Exterior lighting installation & repair questions U answers:

This article answers reader questions about problems encountered with exterior lighting at buildings: lights that don't go on, lights that won't turn off, exterior lighting bulb types, locations, wiring, enclosures, and weatherproofing.

Exterior Light Choices, Installation, Troubleshooting

These questions & answers about requirements for and wiring exterior lighting at buildings were posted originally at LIGHTING, EXTERIOR GUIDE - home - be sure to see the advice given there.

On 2018-10-23 2 by (mod) - faulty outdoor light sensor

AJ

If your outdoor light is controlled by a light sensor the sensor or its wiring may be at fault. I've had that trouble. Some outdoor motion sensors can be re-programmed by flipping the interior control light switch on and off but it's irksome.

Also see LIGHT SWITCH WIRING DETAILS

On 2018-10-23 by AJ

Stays on for a week. Got someone to look at it. Took it out put in ib again, it worked for about 2 mins and gone out again. Have looked to see if there's any damp or corrosion but there isn't.

I took original bulb to shop so that I could get the same replacement which I assume I got.

On 2018-05-29 7 by (mod) - Exterior led porch light flashes when the light switch is turned on.

I suspect

- a bad switch

- a loose wire or bad electrical connection

On 2018-05-28 by Jim.romaine.jr@gmail.com

Exterior led porch light flashes when the light switch is turned on. Never did that before.
How can it be fixed?

 

On 2018-05-15 by (mod) - proper outdoor electrical box needed

Your electrician can supply either a longer mounting strap or amounting face on the box that will reduce its opening to a 4-inch box or other common size.

On 2018-05-15 by Elaine

My nephew has a metal box where I think the porch light was originally mounted. There is a wire with a light bulb hanging there now with nothing covering it and is not secured in any fashion.

We want to install a flush mount porch light.

There is a metal electrical box that measures 71/2 by 71/2 inches. The lights I have looked at have small mounting bracket. I am unsure how to mount the light withe box being large and the bracket so small. Can I buy a longer bracket? Or how do I mount the bracket in the box?

On 2017-09-12 by (mod) - Lights not mounting flush with building

Bryan, is this a question about an installation problem or a product search?

On 2017-09-12 by Bryan

Lights not mounting flush with building

On 2016-11-23 by Jet

I switched out one exterior light & there are 2 other exterior lights on the same circuit. One of the existing lights has begun to illuminate the bulb to a pink-orange color. I'm just wondering if there is a safety issue.

On 2016-10-27 by Steve

Replaced new 10 watt halogen bulbs in my solar fixtures but does not come on

On 2016-08-17 22:37:37.984758 by (mod) -

Try this Fred.

Unscrew the bulb.
Get an old incandescent bulb or floodlight that you have on hand. An older one. Compare the lengths of the threaded bulb base between the two.

I've found some new bulbs, particluarly LED bulbs, manufactured (in China) sport a shorter threaded base that seats at the bulb shoulder before the base contact touches the metal contact in the bulb socket.

SOMETIMES with POWER OFF (watch out you can be shocked to death) we can fix this problem by prying upwards a bit the contact tab in the bottom of the bulb socket - if it's one that can be lifted.

On 2016-08-17 by fred

i have an exterior light in my gazebo. the switch is new the socket is new the bulb is new. I have power to the socket and but the bulb will no illuminate, The light has worked fine for the past yr or so but know wont come on.

On 2016-08-17 by (mod) - outoor lights not weatherproof may be unsafe and illegal

Harene

Watch out: You raise an important safety question as an outdoor light that is not weatherproof risks water leaks, light failure, or worse an electrical shock hazard. I can't see enough of the light situation from just your e-text, but indeed the light needs to be sealed against water; that'll also take care of the insect hotel worry.

On the outdoor lights that I've mounted to replace older, smaller ones, I purchased a weatherproof electrical box that was large enough to cover the older opening in the exterior wall. The wires are brought into the new box from the back, secured with a strain relief, and the box was then mounted to the wall.

I sealed around the edges of the box with a sealant-caulk and continued to mount the actual light fixture to the new box.

On 2016-08-17 by Harene

I had a new porch light installed and it works fine. The problem is that the base of new light is larger than the original mounting plate on the siding.

Because of this there is a 2 inch open gap at the bottom I am concerned that bees or moisture could get in the gap.

Is it ok to fill the gap with a block of pine wood? Or is there fine thing else su could use? Thanks.

On 2016-06-07 00:06:14.9 by (mod) - electrical box support systems designed for repair or retrofit

Check out electrical box support systems designed for repair or retrofit at your local building supplier.

You'll find several electrical box support systems including a simple box with telescoping arms that can be inserted into the cavity through the existing hole and secured in place.

You might just buy the telescoping arm kit so that to it you can attach a weatherproof electrical box.

For example see

RETRO-BRACE with 4 in. Round Ceiling Rated Pan, 2-1/8 in. Deep with 1/2 in. KO's at Home Depot

or

Westinghouse/ABCO 0110000 SUPPORT BRACE WITH LOCKNG TEETH - about $15. if you're in the U.S.

Wire the new light to through the new electrical box; before affixing the light fixture to the box, buy or fabricate a suitable cover - think enormous washer - to cover the large opening, leaving an opening of proper size to connect the new light but be covered by that fixture; the new light will be secured to the new box.

Be sure all of your installation is sealed against water entry.

On 2016-06-06 by Marshall Kimble

Upon replaceing a broken exterior porch light, the existing hole is much deeper and wider than the new lights base. How can I make a smaller new light fit into the old larger hole.

On 2016-04-11 by (mod) - troubleshooting a light timer and rat's nest electrical wiring

Watch out: Good grief: based on just your description, it sounds to me as if you are lucky the building has not been set on fire. This sounds totally unsafe and even incompetent. You don't want an electrical timer to be

- left with its cover open exposing live wires

- left loose, not mounted permanently

- left where debris can get jammed into the timer and where it also serves as kindling for a fire.

Nevertheless, once you turned the timer "ON" if some lights went on and not others, AND if all of the lights are on the same circuit, then the problem is in the circuit, not the timer. The timer is a single device, right? IT doesn't know which lights are on or off.

You need help from a licensed electrician. Making mistakes with electrical wiring risks fire or death from electrocution.

On 2016-04-10 by CECELIA QUATTRONE

sorry that wasn't very clear I was replacing the light fixtures at an apartment building where they keep their fuse box and the timer to turn on and off the exterior lights is very very messy and in throwing stuff into the closet

where everything is a rope or string got caught around the dials of the timer and doing so got tangled in all the components

I guess you could say preventing the timer from functioning and getting all the gears pretty much tied up tight to where they couldn't go around anymore so I basically had to untangle the Rope

and when I did that of course then all the gears started to function again but while tied up with the Rope

is it gotten so tangled up that it was starting to pull the timer box off the wall I'm not at the location right now so I can't really send you a picture but the timer did appear to be working

after I untangled the Rope or string from the gears the dial started going around my problem then was when I turned on the timer and the and the power from the fuse box only part of the lights went on does

my problem lie in the timer or in the light fixtures that I just installed how do I troubleshoot where do I start to look first to solve my problem and what do I look for

...

Continue reading  at LIGHTING, EXTERIOR GUIDE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Exterior Lighting Articles

• LIGHTING, EXTERIOR GUIDE - home
  • ELECTRIC POWER LOSS / FLICKERING LIGHTS
  • RECESSED SOFFIT or ROOF OVERHANG
  • BULB & FIXTURE TYPES for SOFFITS
  • LIGHT SWITCH WIRING DETAILS
  • REPAIR AUTOMATIC OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURE
  • SECURITY / MOTION SENSOR LIGHT INSTALL
  • SURFACE MOOUNT OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES
  • UNSAFE OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES
• LIGHTING OVER STAIRS & AT EXITS

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING LIGHTING

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