Things You'll Need:
- Ladder
- Ratchet
- Pliers
- Wire nuts
- Small screwdriver
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Step 1
Turn off the electrical circuit for your existing flood lights. If you are uncertain which breaker you must turn off in order to cut the power, ask a qualified electrician for help or shut off all of the main circuit breakers, cutting all power to your property. NOTE: if you cut off all power to your property such things as refrigerators and freezers will be without power.
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Step 2
Remove existing flood lights. This will require the use of a ladder to reach the existing flood lights. It is advisable to have a helper who can hand up materials when required and who can steady the ladder. Most flood lights can be removed using a ratchet to remove one long bolt (occasionally two bolts).
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Step 3
Unscrew the wire nuts which connect the wiring from the flood light with the wiring on the house. Wire nuts are brightly colored small plastic cups which screw onto the coupling of two wires to hold them tightly together and protect them from moisture. To remove the wire nuts simply turn them counter clockwise. If you cannot turn them by hand, use a pair of pliers to gently grab them and turn. Once the wire nuts have been removed use your pliers to unwrap the wires. Once all the wires have been unwrapped you can dispose of the old flood light.
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Step 4
Install the new motion sensor flood light in place of the old flood light. Hold the new motion sensor light in place on a corner of your home so that the motion sensors can "see" in both directions around the corner of your home. Use your ratchet to install the long bolt that came with the new light. In most cases the new bolt can be screwed into the hole from the old bolt.
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Step 5
Use your pliers to help wrap the wires from your new light to the existing wires. Always connect like colors; in other words, connect the white wire to the white wire, the black wire to the black wire and the red wire to the red wire. Use your pliers to twist the wire tightly together. Next, screw a new plastic wire nut (never re-use a wire nut) onto each connection. Insert the wires into the wire nut and twist the nut clockwise until it is set firmly on the two wires. Place a wire nut on each connection.
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Step 6
Set the switches on the new motion sensor flood light. Set the switch on the new motion sensor floodlight to "normal" or to "sensitive" (names will be different with different models). This setting depends on whether you want your lights sensitive to all movement, including small animals such as cats and squirrels.
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Step 7
Stuff the wires into the housing and install the supplied housing unit over the wires to protect them from the weather. This sometimes involves simply hooking the housing onto pegs or it could involve screwing four small screws into the housing unit to hold it together.
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Step 8
Continue in the same fashion until a minimum of four motion sensor flood lights have been installed (one at each corner of the house). Turn the electrical breaker switch back on and test your lights.
