I can't get a photo cell operated outdoor light unit on my garage to work correctly.?
I have tapped into a wire within a circuit and behind a GFCI to provide the power. I have 110 at the box I am mounting the light to. I’m sure. It worked for a couple of days and then quit lighting up at night. So I checked the power and I still had 110, but while fooling with the connection and taping over the photo cell, the light came on. This lasted for a few days and then it quit working. I checked power again and I still have it, I’ve checked and tightened all connections. I covered the cell again, took the connection apart at the light while hot, touched it a couple of times and on it came. Again a day or two of working normally and it stopped working. This time I soldered the connections but the same thing happens. Should I run a separate feed to the light and connect where the power comes into the garage in front of the GFCI? I’m thinking this to be my next step.
4 Responses
argus3127
10 Mar 2010
Brutus
10 Mar 2010
You may have a faulty light unit that has an open in its internal circuitry some where and when you fiddle with it. If you have just purchased the unit, I would take it back as a faulty unit and get a replacement unit.
lectroman
10 Mar 2010
I have never come across this problem, but anything is possible where electricity is involved. It could very well be the fact that it is behind the GFCI. Without checking it myself, it is hard to tell. I do think that is your best bet though. Most photocells say do not install with a switch. That is essentially what a GFCI is. I know you aren’t cutting it off, but it could be something in the induction monitoring of the GFCI that could be throwing it off. Try pulling the GFCI out and put pig tails on it to see if that is the problem. This means take the power coming to the GFCI and the line going to the light and connect them together. Black on Black white on white. Then take some short pieces of black and tie it into the black and then to the GFCI. Do the same thing to the white. See if that works.
Justin A
10 Mar 2010
sounds like a faulty light fixture or photo eye if you tried a new eye and it still did it then its the light itself
if your power supply is continuous and you are sure it is, then the photo cell has a factory defect,return it and try again, otherwise, check the next box in line if you can get to it, the problem could be a loose connection there.