or to a basement/attic junction box.
If you can locate the wiring that goes out to the one you want seperate, you are halfway home. Now you need a voltage meter for the next part as you need to find a 115vac that is not on the load side of that switch. If all 3 go to the switch box, its as simple as removing the one you want constant from the wire nut (or however all 3 were tied together) and instead place it on the line side of that switch instead (the other side of the screw.
If they do not go to the switch, but instead to a junction box,....then its the same process as in the switch box except you dont add it to the line side of a switch but merely wire nut it to the constant hot (which can be determined by measuring the voltage with the switch off and the one that still reads 110~120vac is your "constant"). If none give a reading with the switch off then you only have the switchlegs in that junction and you will need to run a new wire to get the constant 115vac. Difficulty varies but this is a job best suited for an electrician.
If this seems foreign to you then DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF as it is something that should be done by someone with electrical understanding.
You first need to determine if the wiring goes directly to the switch or to a basement/attic junction box.
If you can locate the wiring that goes out to the one you want seperate, you are halfway home. Now you need a voltage meter for the next part as you need to find a 115vac that is not on the load side of that switch. If all 3 go to the switch box, its as simple as removing the one you want constant from the wire nut (or however all 3 were tied together) and instead place it on the line side of that switch instead (the other side of the screw.
If they do not go to the switch, but instead to a junction box,....then its the same process as in the switch box except you dont add it to the line side of a switch but merely wire nut it to the constant hot (which can be determined by measuring the voltage with the switch off and the one that still reads 110~120vac is your "constant"). If none give a reading with the switch off then you only have the switchlegs in that junction and you will need to run a new wire to get the constant 115vac. Difficulty varies but this is a job best suited for an electrician.
If this seems foreign to you then DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF as it is something that should be done by someone with electrical understanding.
Does anyone know where I can buy an outdoor lighting fixture?
Q. I want to replace my outdoor wall-mounted light by my front door. The one I have now also has an outlet on it. I find this very handy to plug in my weed whacker, etc. I can't seem to find an outdoor light that comes with the outlet. Have they been discontinued?
Thanks HVAC, I did check in those stores. I guess they don't make them anymore.
Thanks HVAC, I did check in those stores. I guess they don't make them anymore.
A. I have not seen one in a long time. Check at Lowes? home depot? Another thing you could do is when the light is replaced have an outlet wired into the light circuit in the wall, it should not be very difficult for an electrician
Why does turning my outdoor lights on trips my circuit breaker ?
Q. I have 4 outdoor lights, 2 lanterns and 2 recessed lightings. The switch is part of 3 switches that controls indoor lights and sockets. Whenever I turn on the outdoor switch, it triggers the circuit breaker. The other 2 switches don't do this. The 2 lantern lights worked when checked individually. But I didn't check the recessed lights yet. What could be the problem?
A. The easiest way to figure it out is to try the process of elimination. The easiest to eliminate and the most likely source is one of the light fixtures. Remove one fixture at a time and recheck the circuit to see if it trips. If the circuit stops tripping, the problem is in the last fixture removed. If that doesn't help you find it, try reinstalling one of the fixtures and messing around with the switches. It's not uncommon for the 4-way switches to go bad. Like the other contributor said, never upsize a breaker without the recommendation of a licensed electrician. It goes without saying that if you're uncomfortable working around electricity, leave this one to the professionals. If the 120 volts doesn't kill you, the fire will.
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