PIR security lights - the next generation?

[bungeejumper]

Living out in the rural sticks as we do, we have to pay a certain amount of attention to security lighting if we want to keep the bad lads away in the dead of night. Until now I've tended to rely on halogen PIR floodlights (120 or 500 watts), which tend to be aluminium-bodied, and which rarely last more than six or eight years before water gets into them, and then it's game over. Usually the bulbs go, and then you find that the seals have failed and they're full of water, and probably spiders too.

I recently noticed that one of ours was out. The bulb had been fried, but so had the neon in the indoor spur point that supplied the light. To be precise, the tiny transistor-thingy on the neon's cable had gone black, and the insulation was a molten mess. Oops, time for a rethink. (Once I'd changed the spur point, obviously.)

There have been LED PIR lamps for some time now, but this one came with the magic words "remote controller". https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMTFJ5PM . And it's early days so far, but a bit of a revelation really. No more climbing up a ladder to twiddle the adjusters in the dark! (It has no physical adjusters at all, and seems to be hermetically sealed.) I can have it working as a PIR or as a constant light, in which case I'll be glad I can turn down the brightness from 3000 lumens to virtually nothing. Or change the PIR sensitivity. And all from ground level, at the push of a button.

Yes, this seems like progress. All I have to do now is hide the remote controller somewhere where I won't lose it. Will report back on how the experiment goes.

BJ

[DrFfybes]

Oh how I long back for the days of the halogen ones and their 8 year life.

The new LED ones have IME been dire.

Wickes own brand, made by Saxby, have proved so bad I keep the receipt so I can take them back when they fail within a year, the LAP ones from Screwfix were little better but at least they just swap them with no quibble.

Failures and faults include sensors that trip randomly, stay on for an hour if you park a car in from of them as it cools down, or come on all the time if it is windy (apparently this is correct, eventually I gave up trying to explain what PIR stands for and simply reported the conversation to advertising standards).

The LEDs themselves have also failed, either totally in the unit, or going into a 'dim' mode. Not the whole light, just one or 2 of the 4 units.

Meanwhile the others seem fine with their separate sensors and multiple lights, despite being installed in 2006 probably when the garage was built (looking at the wiring). The ones on the fence needed replacing as it blew down and I did replace the sensor on the garage which mysteriously failed whilst the electrician was rewiring the garage(!), but the ones on the gateposts and around the back ae going well. The Victorian style 100W incandescent on the old cast iron lamp column seems fine even though the lantern itself lost the finial in the high winds, happen as well as there's no way I'll ever lean a ladder against the rotting column to have a look.

In summary, I'm now inclined to seperate sensors and lights, with an override swtched live for the lights on an IP rated external switch. You can put the sensors in more appropriate places and scrotes trying to avoid the lights will still get caught out.

Paul

[bungeejumper]

Failures and faults include sensors that trip randomly, stay on for an hour if you park a car in from of them as it cools down, or come on all the time if it is windy (apparently this is correct, eventually I gave up trying to explain what PIR stands for and simply reported the conversation to advertising standards).

The LEDs themselves have also failed, either totally in the unit, or going into a 'dim' mode. Not the whole light, just one or 2 of the 4 units.

Thanks Paul, you might be right to be pessimistic. I imagine these gizmos are improving all the time, but it might be that they just don't stand up to frost or other stresses. (There are plenty of LEDs doing fancy things on cars, of course, where they have a far more hostile environment to cope with. But not for sixteen quid a time. )

Duly recced. I remain hopeful.....

BJ

[DrFfybes]

(There are plenty of LEDs doing fancy things on cars, of course, where they have a far more hostile environment to cope with. But not for sixteen quid a time. )

There's the rub - the old ones were that sort of price 16 years ago.

If one fails now then I'll be looking at a 'branded' one, Integral, DAR, or the commecrial/industrial brands like Phillips, Steinal, Urbis, DW Windsor, etc. Just need to make sure they are 'plug and play' like a domestic one. OK, several times the cost, but if I was paying a sparky to come out and replace them each time it would be cheaper in the long run.

Paul

[csearle]

Not seen any remotely adjustable ones (yet). Good luck!

I have gone through dozens of these LED ones, especially those with their own PIRs. Different brands and wattages. Universally crap. One customer Bought 24 in one go. They have a 5 year warranty. I just change them out each time they fail and chuck the defect ones in a box. He has set an alarm to take back the box of duds in 4.9 years time.

Usually the PIR electronics fails but sometimes the dim-mode Paul described.

C.

[Howard]

There have been LED PIR lamps for some time now, but this one came with the magic words "remote controller". https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMTFJ5PM . And it's early days so far, but a bit of a revelation really. No more climbing up a ladder to twiddle the adjusters in the dark! (It has no physical adjusters at all, and seems to be hermetically sealed.) I can have it working as a PIR or as a constant light, in which case I'll be glad I can turn down the brightness from 3000 lumens to virtually nothing. Or change the PIR sensitivity. And all from ground level, at the push of a button.

Yes, this seems like progress. All I have to do now is hide the remote controller somewhere where I won't lose it. Will report back on how the experiment goes.

BJ

Like you I bought one of these which has been excellent. However, it is in the garage so protected from the elements, purchased to help Mrs H put the car away. It is literally brilliant for illuminating a brief visit - much quicker than waiting for the fluorescent tubes to flicker on.

Externally I fitted these solar powered lights which are equally brilliant https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09 ... UTF8&psc=1 . Of their four predecessors purchased around seven years ago only one has failed. They are dotted around the drive and light for around 30 seconds and come on again if there is movement so are very obvious in tracking any visitor on foot or by car.

regards

Howard