How difficult is it to install outside front door lights?

Tigercubrider said:
Sound fair for a day’s work?
My back light that operate on PIR can be powered on or off via a switch that I installed in the garage.
But if I wanted them on all night, I switch the power on and off quickly which tells the PIR to ignore its signals and stay on until the sensor detects daylight (so goes back to dusk/dawn)
Manually switching slower resets them so they go back to PIR , say at the end of a party.
Click to expand...
These lights do not have that function. They have a photocell only. No PIR.
 
Bunford said:
We are looking to install some mains powered outdoor up/down lights on either side of our front door. How big of a job is it? And is there any advice on how to route the cabling for this?

Is it an easy DIY job?

How much should a ball park cost be for a qualified electrician to install?
Click to expand...
To do a "Good" job of Mains Powered external lights on your site will not be "easy".

The existing wiring shows that making it look "neat" will not be easy either!

You have been quoted £160 for installation (presumably, without the cost of the lamps themselves).
For this amount, I would expect that you would get the most basic of installations - and
you would almost certainly need to apply paint etc., to minimize its effect !

You stated "I did contemplate this (Solar Lights), but not got great experience with the reliability of solar lights, often lasting a few months at best before needing to be replaced, so trying to get a hard wired solution."
Many Solar Lights are made to the cheapest possible "standards" - to sell at the cheapest possible prices.
With many it is not (easily) possible for the user to replace the LED or the Battery and
the Battery is often of the lowest possible "capacity" that the manufacturer can "Ger Away With".

However, some are made where the Lamp can be replaced by the user and it is usually possible to dismantle any Solar Lamp and install a higher capacity Cell.

For example, I note that many Solar Lamps are sold with a 3.7V 18650-2200mAh Lithium-Ion batteries.
This is the "bottom range" of such 18650 batteries but the same physically sized 18650 batteries are available in "capacities" of up to 9900 mAh - for replacement.

(See https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...ONTQ83H3&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from: )

Because of the above, I urge you to reconsider the possibility of installing "quality" Solar Lamps
plus
the possibility of "upgrading" the Battery within them.

(However, I will admit that it may be difficult to obtain information on the battery used before purchasing the product.)
While I do not know anything about them, other than that which is available "on line".
these lamps have replaceable ES "Globes" (which appear to be "Filament LEDs" - although described as Tungsten)
and
appear to have an accessible Battery Compartment.
(They use an AA Battery but
High Capacity AA Batteries are also available.)

 
FrodoOne said:
To do a "Good" job of Mains Powered external lights on your site will not be "easy".

The existing wiring shows that making it look "neat" will not be easy either!

You have been quoted £160 for installation (presumably, without the cost of the lamps themselves).
For this amount, I would expect that you would get the most basic of installations - and
you would almost certainly need to apply paint etc., to minimize its effect !

You stated "I did contemplate this (Solar Lights), but not got great experience with the reliability of solar lights, often lasting a few months at best before needing to be replaced, so trying to get a hard wired solution."
Many Solar Lights are made to the cheapest possible "standards" - to sell at the cheapest possible prices.
With many it is not (easily) possible for the user to replace the LED or the Battery and
the Battery is often of the lowest possible "capacity" that the manufacturer can "Ger Away With".

However, some are made where the Lamp can be replaced by the user and it is usually possible to dismantle any Solar Lamp and install a higher capacity Cell.

For example, I note that many Solar Lamps are sold with a 3.7V 18650-2200mAh Lithium-Ion batteries.
This is the "bottom range" of such 18650 batteries but the same physically sized 18650 batteries are available in "capacities" of up to 9900 mAh - for replacement.

(See https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006892298396.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.13.5f9ffvSAfvSAlk&algo_pvid=d67b0577-d6d0-4462-acec-6b27206ba578&algo_exp_id=d67b0577-d6d0-4462-acec-6b27206ba578-6&pdp_npi=4@dis!AUD!41.11!7.81!!!192.73!36.62!@2103085b17261963362778845e22bb!12000038637212156!sea!AU!3729617017!X&curPageLogUid=32ReONTQ83H3&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from: )

Because of the above, I urge you to reconsider the possibility of installing "quality" Solar Lamps
plus
the possibility of "upgrading" the Battery within them.

(However, I will admit that it may be difficult to obtain information on the battery used before purchasing the product.)
While I do not know anything about them, other than that which is available "on line".
these lamps have replaceable ES "Globes" (which appear to be "Filament LEDs" - although described as Tungsten)
and
appear to have an accessible Battery Compartment.
(They use an AA Battery but
High Capacity AA Batteries are also available.)
Click to expand...
Thanks for this useful post! It has made us rethink and consider the solar option, which I can then obviously install myself. However, those lights linked to Amazon are far too traditional, so will be looking for some more modern looking photocell solar lights instead.
 
Bunford said:
Sorry, not PIR, just a photocell. These are the lights:
Click to expand...
The link does not work as screwfix site is down, however if you want dusk until dawn, then a smart switch will do this, I use the TP-Link (Tapo) switch and that allows on at dusk and off midnight until 5 am, the back on until dawn for milkman, it also means if I don't what it on all night I can switch on when I arrive home with phone before leaving the car, and off with a voice command when in the house.

I suppose my lights are solar, massive solar panels on roof and battery, but solar seem to work great in summer, but winter when you really need the lights, they never seem to recharge unless on a PIR.
 
Bunford said:
I have a quote for £140-160 to install by a professional. Does this seem reasonable?
Click to expand...
Snap his hand off I'm an electrician I'd probably let him do mine for that price lol.
 
ericmark said:
The link does not work as screwfix site is down, however if you want dusk until dawn, then a smart switch will do this, I use the TP-Link (Tapo) switch and that allows on at dusk and off midnight until 5 am, the back on until dawn for milkman, it also means if I don't what it on all night I can switch on when I arrive home with phone before leaving the car, and off with a voice command when in the house.

I suppose my lights are solar, massive solar panels on roof and battery, but solar seem to work great in summer, but winter when you really need the lights, they never seem to recharge unless on a PIR.
Click to expand...
I plan to return the Screwfix ones, not have them wired, and have bought a pair of these instead. They are solar dusk til dawn lights, but also have the option of charging via USB if not enough solar charge, as well as adding additional batteries if needed.

SolarCentre® Chester Up & Down USB Chargeable Solar Powered Outdoor Wall Light - Powered by Leaf (Anthracite) https://amzn.eu/d/8niES6w
 

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