How to Turn Off a Motion Sensor Light Switch

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They are more than just a light source or a convenience. Motion sensor lights can increase the safety and security around your home as they turn on and off when you walk through a dark section of your yard or alert you if someone is walking around the perimeter of your home.

Additionally they create ambience in your outdoor spaces. But, while they are an excellent light source option, they can be somewhat confusing to use and operate if you don’t know much about electrics. This could become a bit of an issue if you want to know how to turn off motion sensor light switch.

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Turning off your motion sensor light switch to install a new one or to fix the current one (or just because you want it off for a while) is actually very simple. If you are using a battery operated unit, it just requires you to remove the batteries to turn off the motion sensor light switch.

But if you want to turn a wired motion sensor light off, you will need to basically de-construct it, take out the cables and battery as well as a few extra parts. When looking at wired motion sensor light systems, you may need some help if you are not all that electrically savvy.

If you want to disable the light switch to save energy during the daylight hours, you can switch your motion sensor device into manual or auto mode depending on the switch your device has. This does not affect the regular functioning of the light.

However, if you have a model that doesn’t have the mode that has this function, you will need to follow the steps below.

How to Turn Off Motion Sensor Light Switch Temporarily

Sometimes you don’t want to tangle with the irritating off and on clicking of your motion sensor light. Most manufacturers have made it very easy for your to disable the main feature on the motion sensor light.

There should be a switch on the device that says, “on time,” which is normally located right under the motion sensor part of the fixture. Set this switch to any position except for test position and turn off the flip that the light is connected to. If you do not know which switch it is, test all of the available options before playing with the “on time” button.

Once you have turned the switch off, turn it back on immediately. This allows you to have control of the motion sensor light from the switch rather than through motion being detected in front of or underneath it.

How to Restore the Motion Sensor Feature

If you want to get the motion sensing action back, this process is very simple. Most motion sensor light manufacturers have made the process very quick and easy. In the same way you located the switch that controls the light and flipped it off and on again immediately to enable manual on and off, doing the same again will enable its original function of motion sensor activation when someone passes in front of or beneath it.

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How to Turn Off a Motion Sensor Light Switch Permanently

What you will need

  • Paper bag
  • Screw driver
  • Ladder
  • Old newspaper
  1. Preparation

When you want to turn off your motion sensor light switch so that you can remove it or install a new one, you need to ensure that you have a screwdriver, paper bag, old newspaper, and a ladder ready. You need to arrange the newspaper on the ground on  the area underneath the motion sensor light and then place the ladder on top of the newspaper. This makes cleanup a lot easier, especially if pieces of the alarm board or wall chip off in the process.

  1. Disconnect the power

If the motion sensor light has an on-and-off button, switch it to off. Do not set it to auto if it has this function. Some motion sensor light units have a separate switch installed on the outside of the main panel. Check that this is switched off. As mentioned earlier, if your device is battery powered, simply remove the batteries and set them aside.

  1. Disconnect the sensors

Once the power has been disconnected or the batteries have been removed, it is time to disconnect the wires in the device. The yellow, black, and red wire ends must be removed from the inputs in the panel. Once the power and wires have been disconnected, you can remove the light bulb.

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