Motion sensors are lighting systems that have gradually drawn the attention of companies and households because they help to enhance the sense of security in any environment.
Very often, people purchase motion sensors for indoor and outdoor uses. However, before using a motion sensor in your environment, it’s important that you ensure the efficiency of the bulb. An ineffective bulb can cause you to waste electricity, time, and money.
Now, does this mean LED bulbs are the best for motion sensors? Well, Any LED bulb will work perfectly with your motion sensor as long as it has an electromechanical relay. In addition, if the motion sensor has an electronic switch, it may not work well with LED bulbs that have low watts because they require the least load to power the sensor on the circuit.
With the right configuration and layout, LED bulbs work with motion sensors just like any other type of bulb would.
Have you been looking for answers regarding LED bulbs and how they function with motion sensors? Then, this article is where you need to be!
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LED Bulbs and Motion Sensors – What to Know
LED bulbs function properly with motion sensors. Why? Because LED bulbs are built to go through different switching cycles. They also tend to reach their brightness limit after they are turned on.
Before using a LED bulb with a motion sensor, you must ensure that the sensor is correctly set. Incorrect settings can lead to several unneeded flickering cycles, thus, affecting the lifespan of the LED bulb.
This is more reason you should check to see the sensitivity, lighting duration, and other specifications that fit your needs before purchasing.
What are the Types of Motion Sensors?
If you’re looking to pair your motion sensors with a LED bulb, you must understand the different kinds that are available for purchase. Here are common ones to look out for:
Passive infrared sensors
Usually, these motion sensors come with pyroelectric thin-film material. Asides from activating the burglar alarm at the inflow of electricity, passive infrared sensors also react to infrared radiation by producing electricity.
They are super economical and won’t waste your electricity. People mostly use them for indoor purposes.
Ultrasonic Sensors
The ultrasonic sensor can either come in active or passive forms.
The Passive Ultrasonic Sensors are quite sensitive as they always pick specific sounds, such as broken glasses or metals clicking. They are sometimes expensive and can raise false alarms.
The Active Ultrasonic Sensors are quick to generate sound waves. They can detect the reflection of these sound waves off moving things.
Tomographic Sensors
Tomographic sensors detect when radio waves are not stable. They can pass through objects and can be placed in a manner that causes the radio waves to cover the large areas.
Because they are expensive, people use them in storage units, warehouses, and for other commercial purposes.
Microwave Sensor
Like the name sounds, microwave sensors produce microwave signals and then measure the amount of time the signal took to reflect on the sensor.
The microwave sensor can detect motions from time to time. This means that the received waves can be altered if it senses a moving object in the room.
Because of how microwave sensors function, they can be more or less sensitive. They can go from detecting seemingly invisible changes to needing calibration to detect larger changes.
There’s no harm in using microwave sensors. You can use them either inside or outside a home.
Do Motion Sensors Need Special LED Bulbs?
Usually, motion sensor lights do not need special LED bulbs. All they need to function is motion detection and an electrical switch.
That said, there are two primary kinds of LED Light bulbs: dimmable and non-dimmable.
- Dimmable LEDs are designed to be used with feeble switches.
- Non-dimmable LEDs won’t function well when you reduce the power, it must be either on or off to ensure that it shines.
Should you now buy dimmable or non-dimmable LED bulbs?
It doesn’t matter which one you buy; either of the two will work perfectly because motion sensors only trigger the bulb on or off.
If your LED bulbs are not working properly with your motion sensors, in most cases, all you have to do is replace the sensor with another that’s compatible with LED or return to using a more inefficient bulb instead of LED.
Do All Motion Sensors Work With LED Lights?
Most motion sensors make use of electronic switches to trigger the light to come on. That’s why it doesn’t matter which kind of bulb is used. Instead, what matters most is the configuration of the sensor.
You should also note that not every motion sensor has the ability to light up the LED bulb perfectly. Below are different types of electronic switches utilized by motion sensors:
- Electromechanical relays
- Semiconductor relays or electronic switches
Electromechanical relays
Motion sensors with an electromechanical relay typically work with any form of an LED lighting bulb. While using them, you shouldn’t expect to encounter problems.
These types of motion sensors function just like a regular switch. It triggers the switch once it spots any heat signal. After then, all terminals will be connected and the voltage will be passed to the bulb connected to the sensor.
Electronic switches or semiconductor relays
On the other hand, electronic switches require a minimum load to function perfectly. They require that you pay extra attention to the types and specifications of loads you intend to use.
Do not worry. This information can be easily found on the body, packaging, or even datasheet of the sensor during purchase.
To experience less trouble with electronic switch motion sensors, ensure that they are designed to work with capacitive loads. In addition to using capacitive loads, the minimum load must also be considered. This is especially if you’re dealing with already installed motion sensors.
A lot of LED motion sensors you see in stores around you have a 1-watt minimum load. This makes them fit to be used in all LED lamps.
See Also: Can Light Bulbs Have Cameras in Them?
Note, for a LED bulb to work perfectly with motion sensors, the configuration must be right and the loads must be compatible too. All LED bulbs have a capacitive load due to an integrated power supply within them while all incandescent bulbs have a resistive load.
You must understand that the motion sensor you choose must be able to handle capacitive loads so that it can work perfectly with the LED lights.
Common Issues With LED Lights And Motion Sensors
When it comes to installation and maintenance, motion sensors can be very frustrating. That’s why making it work perfectly with a LED bulb is very tedious, although POSSIBLE.
Here is what you need to know about the most common challenges you might be able to sort out yourself.
1. LED Motion Sensors Never Go Off
LED lights can refuse to go off even when they don’t detect anything. This may be a case of high sensitivity or a load distribution issue. You can resolve this by checking the sensitivity level and reducing it. Also, ensure that the minimum load and the load type of the bulb and sensor are compatible.
In case your sensor is on a high sensitivity level, there may be an object close to the environment triggering it. You should clean the sensors properly and look out for insects or small objects that are capable of setting the power off.
Additionally, motion sensors with an electronic switch require a minimum load for the LED bulb to work perfectly. Otherwise, there may be a form of malfunction now and then. Also, it is very possible that the switch will not play any role at all and the bulb will be powered directly.
2. Motion Sensor Does Not Switch On At All
If the motion sensor does not trigger the LED bulb at all, it can only mean one thing: the electronic switch is not receiving the required load.
Always check the LED bulb and be certain the motion sensor can handle capacitive loads for it to work perfectly. If nothing changes, try a resistive load, incandescent bulb with your sensor.
3. LED Bulb Flickering
Do you have a LED bulb that won’t stop flickering? If so, it can be an indicator that the load of the LED lamp is not of minimum level or the motion sensor can not support capacitive loads like LEDs.
Look through the LED bulb’s configuration and suitability of the motion sensor. You can also review whether the sensitivity is similar to the switching frequency and reconfigure it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, motion sensors are one of the best security upgrades you should bring into your home. While using motion sensors, you should know which bulb is most compatible with them.
From the information above, you can rightly see that LED bulbs are compatible with motion sensors as long as you follow the rules. Have you tried the LED bulbs and motion sensor combo before? Feel free to let us know what you think about them in the comment section.