What Is Needed to Install an Outside Security Light?

Protect your home from intruders and provide yourself and your guests with enough light to safely navigate your driveway and entryways at night by installing security lighting. Here are the basics of what you need to know.

Determine a Power Source

To light up the night, your light fixture needs a source of power. This can come from connecting to the wiring in your home or by generating your own power through solar or wind energy. A light can be permanently wired by connecting to the wiring of the home or by digging a trench from the home to the light fixture and installing outdoor wiring from the power in the home to the light fixture. Alternately, the light can wired to a solar or wind-generating source. Some light fixtures have solar panels built into their design.

Select a Light Fixture

These come in a variety of styles and features. Some have a single lamp, and others have two, which can cover two sides of a house. Lamps can be programmed to go on at dusk and off at dawn; motion sensors can also trigger the switch to go on when movement is detected. Some can be programmed to set lights inside your home to go on and off as if you were home doing it yourself.

Determine the Location

Security lighting can deter intruders by detecting their presence and by startling them when motion activated. Security lighting can also help avoid falls and tripping by lighting up an otherwise dark area. To be most useful, security lighting needs to be placed in the most strategic locations where it sheds light on the widest array of essential sites with the least number of fixtures or lamps. Lights at the corner of a residence, especially if there are two beams, can illuminate activity for 270 degrees. Lights placed to illuminate the entire driveway or entrance to a home are useful.

Gather Basic Tools and Supplies

In addition to the light fixture itself, you need the following:
A screwdriver (most electrical fixtures use flat head)
Wire cutters
Boxes (for making connections safely at every cable break)
Cable (make sure to get low resistance if you want to increase safety and reduce blown fuses or flipped circuit breakers. Even though it costs a little more, it's worth it. And get 10 to 15 percent more than you need to accommodate bends, corners and etc.
Electrical tape
Wire connectors
Cable staples

Obtain a Ladder and Helpers

Effective outdoor security lighting is often placed higher than can be reached without a ladder. And cable is strong stuff and takes a lot of muscle to put into its box so the light fixture can go on top of it. Some of us would be placing ourselves at risk to be wrestling with that stubborn cable at the top of a ladder. So a helper to steady the ladder, or a buddy who's done this once or twice and knows how to get cable to go they way we need it, to can be invaluable.

Resources

• Security Lights with Timers Get a Bigger Brain