How to Install an Outdoor Motion Light on Your Home

Motion lights help you see what's going on in your yard at night.

Outdoor motion detector lights are an excellent safety and security feature to have on your house. They light a wide area, but only when they are activated by movement, and then turn off automatically. You decide how long it stays on -- one, five or 20 minutes. When you come home late at night, you'll be happy to have the path from the car to the front door lighted. And if a stranger comes too close to your house during the night, you'll be happy that his cover of darkness will vanish.

Things You'll Need

• ladder
• screw driver
• caulking

Instructions

1. Turn off the power to the outdoor light at the circuit breaker box.

2. Locate the junction box where the outdoor motion lights will be installed. The junction box should be secured to the building and not move. If necessary, tighten the junction box to the building.

3. Twist together the end of the white wire from the junction box and the end of the white wire on the outdoor motion light. Screw the proper colored cap that come with the motion light completely over the exposed paired wires. In the same way, connect the black wire from the junction box to the black wire on the outdoor motion light.

4. Push the white and black wires back inside the junction box, making sure they do not touch one another.

5. Position the motion light in place over the junction box and screw down tightly.

6. Apply a small bead of clear caulk around the outside edge of the motion light to prevent water from seeping into the junction box.

7. Insert the fiber washer that comes with the light kit and the light bulb.

8. Turn the electricity back on.

9. Position the motion sensor to a location that will trigger the light. Practice walking in front of it determine the distance range that works best for your property, then set it. Set, also, how long you'd like the light to stay on.

Tips & Warnings

• Install one or two lights on the corners of your house in the backyard, one on each dark side and one in the front driveway.

• The light bulbs come in different colors, which can help you decorate your home on holidays.

• Never work on an electrical fixture without turning off the electricity.

• Do not exceed the watt limit of the bulb for the socket.

References

• Lowe's: Install a Motion Detector