The easiest way to turn your current porch light into a motion sensor is to switch the bulb. These bulbs are equipped with a passive infrared sensor at the top that can detect any object that produces a heat signature. As humans are constantly emitting heat, it will turn on as you enter the sensor's range. To install this light bulb, simply unscrew your current bulb and install a motion sensor bulb. These bulbs can be purchased online or in stores.
Hi Beth, motion sensor light bulbs are readily available. Here's a link to those sold at Home Depot but they are available at other places such as Amazon.
Hi! We mounted solar motion lights on our fence and they work great! We just screwed them onto the wood posts, but, I remember they had alternate methods for different surfaces. Good luck!
If you decide to put a motion light on the porch you can also buy them with a small solar panel.... so you don't have to wire the porch for electricity.
We went with solar motion lights. Amazon has lots to choose from and the customer reviews offer some insight into how bright and reliable they are also.
Are you wanting to change an existing light fixture/light bulb into one that turns on when it senses motion? or
Are you wanting to install a motion-sensor light fixture where no light fixture (and no electricity pre-wired for an electrical fixture) already exists?
It depends on the style and if you want them hard wired, battery operated, or solar. If you can go with solar, I would highly recommend those. You can get puck lights that can be put up with double sided tape like Alien Tape, which is safe for outdoor use.
My solar lights recharge on only about 4-6 hours of light and that is on an over cast day. They type of light dictates the amount of time needed to recharge. I live in Oregon and we get lots of rainy cloudy days and no once have my solar lights not recharged.
Are you looking to do powered ones or solar ones? Where on the porch, on the wall or somewhere else? Do you need to run power or is there some already there? If there's already power and you're going electric, you'll just need a motion light to replace any fixture that's already there. If you don't know how to wire, hire an electrician.
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Hi Bethe, this video will show you how - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXC5ItNFWN4
This may be as easy as changing your light bulb:
Use a Motion Sensor Light Bulb
The easiest way to turn your current porch light into a motion sensor is to switch the bulb. These bulbs are equipped with a passive infrared sensor at the top that can detect any object that produces a heat signature. As humans are constantly emitting heat, it will turn on as you enter the sensor's range. To install this light bulb, simply unscrew your current bulb and install a motion sensor bulb. These bulbs can be purchased online or in stores.
or read on from this link:
ref:https://www.hunker.com/13412783/how-to-make-a-porch-light-a-motion-sensor
Here's a link to all sorts of motion sensor lights with easy installation:
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Installation-Outdoor-Light/s?k=Easy+Installation+Outdoor+Light
Hi Beth, motion sensor light bulbs are readily available. Here's a link to those sold at Home Depot but they are available at other places such as Amazon.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lighting-Light-Bulbs-LED-Light-Bulbs/Motion-Sensor/N-5yc1vZbm79Z1z1c5z1?storeSelection=&mtc=SEM-VF-F_D27L-G-D27L-027_001_LIGHT_BULBS-NA-NA-NA-DSA-2197602-WF-LIGHT_BULBS+PL3&cm_mmc=SEM-VF-F_D27L-G-D27L-027_001_LIGHT_BULBS-NA-NA-NA-DSA-2197602-WF-LIGHT_BULBS+PL3-71700000084127082-58700007133524559-39700064174028077&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsnS1uWS8wIVdTytBh3WmwFSEAAYAiAAEgJX6_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Hi! We mounted solar motion lights on our fence and they work great! We just screwed them onto the wood posts, but, I remember they had alternate methods for different surfaces. Good luck!
here is info
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahd7V-qXpkA
you can buy the light kits that screw into existing lights and there used to be light bulbs that you put in that came on at night and went off at dawn
If you decide to put a motion light on the porch you can also buy them with a small solar panel.... so you don't have to wire the porch for electricity.
We went with solar motion lights. Amazon has lots to choose from and the customer reviews offer some insight into how bright and reliable they are also.
Hello here’s a link that could be useful. Hope it helps
https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/install-motion-lights
Are you wanting to change an existing light fixture/light bulb into one that turns on when it senses motion? or
Are you wanting to install a motion-sensor light fixture where no light fixture (and no electricity pre-wired for an electrical fixture) already exists?
You need to hook them up to lights through electrical already on the wall.with a electrician
It depends on the style and if you want them hard wired, battery operated, or solar. If you can go with solar, I would highly recommend those. You can get puck lights that can be put up with double sided tape like Alien Tape, which is safe for outdoor use.
My solar lights recharge on only about 4-6 hours of light and that is on an over cast day. They type of light dictates the amount of time needed to recharge. I live in Oregon and we get lots of rainy cloudy days and no once have my solar lights not recharged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXC5ItNFWN4
Are you looking to do powered ones or solar ones? Where on the porch, on the wall or somewhere else? Do you need to run power or is there some already there? If there's already power and you're going electric, you'll just need a motion light to replace any fixture that's already there. If you don't know how to wire, hire an electrician.