Everything you need to know about your security light!

These handy, motion sensor activated, outdoor wall lights can be a great way to deter intruders thanks to the increased visibility they create in your garden

What is the law on security lights?

In the UK, there is no law against security lights though. However, it is important to ensure your security light is set up properly so as to not cause a nuisance. According to guidance from the government website, "Councils must look into complaints about artificial light from premises if the light could be classed as a ‘statutory nuisance’ (covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990).

For the artificial light to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following:

• unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises
• injure health or be likely to injure health

If they agree that a statutory nuisance is happening, has happened or will happen in the future, councils must serve an abatement notice. This requires whoever’s responsible to stop or restrict the light. The notice will usually be served on the person responsible but can also be served on the owner or occupier of the premises.

Why is my security light staying on?

Security lights tend to use PIR Sensors, commonly referred to as motion sensors. These sensors work by monitoring the heat energy in the area around them, they commonly work in pairs, and any difference in the heat between them will trigger the sensor and thus activate the light.

There may be something stuck near the sensor, causing it to malfunction. Removing the object may solve your problem.

Similarly, if the sensor is covered in dirt and grime, it may be affecting the sensor's ability to read the heat in the area, causing it to trigger incorrectly. Cleaning the area may fix this issue.

The sensitivity of the light can be adjusted for a few metrics. These are commonly labelled as LUX, which is the sensitivity to light, TIME, which is the amount of time the light will stay on when triggered and SENSI, which is the sensitivity of the light. These can commonly be adjusted by 3 knobs located on the back of the sensor. 

Have a fiddle with these settings and you'll be able to find the right sensitivity for your outdoor light! 

As mentioned earlier, motion sensors are activated when they detect a change in heat in the area. It is possible that a new addition in your garden is generating more heat than the sensors were initially calibrated for, causing it to activate unwantedly. Look around your garden for anything new that may be causing this and move the object. 

If this doesn't solve the issue, turn the system off via the circuit breaker for 30 seconds. Once turned back on, the system should reset and the light should go off.