These days we want everything we buy to be practical and make our life easier. We have way too many responsibilities to take care of throughout the day. We go to work and look out for our family and try to lead an active and social life. So we try to do everything we can to make the smaller trivial things in our daily life more functional on their own so we wouldn’t have to worry about that as well. This is where technology comes in handy. More and more things are becoming automated and motion sensors play a great part in all of this.

What Are Motion Sensors and What Are They Used for?

Motion sensors are used to detect motion. In this way, they detect that there’s someone nearby and activate a feature of the device or system they’re installed in. They’re part of every monitored security system and can be found in phones, paper towel dispensers, hand dryers and lighting fixtures.  In fact, motion-activated lights are the most common type of motion sensor product for homeowners. And when you learn about all their benefits, you’ll get to understand why. 

Why Are Light Sensor Switches a Great Upgrade for Homes? 

An occupancy motion sensor light switch automatically turns on the light when someone enters a room and turns it off when the room in unoccupied for a period of time. In other words, it’s a hands-free switching mechanism that’s very practical when your hands are full or when a light switch isn’t safe to use. This is different from the vacancy sensors that need to be manually turned on but can turn off automatically when there’s no one in the room.

Motion sensor lights can be beneficial in many ways. There are many different types available so you’ll surely find a suitable light sensor switch for your home.

Home Security

Motion sensor lights can protect you from burglars and other unwanted guests. They usually target a place when the residents are away or at night because they don’t want to be seen. Installing lights around your house that will turn on automatically when someone’s in the vicinity, can help you scare them off. 

Not only humans but wildlife can be a threat as well. It depends on the place where you live but you wouldn’t want coyotes or dingoes anywhere near your house. Having a motion sensor light in front of your house will detect these intruders and scare them away.

Greater Convenience

Exterior lights are very helpful but they aren’t of much use if you don’t have the light when you need it. When you drive up to your house at night and you can’t see anything or if you’re with your kids and a full car of groceries, getting out of the car just to turn on the lights can be a challenging task. It’s good to know that as soon as you step out, the lights will be turning on so everyone can get home safely.

Also, a motion sensor light can help you during the colder months when there’s a possibility of ice and snow. Being able to see what you step on greatly reduces the risk of injuries for you and your family.

They can be used for the garage and inside the house like in the attic, basement, hallway, and bathroom. They can be installed even in your kitchen cabinet if you have the need for extra lighting. They are useful when you go to your basement or you’re entering a dark hallway carrying boxes or more things and everything’s dark so you can’t even see the light switch. Having your way illuminated prevents you from tripping on something or falling down the stairs.

Cost Saving

By supplying your house with lighting sensors, you’ll be saving more. You wouldn’t have to leave the exterior lights on your porch or driveway on all night and you know that as soon as you leave a room the lights will be turned off. So, a light sensor switch saves energy and reduces the electricity bills.

Easy to Install

There are different types that can be installed easily without any professional help. You would want to place the motion detector away from heat sources or cold air because sudden changes in temperature can trigger it. It needs to be positioned towards the area that you want to cover and if it’s an outdoor sensor, make sure to clean it regularly.

There’s a peel-and-stick option that’s useful for small places like shelves, drawers, and countertops. They can be installed into existing light bulbs by simply screwing the new bulb into the socket.

Every manufacturer provides a manual and there are many guides online for installing motion lights, just make sure that they’re reliable.

How Do Motion Sensors Work?

Motion sensors can be active or passive. Active sensors send out waves and wait for a returning signal. If there’s motion, the sound waves return and trigger the switch. Passive sensors don’t emit any kind of energy hence the name ‘passive’.

Passive Infrared Motion Sensor

They are activated when infrared energy or body heat is detected. Everything emits radiation and humans emit a lot of it, so the heat is detected by the sensor that detects the change in temperature between the background and the body. It converts light into electricity that activates the switch. Infrared motion sensors need a direct sight of the object so they can detect a movement. They’re small and easy to use.

Microwave Motion Sensors

These detect motion by continuous emission of microwave radiation. They’re sensitive to frequency shifts and measure the reflection off of moving objects. The signal from a detected frequency shift activates the detector. They cover a larger area and are able to detect motion through materials which makes them more unreliable because false alarms can be triggered.

Dual Technology Motion Sensors

They combine more sensors together for more effective detection. They can have both a passive infrared motion sensor and microwave motion sensor to reduce false alarms. Both sensors need to detect a change to make the alarm go off.

Features of Motion Sensor Switches

• You can pick a motion LED sensor light if you want to reap the benefits of LED technology as well. This means that the fixture will produce bright light, provide instant illumination, be durable and energy efficient.
• You can get motion sensor switches with a built-in dimmer so you can adjust the level of brightness. You can use this in bedrooms, bathrooms, or living rooms where you wouldn’t want to disturb someone or you don’t need bright light.
• Motion sensors can be wireless which will make the set-up much easier. There’s no need for drilling but a simple Wi-Fi connection.
• If you have a pet, it’s likely that it’ll activate the sensor quite often. You could get a passive sensor that is immune to pets’ movements. They can be adjusted to ignore a pet up to a certain weight so they’ll still be able to protect your home.