Security light not working

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25 Sep 2011
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Glamorgan
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United Kingdom
Hi everyone,

I have an outdoor security light that's giving me a bit of a headache. It stopped working last week in that although it would click when it detected motion, it didn't light up. I could see that the bulb looked black and dead, so bought a new one and got my trusty dad to climb up and change it today (I'm not blessed with height even on a ladder!) Darkness fell, I walked outside to test it, and the thing is still clicking but not turning on. Worth trying another bulb, or could it be a different problem? I assume the electicity is reaching it okay and the sensor is working if it's clicking, but I don't know a huge amount about these things ...

Thanks in advance for any help :)
 
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Is the lamp in the fitting a small halogen tube type?
If so, it may not have rested in it's contact points correctly, I would check this out before anything else!
 
Yes, it's that kind of bulb - and good idea, I can't pretend my dad looked at the instructions very hard before he fitted it so it's possibly not in quite the right place .... thank you :D
 
They have a two terminals at either end, which are normally quite springy.
You need to check they are in position, it can fool you in to thinking they are in place, when they are not.
 
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Those bulbs can be tricky to locate in the spring contacts. Needs checking. Also I have seen the contacts corrode and break off.

PS I hope that your Dad did not touch the lamp with his fingers? That can scrog a lamp too.
 
Make sure it rotates freely when fitted - no 'scrapy' noises.

Don't touch the glass with your (or your Dad's) fingers or it won't last long.

Edit - too late.
 
Er, he "can't remember" if he touched the glass - why do I now suspect he did?! Lucky there were two bulbs in the pack or he'd be buying me a new one ;) Thanks everyone, we'll fiddle with it again and fingers crossed ... but encouraging to hear the bulbs can be tricky and this isn't all pointing to a dead security light :D
 
Hi,

Halogen bulbs always need to be handled with tissue or something, do not touch them.

Same as car headlamp bulbs, and some under kitchen cabinet lighting bulbs etc.

If you do, then as stated the bulbs wont last long at all, only way to try and salvage is to clean with methylated spirits BEFORE the bulb is switched on at all.
 
Hi all,

Sorry to bump an old thread but I am experiencing the exact same problem as Annieh.

I replaced the lamp today but still no joy, the PIR is functioning correctly though.

Did this ever get sorted?

Thanks
 
Had the problem multiple times in the last few months with both one of my own PIR halogen floodlights and a relatives,

on closer inspection one of the springy contacts at an end looses its tension, presumably due to wear over the years inserting/removing lamps. WITH THE POWER OFF, a quick fix for me was the old screwdriver and bending the contact back inward slighting, and it worked in both cases.

In the end I took both units down, replaced one, and made a one good unit with the two broken ones. tbh, for £9.99 out of Screwfix, 4 years was good going for the pair!

And yes, you will hear the PIR click since it's still functional, the bulb may even flicker every now and then as it makes contact intermittently.
 

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