Outdoor Lighting Fixtures For Security

 

In previous articles I have introduced you to the various safety and security benefits of outdoor lighting for your front and backyard garden and stairways. In the following article I shall be examining the outdoor lighting fixtures that you will need to make your lighting system automatic.

PIR Sensor Light

Lights which switch on automatically as you enter a specific area utilize what is called a PIR sensor. PIR is short for Passive Infrared which is used to sense body heat and its movement, and therefore motion. This is why many people refer to these fixtures as motion detectors but, correctly speaking, the term for this is a Passive Infrared Detector, or PID for short.

The PIR sensor is only a very small device which works by measuring the levels of infra-red radiation and any variations in ambient temperature. Many outdoor lighting fixtures are available which incorporate this device enabling them to be switched on automatically and then off again after a set interval, usually ten minutes or more.

PIR sensors usually cover an area of about 180 degrees so, if you want to cover a few specific areas, you will need to use more than one to trigger your lights. Luckily the sensors are incredibly cheap but if you want to use as few as possible simply place them high up and angle them downwards to cover a wider area. However you should not place it too high as you may need to clean it every once in a while.

Some sensors vary in the angle they cover, some will cover a broad range over a short distance while others will only cover a narrow curtain but over a greater distance (up to about thirty feet). By using a mix of outdoor lighting fixtures you can effectively cover all access points into your yard and also your home at a very reasonable cost.

To read more articles about outdoor lighting just click the link below.

 

More articles about outdoor lighting >