How to Fit Security Lights to Protect Your Home

Making your home more secure to deter burglars doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Fitting a security light is a great deterrent against burglars and can be very handy as the winter nights draw in. You don’t need a mega-wattage fitting that will scorch the grass from 10 metres, a 150 watt halogen floodlight with a PIR (passive infra red) detector should be sufficient for the average home and there will be little chance of you upsetting your neighbours when it is switching on and off. They can also be physically set at an angle so as not to be intrusive. The light fitting should have instructions for all the settings, e.g. ‘on’ time duration and light level before it operates.

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These fittings are inexpensive, cheap to run and fairly easy to fit. With the Part P regulations that are in force you may need to use the services of a qualified electrician. I would supply the unit via a 13 amp switch fuse spur with the fuse downgraded to 2 or 3 amp dependant on the lamp wattage, this is for two reasons : –

1. If the fitting develops a fault due to water ingress, etc, the fuse in the spur will blow rather than the circuit fuse.
2. These fittings usually have an override facility which enables you to switch them on for as long as required, say for an evening barbecue in the Summer, this is done by switching the supply off and on within 2 or 3 seconds at the spur, and when you have finished using the light, simply switch off, wait 10 seconds or more, and switch back on, the light fitting should return to its normal mode.

Don’t forget when the halogen lamp needs replacing make sure the fitting is switched off and the fuse removed.

Top Tip: Never touch the glass of the new lamp with bare fingers, use a cloth or tissue as the oil / grease in the skin can create hot spots on the lamp and reduce its working life.

Tools required:

• Power/ battery drill
• Masonry drill bits
• Electricians test lamps
• Screwdriver set
• Side cutters (snips)
• Wire strippers and pliers