Dusk to dawn light

Geo-TH,In · Dec 19, 2018

2 months ago dusk to dawn light on gable of pole barn stopped working. Next trip to town I picked up a new one at Menards. A few nights ago it stopped working. Again next trip to town picked up another bulb. No luck. Today I stopped off at Menards and bought a new light fixture like the old one. Both fixtures have a built in photo eye. I took old fixture down and before putting up the new fixture, I wired it up. That's when I discovered my two month old bulb was good. The bulb I bought yesterday was good and the bulb that came with new fixture was good. Before I bench tested the old fixture, I took a screwdriver and bent the tab the center of the bulb comes in contact with. That's when I installed the old bulb and old fixture works just fine. It was no fun installing the old fixture by myself. I really needed another hand. Mission accomplished and no trip to the ER. Going to make another trip to Menards tomorrow to return a bulb and light fixture.

jeffcat · Dec 19, 2018

One thing I do with fixtures that get hot. Just a little dab of dielectric grease on that contact point on the bottom of the bulb. Slows oxidation and thus corrosion way down. Also a tiny smudge on the threads too. Makes it so things come right apart next time. Worse case is in a cow barn with all of that ammonia in the air. Just rots fixtures apart.

fixerupper · Dec 19, 2018

Ya, you're trying to cradle that heavy fixture with one arm while you try twisting the wires together with the other hand and screw the nut on them. With the last two I did I had the luxury of a scissors lift. I felt like I was in heaven.

Ray · Dec 19, 2018

Might as well keep it you?ll need it sooner than later. I have 6 or 7 of those lights. I buy the ones with removable sensors,they seem to work better. I use a bucket lift,me and ladders don?t get along.

Steve@Advance · Dec 19, 2018

I agree with Ray, keep it.

Won't be long they will no longer be available, replaced with LED.

Not that LED is a bad thing, but if you want to keep the old ones going might want to stock up while you can.

300jk · Dec 19, 2018

George I have 2 on the garage and one so far on the house. None work properly. I was having bulb issues. Changed bulb style and was good. Mine will not come on at dark. Only way to get them to work is having them on the continuous setting. I have tried all the settings and still the same. They used to work fine. I am guessing there is a problem with the sensor. Kinda stinks. They were not cheap.

casecollectorsc · Dec 19, 2018

You can put a short pigtail timer with the setting of on, off, 2 hrs, 4hrs and dusk to dawn. It is a heavy timer suitable for a 1500 watt tractor heater. Think I got it at Menards. Changed my sodium vapor bulbs to corn cob LED bulbs yesterday. Have to bypass the ballast and hook direct. Also have to trim the porcelain fixture back so the adapter for the large base bulbs will turn in far enough. The corn cob bulbs have the small base like a house lite. One was 10000 lumens and I put a 5000 lumen bulb in the one in the cow lot. Lot more light for a lot less electricity. 20 year life expectancy. The bigger bulb was $39 and the smaller was $19. Electric company wanted $200 for a 5000lumen lite fixture that can be bought off the net for $69.

casecollectorsc · Dec 19, 2018

I use the grease also.

kcm.MN · Dec 19, 2018

According to a lineman friend at our local power company, it was the photo cell on the older (non-LED) lights that normally went bad. He said they could last for years, or days. No way of knowing for sure, but usually lasted at least a year or two.

Now they offer newer LED lights. The photo cell doesn't get nearly as warm as the bulb doesn't generate as much heat.

If your old light still works, you can buy a dusk-to-dawn timer while they're selling them (a common Christmas-lighting item). Plug the photo cell into your outlet, then add a plug to your light so you can plug into the photo cell. When the photo cell goes bad, simply unplug and replace with another one. Should be able to pick them up dirt cheap after Christmas.

kcm.MN · Dec 19, 2018

....That's assuming your old light is 120V. *lol*

Geo-TH,In · Dec 19, 2018

If there is a next time, I'm installing a plug on my
wires. It's a witch trying to get wire nuts on 3
wires with one arm is over the pipe bracket.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 19, 2018

Yes, it is a 120v 65w fluorescent that costs $30 from
Menards and only costs $30. $10 for new bulb.

I have enough old type photo eyes, I could redneck
engineer one to work if I was really cheap.

This was the first time in 9 years.

casecollectorsc · Dec 19, 2018

Same timer that I have....has been a excellent buy.

Ozlander · Dec 19, 2018

I put one of these up 34 watt Led which will give you more light than 400 watts of halogen. Motion sensor and dusk to dawn. No motion dims to 5 watts, motion full output. 5 watts all the time would be plenty of light. Side wings adjust to cover the area you want to cover.

Patriot Lighting® Dualux White LED Triple Head Motion Outdoor Sensor Security Flood Light

[/img]

Ozlander · Dec 19, 2018

I put one of these up 34 watt Led which will give you more light than 400 watts of halogen. Motion sensor and dusk to dawn. No motion dims to 5 watts, motion full output. 5 watts all the time would be plenty of light. Side wings adjust to cover the area you want to cover.
Got it at Menards.

Patriot Lighting® Dualux White LED Triple Head Motion Outdoor Sensor Security Flood Light

[/img]

D beatty · Dec 19, 2018

You could drill a hole in top of fixture and install one of these photocells. I have one on a Wallpak for 30 years

Glen SW Wi · Dec 19, 2018

Solved the yard light problem by having the co-op put up a led light. There problems and it only costs $5 per month.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 19, 2018

d beatty,
The photo eye used on my dusk to dawn costs $10 at Menards. I've used them on other things.

Only problem, I have to remove light from barn, take fixture apart to replace it. BPIA.

I was surprised my issue was the bulb holder.

300jk · Dec 19, 2018

That's a good idea. I'm just not sure there is room for it behind the light trim. Ones I have are decorative and I don't remember them having much space behind the light and I really don't want to have something hanging out next to the lights either. I will look into it ! Thanks !

John T Country Lawyer · Dec 19, 2018

George, over the years Ive seen almost as many of the photo cells go bad as the bulbs. I just don't see using Mercury Vapor or Metal Halide or any HID nowadays as Id opt instead for LED UNLESS I cant find one of sufficient lumens or suitability for my needs

John T

gab · Dec 19, 2018

I'm on my 2nd menards florescent $30 dollar light, had the first up in the peak but needed my 36 foot ladder to safely get to the light and the last few years that same ladder has gotten twice as heavy, so last year I moved the light down with the bottom at the upper edge of the window. Now if I want to change a bulb I go up the inside 10 foot to about a 10 foot floor on that end, take the window out in a minute and screw out the bulb. I wire about a 3 foot pigtail on the light before I put it up and shove the wire through the wall and connect inside an electrical box.

Ray · Dec 19, 2018

60 bucks a year, 300 bucks in 5 years, not that cheap.

JD Seller · Dec 19, 2018

John T: I have tried several of the LED night/pole lights. They either are so dime that they do zero good or only last a few months then quit. So I went back to the Metal Halide. They last years without any issue.

The main two are on the peak ends of a gabled barn over cattle yards. A forty foot ladder will not reach them. I have to put the ladder in the loader bucket to get it tall enough. About fifty feet in the air. So I do not care if the Metal Halide burn an extra fifty cents of electric a day.

jacksun65 · Dec 19, 2018

I went with led motion sensor lights, even have 12v ones on the chicken houses. If lights come on I let the dogs out.

Destroked 450 · Dec 19, 2018

Check out Howard Lighting, they make 3 different dusk to dawn lights 30 watt 2370 lumens, 35 watt 3630 lumens and 45 watt 4411 lumens.
I have the 30 watts models on the front of my poultry barns, not quite as bright as the 75 watt mercury vapor lights we installed originally but good enough to see by. Don't dim down in cold weather like the fluorescent lights we tried.
Not cheap, $70-100+ but seam to last longer than fluorescent, 6 years on the oldest on I've put up so for.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 19, 2018

My light is 9 years old and working now. I have replaced a $10 bulb before. I'm happy with my $30 dusk to dawn 60 watt fluorescent. It's 15 ft off the ground and we had to get black out shades for bedroom 150 feet away.

I installed an LED dusk to dawn for my friend. It was bright, but didn't last but a few years. Not to mention an LED dusk to dawn would cost about 3x more. Don't think the saving in electricity would pay for itself in its life expectancy.

On the other hand, I'm a big fan of Rural King's $25, 4 ft LED 5000k shop lights. They are bright.

Bob · Dec 19, 2018

(quoted from post at 15:03:38 12/19/18) 2 months ago dusk to dawn light on gable of pole barn stopped working. Next trip to town I picked up a new one at Menards. A few nights ago it stopped working. Again next trip to town picked up another bulb. No luck. Today I stopped off at Menards and bought a new light fixture like the old one. Both fixtures have a built in photo eye. I took old fixture down and before putting up the new fixture, I wired it up. That's when I discovered my two month old bulb was good. The bulb I bought yesterday was good and the bulb that came with new fixture was good. Before I bench tested the old fixture, I took a screwdriver and bent the tab the center of the bulb comes in contact with. That's when I installed the old bulb and old fixture works just fine. It was no fun installing the old fixture by myself. I really needed another hand. Mission accomplished and no trip to the ER. Going to make another trip to Menards tomorrow to return a bulb and light fixture.

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto6381.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto6382.jpg">

1. Go LED and don't look back.

2. Eliminate/wire around the **&^% photo eye in the fixture and install one lower down, at an easily accessible level.

As a fellow "old guy" that's what I've done.

John T Country Lawyer · Dec 19, 2018

So far they are better suited to smaller lamps like homes or even 12 volt automotive (versus big outdoor uses) as that's where they are mass produced. They just produce so much more light per electric cost, produce little heat and have a long life.

Hope to see you at Half Century again??

John T

John T Country Lawyer · Dec 19, 2018

Yeppers once they become mass produced and more suitable to big outdoor use incandescent or mercury or metal halide will be on the outs

John T

D beatty · Dec 19, 2018

You must have bought some of the cheaper LED yard lights. Rab Yard Blasted is warranted for 5 years and has a 100,000 hour life ( 27 years of use). They replace 175w mercury vapor or 150w HPS yard lights.They need to be mounted 15-20 foot off ground for max lighting.

Destroked 450 · Dec 20, 2018

(quoted from post at 22:43:15 12/19/18) So far they are better suited to smaller lamps like homes or even 12 volt automotive (versus big outdoor uses) as that's where they are mass produced. They just produce so much more light per electric cost, produce little heat and have a long life.

Hope to see you at Half Century again??

John T

LED's are very popular on commercial and industrial apps
Most all of the new street lights installed on major roads today are LED, those big bright shopping center parking lot lights are now LED.
Some of the large mfg plants in this area have changed their high bay lighting to LED.

Home and automotive apps is where you'll find the cheap stuff that doesn't hold up, I've bought a few of those cheap off brand LED lights that gave poor light quality and didn't last long, we now watch for sales on name brand LED's.
We installed all LED lights in one of our poultry barns comparing them to compact fluorescent lights in the other barns. The LED's give off a better quality of light and are lasting longer, we're replacing the remaining CFL's with LED's as they go bad.

JD Seller · Dec 20, 2018

John I plan on being there. Really enjoyed the show.

Dusk to dawn light

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