Outdoor lights on a sensor

[MarkA37]

I've got some outdoor lanterns either side of the front door. They used to be the type with a PIR built in but we decided to change them for night sensor ones. I got some with a built in night sensor and I had nothing but trouble with them not coming on, so I've changed them for normal lights, but with light sensitive dusk/dawn bulbs fitted: http://www.thelightingsuperstore.co.uk/product.asp?productid=29161

When I first fitted the bulbs, they came on at night. Then they went off again. Then on again etc... about every 20 seconds. And now they don't come on at all. Normal bulbs work fine but obviously they'd stay on all day. I can only assume something in the way they're wired combined with the way the light sensors work is causing the issue.

Any ideas?

 

[ricicle]

Depending on the internals of the fittings, the emitted light from the lamps could have been refected back on to the lux sensors thus causing the cycling, which has eventually led to burn out.

 

[bernardgreen]

Depending on the internals of the fittings, the emitted light from the lamps could have been refected back on to the lux sensors thus causing the cycling, which has eventually led to burn out.

Got there before me. Seen it a few times.

 

[MarkA37]

That sounds feasible. Do you think it was just coincidence that the original lights with the fittings on the outside also went wrong? The woman opposite has a super bright motion sensitive floodlight that shines across the road so maybe that was doing a similar thing.

So a timer might work better then? Do they do bulbs or fittings with timers built in?

 

[bernardgreen]

Fit a remote dawn to dusk sensor in a place where it cannot be illuminated by any artificial light and use that to control the lights.

This will mean some extra wiring and inconvenience but is probably the most likely method to get what you want.

 

[MarkA37]

Damn. Though you might say that. I was looking for an easy win. Oh well, best get my chisels out and find out where the wiring goes.