I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.

"Artful Dodger" wrote in message
...
I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.

bad sensor.

charlie wrote:
"Artful Dodger" wrote in message
...
I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.

bad sensor.


New electronic two wire sensor made for incandescent load
used to replaced old three wire thermal switch (or relay)
sensor that worked with any load. Add a 40w incandescent to
the fluorescents or find sensor not marked "for
incandescent(or resistive) load only".

-- larry /dallas

On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:24:12 -0400, Blattus Slafaly
wrote:

Artful Dodger wrote:
I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.

The solid state switch is shot.


Have you tried with a replacement incandescent bulb? Many electronic
controls can not control a ballasted light without a resistive load
also on the circuit. (X10 products are a good example)
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

larry wrote:
charlie wrote:
"Artful Dodger" wrote in message
...
I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.

bad sensor.


New electronic two wire sensor made for incandescent load used to
replaced old three wire thermal switch (or relay) sensor that worked
with any load. Add a 40w incandescent to the fluorescents or find
sensor not marked "for incandescent(or resistive) load only".

-- larry /dallas

Re-read the post, used wrong bulbs, or ballast is bad (dried
out caps). there are at least three types of bulbs these
days. Pre-heat lamps- used "starters". Rapid Start lamps-
no starters. The new eco lamps that are lower wattage and
work with the new eco or electronic ballasts- lower power
factor, usually rated 32w for what would have been a 40w,
smaller diameter- T8 instead of T12. There was another bulb
design but I don't remember it's name or characteristics.
Check Don Klipstein's pages.


-- larry/dallas

On Oct 8, 1:47*pm, Artful Dodger wrote:
I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside
electric eye fixture. *The
bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. *Handyman covered the
eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. *He cleaned up
around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: *This light was installed quite a while ago. * It worked
fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. *Then it began to act up.
The lights barely lit up. *Just a very faint, dim *glow. * BUT the
sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not
work?

Any advice appreciated.


you need a relay-based sensor for flourescent, a resistive sensor is
only for incandescent.

Some sensors pass small amounts of current through the bulb so the sensor
has power.

I am guessing your bulbs don't like that. Have you tried a regular bulb?