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May 27,2017

How to Reset a Motion Sensor Light That's Stuck

If you've ever lived in a house with a motion sensor light outside, then you know what fun it can be trying to remember to turn it off. It seems that no matter how well you try to train yourself, there will always be an odd time when you forget. If this has been a problem in the past, and you have found yourself staring at your motion sensor light, thinking, "How do I reset this thing?" then fear not. Send an SOS to Mr. Electric, and a knowledgeable electrician will help you!

Resetting a motion sensor light is useful if the motion detector is not working properly. Sometimes, if too many people are going through the door, you might find yourself in a situation where it's always on. There are two ways to fix this problem, and since you don't need to call an electrician in Benbrook, TX, we will show you how to do it yourself.

When Should You Reset a Motion Sensor Light

The sensor of your motion sensor light is designed to react to movement, but sometimes it can get stuck. When that happens, you will see the light come on when no one is around. To reset the motion sensor light, turn off the power to the fixture and turn it back on. This will reset the system and allow it to pick up any new movements in its range.

There are many reasons why your motion sensor light may seem stuck, but here are some common issues:

If your motion sensor light turns on in the middle of the night or after dark when there is no one around, you have a faulty motion detector in your system. Try removing batteries from the unit and replacing them after 10 minutes to fix this problem. If this does not work, you may need to replace the entire unit with a new one.

If your motion sensor light turns off after just a few minutes, then the chances are that it has been triggered by something other than human movement (such as wind or rain). In this situation, try turning off power for 10 minutes and then turning it back on again to see if this helps resolve these issues.

The batteries are dead or low, and the sensor will not work correctly if your batteries are dead or low. You should replace them with new ones immediately so your motion sensor light will work as intended.

You're using an old bulb with your new motion sensor light fixture. Make sure you're using bulbs compatible with your motion sensor light fixture so that it will work properly without any issues down the road!

Your motion sensor has been damaged by water or moisture exposure over time.

If there's gunk inside the sensor itself (such as dust), this will prevent it from properly sensing movement and turning on when needed. So if your problem is physical, try cleaning out the gunk and see if this fixes things right away.

How To Reset a Motion Sensor Light

There are many reasons why a motion sensor light might be stuck. The most common reason is that the batteries in the sensor are low. If you have a battery-powered light, it's easy to replace the batteries. However, if you have electric light, you'll need to reset the entire unit.

Step 1

Turn off the power at the circuit breaker or fuse box. This ensures that there's no electricity running through your motion sensor when you try to reset it.

Step 2

Wait at least 10 minutes before proceeding with Step 3 to give any residual electricity time to dissipate from inside the unit.

Step 3

Press and hold both buttons simultaneously until the LED lights up green and flashes red multiple times before turning off again. Release both buttons after this happens and wait 30 seconds before proceeding with Step 4.

Step 4

Press and release one button only once; don't press both buttons at once now. Wait for the LED to flash green once, then turn back off again; this means that your light has been successfully reset and should now function properly as long as fresh batteries are installed (or sufficient electricity).

Mr. Electric

Resetting a motion light is easy and takes only a few minutes. You'll be able to remove it from your property and install the new one in under an hour. You won't need any special tools or know-how to complete this task, just the knowledge of how to do it about environmental lights. If you struggle at all, however, contact Mr. Electric for assistance.