O/T Motion Detector Lights

Re: O/T Motion Detector Lights

Randy Johnson Connersville, IN


>They just give it up sometimes, same thing with dawn to dusk electric eyes. It seems like not all but most motion detector lights are made so when they quit working the only option is to replace the entire fixture. When I worked full time for electrical contractors I used to HATE going on a call involving motion detector lights because A. The caller were usually elderly and B. They wouldn't believe you when you tell them that all you can do is install a new fixture.

I think in the last several years this problem may have been addressed and they are now making motion detector lights with replaceable eyes. If you have one, just replace the eye. If you don't have one, make sure the replacement has a replaceable eye.

Clean the cobweds or crap off of it?

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

Re: Clean the cobweds or crap off of it?

Edward in Vancouver


>Two possible scenerios

1) The unit could just be old and crappy. Replace it, they're not that expensive.

2) Somewhere in the last week you had a power failure or turned the main breaker off for less than a minute. If this is the case, turn the main breaker off for more than a minute, and then turn it back on again. Those motion detector lights don't like power failures....

Re: Clean the cobweds or crap off of it?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.


>Thanks fella for the input. I'll try the breaker idea first and see if that does it, as it is possible that could be the case as we are constantly having "micro" power outages. If not than I'll just replace

Scott, as DR.Z* (from those new automobile commercials) would say "I can find you Mr. Smart-guy" ;~)

Worked all day yesterday on replacing the wood around the side door in my garage/shop. I think the only thing holding that door in was the moulding. When it was orginally installed in '83 have over the masonary nails missed, the other half rotted off, wood was rotten, wedges where improperly installed. A total disaster of of a job. I've got it all fit up with wood now, so today I'll go buy and install some pressure treated stuff. I've never used Tap-cons before, so this ought to be quite the show. I can see breaking some of the bricks and this turning into a masonary job as well. wish me luck.

* I kinda' like those DR.Z commercials. Kinda' funny really. the one I can can't stand is the new Longhorn commercials. Thank goodness for the Mute button. We've also got a auto dealer down here that uses his 10 yearold twin daughters to hawk cars that drives be absolutely bananas. Nothing irrates me ore than two little cutsie twin talking in unison trying to sell me a multi-thousand dollar item. Yeah, I'm gonna buy one based on a child. Hasd anybody noticed that more and more commercials are using cartoons? Has the American intelligence dropped to the point where cartoons are effective on the public? I'm ready to kill that little damn Gecko too.

Todd O.

Tapcons? Yuck!

John in New Mexico


>I'm not sure I've ever had one work right, but that may be my fault. I get the hex head ones as they seem to take too much torque for phillips to work. Betcha break the tapcon before the brick!

John (owner of a remington nail shooter thingy, that does break bricks!)

Tapcons

bill tindall


>My brother (carpenter) suggested Tapcons some years ago and they worked so well I bought a hammer drill just to bore cement holes for all the places I wanted to use them. They have never dailed and they are so much better than anyting I have used before. Use the correct sized drill (it is usually a strange size only available in the Tapcon display) and I have never had one break the Tapcon or the masonary, and driving is easy. I do like the hex head as already suggested.

Re: Tapcons? Yuck!

Steve Kubien


>Funny, I've had great luck with them. I try to avoid anything with a philips head on it like the plague so I use the hex-head version. I realize that block (my shop walls) is softer on poured concrete but I have even drilled the holes with an eggbeater (though usually use a 3/8" *l*ctr*c drill). 10" brace for the screw itself . Easy.

Regards,

Steve K

P.S. Does anyone know if there is a difference between the blue tapcons and the more brassy looking ones?

Good Luck and go see Cal!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>There use to be a car salesman, dealer out here named Cal Worthington. I think the guy bought every late night comerical slot on every channel.

"Hi there friends and neighbors, my names Cal Worthington and I want you to come on down and pet my dog spot" (he be holding a tiger or elephant or some other animal). Drove me nuts through colledge.

Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal...

Re: Tapcons

Todd Stock


>I too use a rotary hammer (Bosch Bulldog) for Tapcons. Pilot for a 1/4" is a standard 3/16" SDS bit. Or...hand tool content...use a star drill.

Used Maxi-Set Tap-cons

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.


>Went to "The Box" and instead of buying the type of tap-cons that you have to drill a hole for the sleeve that wither screw or hammer in an "expander" I bought some things that look like screws with a 5/16 hex head. They came with the proper sized masonary drill, tho if I had to drill many many holes, I'd buy an extra 2 or 3 of them, and they seem to be working well so far. We'll see after the door has seen sopme use. Fiqured I go with these "screws" instead of the other type, as I didn't want to break bricks and have this job turn into a real nightmare. Giqured if worse came to worse I could always replace the screws with the other kind if need be.

Spent 8 hours!! working on this job. I discovered that if you attached your door to a pressure treated 1x6, close the door and it hits the overhead framing the 1x6 will split from top to bottom and the door will fall to the floor. }:~(

Door is now attached to a pressure treated 2x6.\

Still got to repace the inside and outside moulding and the threshhold, which really pis,er,er torged me off yesterday at about hour 5 of the job and got treated to a bloody good thrashing with my mini sledgehammer.

Todd O.

Todd O.

Re: Clean the cobweds or crap off of it?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.


>Looks like I'll be replaceing that light as it failed the "turn the breaker" test. I did look atsome yesterday, and yes some of them do have replaceable eyes/sensors which is what I'll get.

Thanks for the advise and info.

T.O.