Photocell

[Hazzy1955]

I have 3 lights outside connected to a south facing photocell, it has been working well for 6 years and now it switches the lights on at midday when the sun is blazing i.e. West Sussex 29/09/2015. Does anyone have a fix for this?

regards
Hazzy1955

 

[Marvo]

It might be that the higher midday temperature is affecting the value of one of the internal components or maybe even changing the resistance across a poor joint or dry joint. There's other possibilities including internal condensation and insects to mention just a couple but the end result will be the same unless you've got a lot of spare time, electronics knowledge, test equipment and maybe an oscilloscope. They're not particularly expensive items so usually they'd just be replaced as a matter of course once they start playing up because it's not worth the time to repair them.

 

[Hellmooth]

Sensor is possibly knacked, is there any adjustments on the photocell itself?

 

[telectrix]

Just replace the head. 5 minute job

 

[Spoon]

Just replace the head. 5 minute job

a head job, 5 minutes...... ooh err missus.... Sorry, yes I am acting like a child..... I can't help it....

 

[Hazzy1955]

All, many thanks for the quick response, I suddenly thought I have a lower down unit that feeds garden lights, swopped out the heads and guess what, the garden lights stay on in daylight and the external house lights are now off. So i will replace the head on the swopped out unit.

thx again people

 

[markc123]

This takes me back, once had a call to a small private caravan park with the street lights being on permanently as opposed to just a night - turned up, they weren't on at all it was the position of the sun on the shade that gave the effect they were on when looking at them from one direction.

As tel said, just replace the head, couple of quid and 5mins