OT: Question for electricians

[bdgan]

I have a lamp post in my front yard. There is no on/off switch, just a dusk to dawn photo sensor.

The bulbs in the lamp post have been burned out for a few years and I just now decided to replace them. It's daytime but the bulbs don't light when I cover the photo sensor. I suspect the sensor might be broken but I'm not sure how to safely remove and replace it. I don't know what circuit breaker the lamp post is on and I can't tell unless I have lights that go out when I flip the breaker.

Any ideas?

 

[Eurotrash1]

Yes, call an electrician.

 

[91Joe95]

I have a lamp post in my front yard. There is no on/off switch, just a dusk to dawn photo sensor.

The bulbs in the lamp post have been burned out for a few years and I just now decided to replace them. It's daytime but the bulbs don't light when I cover the photo sensor. I suspect the sensor might be broken but I'm not sure how to safely remove and replace it. I don't know what circuit breaker the lamp post is on and I can't tell unless I have lights that go out when I flip the breaker.

Any ideas?

Just turn off every breaker in the house. Whatever you do, don't cross the streams.

 

[Eurotrash1]

The reason I said this is, it is not very difficult to disconnect the hot wire in the light and reconnect it bypassing the sensor. If you are not comfortable. Either shutdown all the breakers as suggested or call an electrician.

 

[CappyToCJF]

Just turn off every breaker in the house. Whatever you do, don't cross the streams.

Yes, pull the main breaker to the house then take the photo sensor apart and get a meter on it to see if it is getting power when you turn the power back on. Then go from there in troubleshooting.

By the way, if you can trace the light back eventually, install a switch on the line even if u have to put it right next to the breaker box. But may not be necessary if the light(s) are the only thing on the circuit and u find the breaker (a very poor design)

 

[Colorado Man]

Sometimes covering the photo sensor takes a while for the lights to come on when covered in daylight. Electrical tape works best over hand covering, but even that takes awhile. Hand covering requires more patience than electrical tape. Give it one night to see if replacing the bulbs solved the problem. If you have to shutoff the main breaker remember there are other functions that have to be restored when returning to power.

 

[Obliviax]

I know its scary but its only a 120 volt line...won't kill you.

The circuit has to be completed to run electricity. As Colorado says above, first, cover it with black electricians tape for 15 minutes to see if it comes on.

If not, take the old one out, take it to HD or Lowes, and get a replacement.

In the daytime, connect on wire to the "in" and tape it with black electrical wire as to not touch it by mistake. Connect the other one and tape it too. Then, cover the sensor to see if it comes on.

There could be a problem someplace else (wire broken before it gets to the light post). Even in the worst case, you'll just get a slight jolt.

 

[bdgan]

Sometimes covering the photo sensor takes a while for the lights to come on when covered in daylight. Electrical tape works best over hand covering, but even that takes awhile. Hand covering requires more patience than electrical tape. Give it one night to see if replacing the bulbs solved the problem. If you have to shutoff the main breaker remember there are other functions that have to be restored when returning to power.

Thanks. I wrapped a towell around the sensor and went away for 20 minutes. The lights were on when I came back. I'm not an electronics guy but there must be a capacitor that stores light that needs time to dissipate.

I still wish the had put this on a switch.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Yes, call an electrician.

Better yet, call Lubert or Dambly, and ask them if they could check it for you.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

If the photo sensor is not working, the lights will usually be on.
If the light doesn't come on at night, or when the sensor is covered for half an hour, then my guess is a short somewhere between your house and the lamp post or a ground fault tripped somewhere (check your garage GFI's, but it could literally be any GFI depending on how the lamp post is wired.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

Just turn off every breaker in the house. Whatever you do, don't cross the streams.

Now you've really screwed him up. He's going outside to search for "small rivers" near his property

 

[The Spin Meister]

Now that the light is working, turn off breakers one at a time until you see which it is on and then label it. If other things are on the same circuit, install a switch wherever you can.