Switch the wiring on a motion sensor light.
Motion sensor wiring is similar to that of a traditional light because the same wires that power the light fixture also power the motion sensor. When you replace wiring on your outdoor motion sensor, you can take care of common electrical problems you had with your old wiring. During the installation process, take the time to not only secure the wiring properly, but also to protect the wiring on your motion detector light from the elements so your wiring and your motion sensor light, will last a little longer.
Instructions
1. Turn off power to the area where you're working by flipping that area's circuit breaker to the "Off" position. For an extra level of safety, use a voltage tester to check the wiring and make sure there's no power in the lines. Remove a light bulb from the fixture, then place one prong of the voltage tester on the brass threads inside the light socket. Place the tip of the other prong on the center metal tab you'll find on the bottom of the socket. The voltage meter needle will not move if there is no power running through the lines.
2. Unscrew your light fixture, once you confirm there is no power in the lines, pull it away from the wall and disconnect the wiring. Wire nuts are commonly the tool used to connect wires together. Rotating the wire nuts counterclockwise will disconnect the wires in your fixture from the wires in your electrical box.
3. Measure the diameter of the existing ceramic lamp base and replace it with a new one the same size. The ceramic lamp base is the section on the back of your light fixture where the wires run out. Replacing the ceramic lamp base will mean all new wiring that run from your old light fixture to your electrical box.
4. Remove the existing ceramic lamp base by unscrewing it from the base of your light fixture. The bottom of the ceramic lamp base, which is where the wires run, screws into the top of the ceramic lamp base, which is where the light bulb screws in. Screw the new ceramic lamp base in place of the old one.
5. Connect the wires from your electrical box to the wires, called pigtails, in your ceramic lamp base. The bare copper wire in your electrical box is the ground wire, and it will wrap around the green screw located inside your light fixture. After you wrap the bare copper wire around the green screw, tighten the screw to secure the connection. The white neutral wire in your electrical box pairs up with the white neutral wire in your ceramic lamp base, and the black hot wire in your electrical box pairs up with the black hot wire in your ceramic lamp base. Insert each pair into the bottom of a wire nut, and then twist the wire nut clockwise to secure the connection between each pair of wires.
Tags: ceramic lamp, ceramic lamp base, lamp base, light fixture, your electrical, wire your, your light