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Electrical Wiring

Short screw in photocell for outdoor light fixture

7 years ago

I'm trying to find the right solution to an outdoor porch light problem. I need a porch light that comes on at dusk then turns off at dawn.

In terms of fixtures I'm looking for something that looks like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Decorators-Collection-Port-Oxford-1-Light-Outdoor-Oil-Rubbed-Chestnut-Wall-Lantern-23211/205196661?AID=11210757&PID=6158626&SID=ir6vydmfyy00zey5001rw&cm_mmc=CJ--6158626--11210757&cj=true

A kind soul suggested I get an astronomic timer like this one:

http://www.intermatic.com/en/products/timers/inwalltimers/electronic_timers/ej600_series/ej600

At first I thought this was a great suggestion. But my electrician claims that he's always replacing these timers. He claims that I should instead get a screw in photocell. This way, the photocell screws in where the bulb goes in. Then the bulb screws into the photocell. But I should be careful not to get a screw in photocell that reads the light from the bulb.

The only screw in photocell I've been able to find at Home Depot so far is this (and I'd have to order it):

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Automatic-Light-Control-18265/203716763?AID=11210757&PID=6158626&SID=ir6vzqv8hj00zey5001rw&cm_mmc=CJ--6158626--11210757&cj=true

But it has mixed customer review. Some people claim it didn't work. Others said it was great.

Home Depot has others in stock but the associate in the store says that they are too long. In other words if I screwed them into my light fixture then screwed in the LED bulb the bulb would stick out from the fixture and therefore not look nice. But he claimed that there are short photocells that could work. He just didn't know where I could find them. But he has seen them.

Has anyone ever seen these short screw in photocells and know where I can find them? Do they really work?

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Comments (6)

randy427
7 years ago
Amazon might be a source. The problem with using a photocell on a porch is it may not ever get enough direct sunlight to trigger it off. Any shade at all may defeat it.
bostonoak
Original Author
7 years ago
randy427,

Thanks.

I went to another Home Depot today and saw this photocell (or photo control):

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-Automatic-Dusk-to-Dawn-Light-Control-Black-S-700B/204223612

The beauty of this one is that it's really short so the bulb will not
hang below the light fixture glass. Also, it can take LED bulbs.

The only problem is that one can only hope it will work. If you read the
few customer reviews at the bottom of the link it seems that it's a
gamble. It may work or it may not.
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In most cases a factory assembled photocell controlled light fixture shouldn't be used with a CF, because the controller never really turns the light on 100%. It also mucks about with the waveform of the AC. This can cause CFs to overheat and fail, sometimes in a rather dramatic manner. If the fixture is suited to use with fluorescent (CF) loads, this will be stated in the installation instructions. Your safest solution will probably be to select a good quality conventional fixture you like, and power it from a fluorescent-compatible (hard contact) photocell in a separate box. The photocell box can be located high on the outside wall, or even on another wall of the house (best if it faces north), so it's not too obtrusive. A photocell with suitable capacity can power more than one fixture if you like.
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Thank you both! The switch for them was in my carport and sure enough they lit up. There were a few switches inside that I thought might be leading towards them but turned out not to be the case, which initially was why I was wondering if something needed to be installed and/or might not be working. Hadn't seen these before, but haven't delved into too many light fixtures recently. Thanks again for your help!
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mike_kaiser_gw
7 years ago
Provided as you keep the receipt, Home Depot will let you return anything for almost any reason for 90 days, it seems there isn't much of a gamble here.

Just remember that most wall timers will require a neutral in the box. The few that don't won't work with CFL or LED lamps. I have no idea if there are "premium" wall timers but I had an Intermatic years ago that would fail ever 12 months. It had a 3 year warranty but that required sending it in. I just replaced it and returned the old one to Home Depot as "defective." I think I did that for about 8 years. <lol>
suburbanmd
7 years ago
Timers like the Intermatic astronomical timer above don't need a neutral and do work with CFL and LED. They manage this by using a lithium battery as the power source for the timer, and a relay (loud click) to control the line-voltage load. I've had three of them for a few months, so far so good...and they turn the lights on and off at the right time as the day length changes.
Ron Natalie
7 years ago
I've not found an short sensor. I gave up and purchased CF bulbs with the sensor built in.
heartsong2
7 years ago
I had the same problem and solved it by using a refrigerator bulb. It has the same size base but is a small, short bulb. You could probably also use a ceiling fan bulb.

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